Acts 20:17-38

Acts 19:11-20

Many people are fans of Jesus, and many call themselves Christians. No wonder they want to - there is an amazing attraction and power in his Name, his teachings, his love and his sacrifice for believers! Knowing about Jesus is very different from actually knowing him, though. When we reference his reputation and claim him as our Lord, we had better know what we're getting into and about whom we are speaking. Attempting to do ministry in Jesus' Name without knowing Jesus in an active and personal way is always a disastrous mistake!

Acts 18:24-19:10

This vignette form the book of Acts shows us how building people is never an exact science, and how it takes a team of diverse and differently-gifted people to raise up disciples. This is a huge comfort! if we had to do ministry and build people all alone, we would be constantly crippled by insecurity, limited resources, time management, and burnout. As it is, though, ministry in Christ's Church is a team sport; we cover one another's weaknesses, shortcomings, and mistakes as we grow together

Acts 15:36- 16:5

Break ups are tough. No one likes them. No one likes to be in a relationship that cracks and crumbles and falls apart, it is painful, it is awkward, it is sensitive. Sometimes, though, they are essential. As we explore this passage, we will certainly encounter a sort of break up but it is not the reality TV sort that we hear about on the news. This one comes with a strong lesson on how God is at work in the midst of differing opinions.

Acts 14:8-23

This passage reveals the wild ride early evangelists experienced when telling the Roman world about Jesus. Idolatry was common, and when Greeks and Romans saw miracles, they were quick to misunderstand and idolize the apostles as gods! It has been said that the human heart is an idol factory; we easily idealize, platform, sacrifice for, and become addicted to created things and people that make us feel good. Idolatry is fickle, though - the world may worship you one minute, then stone you the next; God will help you stay a humble, useful human being!

Acts 13:1-12
In this message, we meet Elymas, the sorcerer, a man blinded by darkness. He was Jewish by birth, but made his living by practicing sorcery. He openly opposed the conversion of a Roman proconsul because he was so blinded by his own darkness. Spiritual blindness is a grave condition that affects all unbelieving people, and can even affect a believer in times of immaturity, disobedience, unforgiveness, pride, or temptation. Without the revealing work of the Holy Spirit, we are all in danger of being blinded by the dark; with him, we see by the light of life!

This is the first message that took place at Sunshine Community Church's new location! We are calling this a "soft launch", since we know there will be some bugs to work out over the months ahead as we settle into the new facility and finish outfitting it. While we are being a little humble and slow in announcing our presence here, we are definitely NOT wanting to be passive or hesitant about launching into the mission Christ has called us to pursue here. It is finally time to launch ourselves headlong into community engagement, learning, and outreach in Creston!

God rarely calls us to a life of comfort and ease where challenges come rarely, if at all, and we simply get to bask lazily in the shine of his glory. If someone does claim that as their Christian life, we would instinctively have a very difficult time believing them. Our Christian journey is certainly one of great blessing, but it is not a journey that allows us to stay the same person as when we began. God continually calls us out of our comfort zone into trust and faith. It is not easy, but it is the only place that we will see his glories new every morning!

God can radically change our lives in an instant. Nothing is beyond his power or control. This message dives deeper into the history and transformation that occured with Paul’s radical conversion. 

We hope everyone had a happy Father's Day! We are so thankful for all our fathers and father figures who have helped us to understand a little bit more about God and his loving protection! One of the best things dads do for us is to help us make sense of the world around us, interpreting reality and showing us the truth. This kind of interpretation is sorely needed in the world today - people want to understand the deeper meaning in life, but sometimes it just doesn't click. All people hunger for the gospel and need interpreters who can explain the Bible to them; will you go and translate?