Leveraging Lockdowns | ACTS Part II
What do The Pilgrim’s Progress, Letter from Birmingham Jail, and The Letter to the Philippians all have in common? They were all written during a lockdown. John Bunyan wrote The Pilgrim’s Progress from a prison in Bedford County, England. Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote Letter from Birmingham Jail from a prison cell in Alabama, and the Apostle Paul wrote Philippians under house arrest in Rome. All three of these individuals leveraged their lockdown, and this is our topic as we conclude on our teaching series from the Book of Acts. So, whether you’ve been with us from the beginning or joining us for the first time, I look forward to being with you as we learn from the Apostle Paul how to make the most of our lockdown moments.
A Pivotal Letter | ACTS Part II
What if the Thirteen American Colonies didn’t gain independence from Great Britain? What if Germany won World War II? Life in the United States would be much different for us as American citizens if one of these alternative histories had occurred. As Christians, life would be extremely different if a brief letter found in Acts 15 had never been written and sent approximately 2,000 years ago. Thankfully, it was penned and delivered, and we will look together at this pivotal letter and appreciate its wonderful implications for the Church, for the gospel, and for you.
A Wide Door
2022 is here. What are you feeling? Are you nervous, excited, or maybe a bit of both? Whatever you’re feeling, we want to invite you to begin the new year with your church family on the first Sunday of 2022. We will look together at a verse found at the end of 1 Corinthians 16 that is unfamiliar to many, but timely for us all. It speaks to what’s ahead; both the opportunities and the obstacles.
Grace is Greater than Good Behavior | Greater Than
How would you finish the statement, “God accepts me because…”? I recently came across this statement and became curious to know how my children, friends, and others around me would finish it. Truthfully, I should be more than curious about their response because it reveals how they view God and their relationship with Him. So, as we continue our teaching series Greater Than, we invite you to join us as we tackle a passage of Scripture that helps us discover why God accepts us.
What is God’s Will for You?
Do you ever wonder, “What is God’s will for my life?” If so, given the seminars, books, and consultants that address this and similar questions, I would say we aren’t alone. The good news is, we don’t have to be in the dark. The Bible speaks about God’s will for us, and I look forward to studying this with you. As we study 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 together, we will look at God’s will for us and discuss the desire and discipline to pursue it.
Do You Know a Backseat Driver? | ACTS
Do you know a "backseat driver"? It’s a person who sits in the backseat telling the person in the driver’s seat how they should be driving – slow down, turn here, go faster. A person with a reputation of being a “backseat driver” means they like to control something that is supposed to be controlled by another person. Well, in Acts 12 we find a “backseat driver” who thought he was in ultimate control. Unfortunately, this “I’m kind of a big deal” leader and his overly confident attitude led to his downfall.
The Domino Effect | ACTS
Watching the Guinness World Records’ longest domino wall fall is pretty impressive. Initiated by the fall of the first domino, 42,173 more dominoes twist and turn 131 feet for 6 minutes and 12 seconds until the final domino falls. We often refer to this as the domino effect because “one event initiates a succession of similar events” (MWD). In Acts 10 we see a similar effect when one man’s decision leads to many other decisions.
Growth and Expansion | ACTS
If you were responsible for growing a business, organization, or team, what would you do? Leadership and growth experts would encourage you to focus on issues related to staff morale, customer needs, and social media. However, the growth and expansion of the Early Church happened in an unexpected way. On Sunday, we will look together to see what led to the growth and expansion of the Early Church and what we can learn from their example.
A “No” for a “Yes” | ACTS
Have you ever said “no”, so that someone else could say “yes”? This question was recently posed to a group of leaders, and it reminded me of the story in Acts 6. In this chapter, conflict was rising within the early church and to address it, one group of individuals said “no” so that another group of individuals could say “yes”. The results were remarkable! I’m excited to study this passage with you.
Look for Interruptions to Become Introductions | ACTS
Interruptions. We’ve all experienced them, but what if interruptions turned into something else? What if interruptions became opportunities? This is what happens in Acts 3 when two of Jesus’ followers are stopped by a man on their way to a prayer meeting. What seemed like an interruption turned into an introduction for spiritual maturity and much more.
