Southview Community Church

Pastor William Attaway continues into Acts chapter 6, where the early church encountered a major dispute in its constituents. Discerning that their own calling was to pray and study, the apostles found seven honest men and delegated to them the power and authority to resolve the issue. Pastor Attaway asks all of us both to pray and study regularly and also to seek possible areas of calling.

After the Jewish religious leaders in Jerusalem ordered the apostles to stop teaching in the name of Jesus, they continued instead. Acts chapter 5 tells how they preached and healed despite further threats, imprisonment, and flogging. Pastor William Attaway encourages modern-day Christians to persist in showing and sharing our eternal hope in Christ as well.

Some examples tell us what to do, while others demonstrate what NOT to do. Pastor William Attaway preaches from Acts 4:32-5:11, where Barnabas gives the full results of a property sale to the early church and Ananias and Sapphira claim to do the same. The sober results remind the church of the holiness of God.

In Acts chapter 4, religious authorities told the followers of Jesus they must not preach in His name any more. In response, the early church prayed together for God to give them boldness to continue. He responded immediately, demonstrating His closeness. Pastor William Attaway reminds us all of God’s presence and of His ability to carry through whatever He wants us to do, regardless of opposition.

When confronted by religious authorities in Acts chapter 4, the apostles Peter and John refused their command to stop preaching in the name of Christ. Pastor William Attaway explains that they could not deny the name of Christ, because He is the one true way to salvation.

Pastor William Attaway preaches on the story in Acts 3 of the lame man healed outside the temple by Peter and John. The two apostles took the opportunity to preach to the onlookers about the power of Christ and how He would gladly welcome every one of them into His salvation and into the refreshment of His presence.

We finish chapter 2 of Acts today looking at the 5 practices that characterized the Acts 2 church (and why Southview looks and works like we do).

In the second half of Acts 2, the Apostle Peter preaches to the very Jewish inhabitants of Jerusalem who called for Jesus to be crucified. He powerfully explains how Jesus fulfilled prophecies in the Old Testament and then rose from the dead. His hearers repent in word and deed, and thousands are baptized. Pastor William Attaway, in turn, explains to Southview Community Church how this development of the early stages of God’s church echoes down to us today.

In Acts 2, God sent the Holy Spirit to all individuals waiting and praying the upper room, regardless of gender or socioeconomic status. Pastor William Attaway discusses what this means for us and for the spiritual gifts therefore given since then to every follower of Christ.

When the Holy Spirit came to Jesus’ disciples in Acts chapter 2, they spoke the Gospel in all tongues. Pastor William Attaway explains what this means for God’s church to show unity in diversity.