God’s conversion of Peter’s attitude and the spiritual conversion that God brought about in Cornelius paved the way for the Gentile mission. The whole point of the narrative is this: the gospel is for the nations.

Every follower of Jesus can live a genuine, joy-filled life in spite of his or her chains, critics, and crises. To live in Christ! And Jesus is the key to our joy.

After meeting Jesus on the road to Damascus, Saul is led into the city where he spent time with the disciples. The radical changes in his life were fortified by the discipleship he received, and the example set for us is inspiring!

In Acts 9 we read about the most famous conversion in all of Christianity. The conversion of Saul of Tarsus is actually one of the most important events in the history of the church!

We are presented with divine opportunities to spread the message of Jesus. Like Philip in Acts 8:26-40, we must all learn to seize these opportunities so that more lives are changed by the gospel.

The church is “on fire” in the power of the Spirit, and we get to read about it, and study it, and learn from this young, vibrant church that is exploding. As we move into Acts 8 with this message, we witness the gospel advancing again, transforming people and families and culture.

Luke describes the remarkable Christlike life and ministry of Stephen, whose martyrdom advanced the mission of God. Pastor Phil walks through Stephen's life and ministry and unpacks the challenge he presents to each one us.

The church in Acts was growing rapidly. This growth brought challenges as the 12 Apostles realized they couldn't effectively minister to everyone. The church was forced to adapt in order to stay focused on the mission of God. We will need to adapt as well if we want to keep reaching people and making disciples.

Every failing leader, and every failing athlete, and every failing church has the same problem: The core is malfunctioning. The core is broken in some significant way. The latter half of Acts 5 illustrates what can happen when the gospel of Jesus Christ is the heart, the center, the core of the church.

Palm Sunday - a day of insight and a day of misunderstanding. Good Friday - a day of mixed emotions. But Easter Sunday…? Totally different! All things become new! Nothing but joy.