Acts: God's Mission, God's People, God's Power
Carrara
Acts #36 - Paul on Mars Hill
July 22, 2018 • Darren Dakers
Acts 17:16-34 | David Foster Wallace wrote that, “There is no such thing as not worshipping. Everybody worships. The only choice we get is what to worship.” As Paul addresses the Areopagus he is fuelled by a holy indignation toward the Athenian idolatry, yet delivers the message of the gospel with a harmonious blend of tenderness and truth. As we examine the model of Paul we can consider our own sense of provocation toward an idolatrous world and how we ought to respond compassionately & intelligibly as ministers of the good news.
Acts #35 - The Noble Bereans
July 15, 2018 • Dan Paterson
Acts 17:1-15 | Contrary to popular opinion, the Bible does not call Christians to blind faith. Rather, our faith is to be based on the evidence of Jesus’ life, fulfilled prophecies, and tempered by personal testimonies of life-change in other believers. What would our world look like if we examined what we are taught against the true source of truth? How would it both challenge and grow your faith?
Acts #34 - Rejoicing in our Chains
July 8, 2018
Acts 16:16-40 | Experiencing injustice for the sake of the gospel can be difficult to handle. While we cannot always control what happens to us, we can control how we respond. This week we see the gospel reaching out to people at very different places in their life - one is out of control; another is losing control. Through it all, it becomes clear that God is in control, and He secures safe passage for the gospel in the city of Philippi.
Acts #33 - Onward: Intentionality & Hospitality
July 1, 2018
Acts 16:6-15 | In light of God’s sovereignty, Paul and Silas rejected any form of Christian passivity. They’d received their marching orders in the Great Commission and their lives were marked by prayerful, deliberate intentionality. After ending up in Philippi, a wealthy woman named Lydia becomes the first Christian in that city. As the Lord opened her heart to receive Christ, she opened her home to receive the disciples. Intentionality and hospitality are indispensable to God’s mission through our lives.
Acts #32 - Ministry Conflict, Missional Flexbility
June 24, 2018
Acts 15:35-16:5 | Wherever there is relationship, there is potential for conflict. Paul and Barnabas have a falling out over John Mark, and end up parting ways, forming two missionary teams instead of one. Rather than taking sides, we can learn a lesson from both. Paul (and later Timothy) teach us that to follow Jesus faithfully means to embrace sacrifice. Barnabas teaches us to see others through the eyes of hope. Both are essential to fruitfulness on God’s mission.
Acts #31 - The Gospel Creates Tensions
June 17, 2018
Acts 15:1-35 | The early church had arrived at theological crossroads: “Are we made right with God through faith in Jesus and His work, or faith in Jesus plus our works?” The Jerusalem Council declared that we are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Jesus alone. In light of the gospel, we are to eliminate any obstacle to people turning to God, and use our freedom in Christ to serve one another. We can know that the gospel has moved from our heads to our hearts, when beauty shows up in the way we treat one another.
Acts #30 - Onward: Strengthening and Encouraging
June 3, 2018 • Dave Miers
Acts 14:20-28 | The gospel is not just for our salvation, but also to sustain and strengthen us in the trials of life. In Acts 14 we see a model of strengthening and encouraging work that is comprised of gospel-shaped discipleship, God-centered prayer, and grace-filled stories.