Worship Center - Messages

This message takes us on a journey with Paul and Barnabas as they were sent out to take the good news of the Gospel to regions that had never heard. Along the way they see many Jewish people become believers in Jesus which also stirs up much resistance from the religious leaders. They then start sharing with the Gentile people and see many of them put their faith in Jesus! At the same time the opposition grows stronger and they face all kinds of adversity.

On this journey we with pay special attention to how the followers of Jesus responded to the pressure and to how the kingdom mission continued to advance in the face of adversity. We will see how the Holy Spirit filled them with joy and gave them strength to endure faithfully through it all.

Throughout the book of Acts, we see God’s word advancing and believers multiplying, even in the face of opposition. In Acts 11 and 12, the lives of Barnabas and King Herod reveal how the Holy Spirit empowers believers to remain faithful and participate in God’s kingdom mission. Discover why God’s Kingdom cannot be stopped and how you can participate in making Jesus known.

How far does God’s mercy reach, and who can receive it? In Acts 10, Peter discovers that God is fulfilling His promise to extend forgiveness through Jesus to people of every nation. This remarkable encounter challenges us to recognize the reach of God’s mercy and consider how He is inviting us to participate in His Kingdom mission.

What are you walking in, and what is shaping the direction of your life? In Acts 9:31, we see a church growing stronger and multiplying as ordinary believers learn to walk in the fear of the Lord and the strength of the Holy Spirit, following Jesus wherever He leads and trusting the Spirit for strength to continue.

What happens when following Jesus requires us to release something we would rather hold onto? It’s possible to know what God has done and still resist what He is doing. This message explores how holding too tightly to what we value can keep us from recognizing God’s work, and why an open-handed life is essential to participating in His Kingdom mission.

What happens when a threat to the church doesn’t come from opposition, but from people who appear godly? Acts 5 and the story of Ananias and Sapphira confront us with the difference between looking godly and actually allowing the Holy Spirit to form us. We discover why reverence for God, obedience to Jesus, and integrity matter to the credibility of the church and our witness to the world.

The opportunities to make Jesus known are often right in front of us, appearing as needs, questions, interruptions, and even opposition. Acts chapters 3 and 4 show how ordinary people, filled with the Holy Spirit, can recognize those moments, point people to Jesus, and continue with boldness when pressure tempts them to stay silent.

Pentecost in Acts 2 was more than wind, fire, and people speaking in other languages. It was the fulfillment of God’s promise to put His Spirit within His people, changing them from the inside and empowering them to continue the mission of Jesus. If the Spirit of God lives in us, what evidence should there be that He is changing us and working through us?

Nehemiah gives us a good example of giving God permission to trouble us with what troubles Him, leading us into taking courageous action as we respond to God. 

My prayer for us this weekend is to hear the Word of God and act upon it as He directs us to build His Kingdom through the power of the Holy Spirit.