"Humour and Horror"
Acts 19:1-20
In Acts 19 Paul arrives in the city of Ephesus where he experiences one of his most fruitful and extraordinary seasons of ministry. However, we also find two rather peculiar stories: twelves so-called disciples who have never heard of the Holy Spirit and seven Jewish exorcists who use the name of Jesus. Say what?
The book of Acts is full of exciting and triumphant stories, but these two take both a humourous and horrifying turn. But from both we see that the name of Jesus is powerful, in fact his name alone is powerful. As you read the passage and prepare for Sunday, consider this: do you believe that the name of Jesus empowers you? Every Christian is saved and empowered by faith in his name. How should this empowerment bear fruit in YOUR life?

You ever meet a couple who just makes you want to follow Jesus more?
Not because they’re flashy.
Not because they’re famous.
But because there’s just something deeply steady, wise, and faithful about them.
In Acts 18, we meet a couple like that: Aquila and Priscilla. Ordinary Christians who quietly gave themselves to the long work of strengthening others with the Word of God — and God used their faithfulness in extraordinary ways.
In a world obsessed with platforms, influence, and visibility, this text reminds us that some of the most important kingdom work happens quietly. Around dinner tables. In living rooms. In conversations after church. In opening the Bible with someone one-on-one.
We will see how Jesus strengthens His people through His Word, His Spirit, and ordinary saints who are willing to faithfully invest in others.
🤔Two things to think about:
• Who has God used to strengthen your faith over the years?
• And who might God be calling you to strengthen right now?
🙏🏾Two things to pray about:
• Pray that God would deepen our love for His Word.
• Pray that God would use our church to raise up faithful men and women who strengthen others for generations to come.

Have you ever shared your faith and you thought it went well … only to find out later that it wasn’t received well?
You got pulled aside by your boss, reprimanded, or maybe got a text that a said it wasn’t appreciated?
Heartbreaking.
Then, the next time you feel like you should share the gospel, you remember that last time … and think, “Maybe I don’t want to get into that again?”
You’re not alone. 
In fact, that’s what our text is all about this week in Acts 18 as Paul feels that pressure. 
Opposition is rising, the cost is real… and it’s then where Jesus meets him and says:
“Do not be afraid… keep speaking… don’t be silent… I am with you.”
(Acts 18:9–10)
This isn’t a call to be fearless — it’s a call to be faithful.
Because Jesus hasn’t changed. He’s still with His people. Still building His Church. Still using ordinary lives to do it.
Two Things to Think about:
1) Where are you tempted to stay quiet right now?
2) What would it look like to take one step of boldness?
Two Ways to Pray in Preparation:
1) That Jesus would steady your heart when fear creeps in.
2) That He would use you to open doors for the gospel this week.

You and I aren’t neutral towards God …
We are either worshipping Him or rebelling against Him. 
That’s the honest truth that Paul preaches to those in Athens in Acts 17:16–34. 
Athens, as we know, was as the intellectual capital of the world… thinkers, philosophers, culture-shapers everywhere. 
And when Paul arrived into this city, he:
1) studies the culture.
2) understands the people.
3) And then drops truth right in the middle of it.
Preaching:
👉 You don’t actually know God.
👉 You’re worshipping what you don’t understand.
👉 And the God you’ve ignored? He’s now calling you to repent.
Bold. Direct. Unapologetic.
And here’s the tension we’re stepping into:
We live in a culture just as “spiritual”… just as thoughtful… just as full of idols.
So the main question we will be weeerlting with is: how do we speak about Jesus in that world?
Things to think about:
1) What are the “idols” people around me are already giving their lives to?
2) Am I actually paying attention to my culture—or just reacting to it?
Things to pray about:
1) That God would open eyes to truly know Him—not just think about Him
2) That we’d grow in clarity and courage to speak about Jesus in everyday conversations

This one will sharpen you. 🔥

Ever had one of those moments where something finally clicks… and now you can’t unsee it?
That’s exactly what happens in our text this weekend, Acts 17:1-15.
As the gospel moves from city to city, a pattern begins to emerge. What once felt random suddenly has structure.
And once you see it… you can’t unsee it.
This Sunday, we’re going to see how Jesus actually builds His church:
- the gospel is proclaimed
- a people is formed
- opposition comes
…. and the mission keeps moving
And here’s the thing—this isn’t just what happened then… it’s what we should expect now.
Two things to think about:
1️⃣ Have I embraced my role in proclaiming the gospel… or stayed silent?
2️⃣ Do I interpret opposition as failure… or as part of God’s plan?
Two things to pray about:
1️⃣ Ask God to give you boldness to speak about Jesus this week

Three people. 
Nothing in common. 
One gospel that changes everything.
That is what we will see as we dive back into Acts 16 this week and see how the church in Philippi was planted—not through strategy or similarity, but through the power of the gospel.
And as we do, we meet three very different people
1) a businesswoman
2) a demon possessed slave girl
3) a Roman jailer. 
From the outside perspective, they have nothing in common… and yet Jesus saves them, transforms them, and brings them together as one family.
That’s the beauty of the gospel: Jesus saves the unlikeliest of people and makes them His church.
And if you’re a Christian, you have this same story. Jesus found you, transformed you, joined you to a local church for your growth in godliness and so that you might use the gifts the Spirit has given you to be a vital member of that local church.
So, as you prepare for this weekend, reflect on your own story—how God pursued you—and pray for those in your life who feel “too far gone.” 
Remembering: No one is beyond His reach.
2 ways to pray this weekend:
• For God to save those far from Him
• For our church to grow in unity and love
2 things to think through:
• The story of your own salvation
• How God knits you together with a local church to, together, show forth the mystery of salvation that binds together those who once had nothing in common.

On Easter Sunday, we celebrate the glorious reality that God has acted to save sinners—which we will see through baptisms as well as in our study of Acts 16: 6-15.
As the gospel moves into new territory, we’re reminded:
1) God providentially opens doors so the gospel is proclaimed.
2) God graciously opens hearts so the gospel is received.
If you’re already a Christian, this is a truth you already know. You are a Christian because someone shared Jesus with you and, as they did, God the Spirit gave you a new heart, a mind to comprehend the gospel, and ears to hear it. In short: God opened your heart to believe the gospel and to see the beauty of the Risen Savior.
And if you’re exploring Christianity, this is the miracle we are praying God would work in your heart this weekend 🙌🏿
As you prepare for Sunday, pray:
– That the Lord would open our eyes afresh to the greatness of what He has done
– That He would work miraculously in the lives of those that He is drawing to Himself this weekend
– That He would strengthen those being baptized as they take this step of obedience.

Division is everywhere.
Between friends.
Between cultures.
Even within the church.
And if we’re honest… we’ve all felt it.
Today, we’re stepping into a moment where even faithful, Spirit-filled leaders—Paul and Barnabas—find themselves in a sharp disagreement. At the same time, we’ll see another divide: confusion over the gospel itself—Are we saved by grace alone, or by grace plus something else?
And yet, through it all, one truth stands firm:
👉 The divisions of man cannot stop the mission of God.
In fact, God uses them.
From personal conflict to cultural tension, we’ll see how the Lord:
• Expands His mission through disagreement
• Strengthens His church through clarity
• Advances His gospel through self-sacrificial love
And we’ll wrestle with what it looks like for us to live in that tension:
• When do we set boundaries like Paul?
• When do we extend grace like Barnabas?
• When do we lay down our preferences for the sake of the gospel?
Most importantly, we’ll see how Jesus Himself is the One who bridges the ultimate divide—between a holy God and sinful people—through His life, death, and resurrection. 
Two things to think about:
• Where am I currently experiencing division—and how might God be at work in it?
• Am I more prone to withdraw, draw hard lines, or humbly pursue unity for the sake of the gospel?
Two things to pray about:
• Pray for wisdom to know when to stand firm and when to sacrifice for the sake of others.
• Pray that our church would be strengthened in faith and grow as we hold fast to the gospel of grace.

This Sunday we come to a watershed moment in the life of the early church—the Jerusalem Council.
The issue on the table is not small. It’s not secondary.
The very truth of the gospel is at stake.
Are we saved by our works?
Or are we saved by grace alone?
Though the debate in Acts 15 centers on Jews and Gentiles, the heart of the issue is one we still wrestle with today. And in this passage, the apostles speak with clarity: we are saved by grace.
As you prepare, read Acts 14:24–15:35.
Then take time to read Galatians 2:1–14, where Paul gives his account of these same events. Even better—read all six chapters of Galatians and hear the urgency of guarding the gospel of grace.
Two things to think through:
• Where am I tempted to add to the gospel—subtly trusting in my own works?
• Do I really believe that grace alone is enough to save and sustain me?
Two things to pray for:
• That we would cling tightly to the true gospel and not drift from it
• That we would treasure the grace of God above any good thing we bring
Let’s rejoice in the good news:
we are saved by grace alone.

What if the hardest moments in the Christian life are actually where Jesus is most clearly at work?
This week in Acts 14, Paul heals a crippled man… the crowd tries to worship him as a god… and then the same crowd stones him and leaves him for dead. 
Opposition. Confusion. Suffering.
And yet the mission keeps moving forward.
Why? Because the story of Acts isn’t about fearless missionaries — it’s about a faithful Jesus who perseveres His people.
If you’ve ever wondered how Christians keep going when things get hard, this passage answers that.
Two things to think about before Sunday:
1️⃣ Where am I tempted to give up when following Jesus gets difficult?
2️⃣ Am I trusting my own strength to persevere… or Jesus’ power?
Two things to pray this weekend:
🙏 Ask Jesus to strengthen our church to remain faithful through tribulation.
🙏 Ask the Spirit to help you trust Christ — not yourself — to persevere in faith.
📖 Acts 14