Text: Acts 6:1-7   The best offense is a good defense.   The early church experienced tremendous success in the spreading of the gospel but they experienced their fair share of challenges as well.  In Acts 6 we meet the early church in conflict.  Two subgroups have developed within the church and they have come into […]

Text: Acts 15:1-21   Believe, Belong, Behave.   What makes a family?  Is it blood?  Is it shared DNA? Or is it something far greater?  The modern church is struggling with this very question, “At what point does someone belong to us?”  This issue of belonging isn’t new to the church, however, but is a question that the […]

Text: 1 Peter 5:6-14   Stand humbly.   The best coaches spend significant time and effort teaching their players fundamentals.  One such fundamental is the proper athletic stance that allows an athlete to respond and move appropriately.  As Peter concludes his first letter he is concerned with how we will stand in faith against the inevitable […]

Text: 1 Peter 5:1-5   Define the relationship.   We all have expectations of one another and our relationships struggle when we fail or refuse to communicate those expectations.  This is especially true of the relationship that exists between pastors and the congregation.  It is a fitting end to Pastor Appreciation Month that we arrive in […]

Text: 1 Peter 4:12-19   God’s got this.   We are not in control.  That is one of the hardest truths that we have to face in this life but the good news that flows from the gospel is the knowledge that even if we are not in control we know the One who is.  As Peter […]

Text: 1 Peter 4:7-11   Don’t waste your life.   Peter establishes a sense of urgency within the hearts of his audience.  He declares that the end is at hand, meaning that everything necessary for Christ’s return has been accomplished and nothing more than the patience of the Father for the sake of sinners is delaying […]

Text: 1 Peter 4:1-6   Always be prepared.   Peter’s message has been clear, that difficult times are coming for those who are devoted to the Lord and to righteousness.  But being ready for this entails taking up or putting on the mind of Christ.  Christ was willing to suffer so that he might achieve the […]

Text: 1 Peter 3:18-22   Perspective is powerful.   They say that hindsight is 20/20 and in many respects, this is true because when we are able to view our situations from a position of completion it transforms our perspective.  To this point in his letter, Peter has been calling us to a conduct that is […]

Text: 1 Peter 3:13-17   Maturity matters.   As parents or employers, we would never ignore benchmarks of healthy development in our children or in our employees.  Yet, within the church we are inexplicably comfortable with allowing others and even allowing ourselves to stagnate in spiritual immaturity.  In these verses, Peter begins to wrap up the […]

This week, Dr. Rick Stevens teaches out of Luke 5:1-11 on the importance of obedience and following Christ to become fishers of men.