Moments & Marathons - Passion Creek Church

Dazzled or Disappointed in Prayer

July 21, 2024 • Trey Van Camp • Acts 12

When most of us think of prayer, we think of talking to God. While this definition of prayer isn’t wrong, it can sometimes feel formulaic. We begin to assume that if we ask God for the right things in the right way, we’ll get what we ask for. But in https://biblia.com/bible/we/acts%2012 see God’s people contend with God in desperate prayer that doesn’t fit a formula. As Herod begins to intensely persecute the new church, Jesus’ disciples learn that following Jesus is unpredictable. But they also learn that in prayer, their true hope is in being drawn closer into the presence of the Father. For us today, though God might not answer all of our prayers, we can rely on God’s presence, God’s ability, and God’s goodness. Prayer looks more like turning ourselves towards God’s love than attempting to earn God’s love.

The Gospel to the Gentiles

July 7, 2024 • Caleb Martinez • Acts 10:23–48

When Peter walks into the house of Cornelius, a Roman Gentile who follows the Jewish God Yahweh, everything about the gospel movement changes. Until this point, the gospel was good news for the Jews; their long-awaited Messiah had come to the world to rescue them from Sin, Satan, and Death. But now, this good news is opened up to include even the worst pagan Gentiles. Jesus isn’t just the Savor of the Jews, he’s the Savior of the whole world. Just like Peter must realize how big and inclusive this good news is, we too must learn what it means to preach and proclaim the gospel to everyone around us. By confronting our own biases and committing to the global movement of the gospel, we too can participate in the story of salvation that God has been telling since the beginning of time.

Peter's Progress

June 30, 2024 • Trey Van Camp • Acts 9:32–43, Acts 10:1–23, 1 Peter 3:15

As one of Jesus’ disciples, Peter knew what it meant to reorient his life around the love, lifestyle, and leadership of his Rabbi. He led like Jesus, and he lived like Jesus, but Peter still had to learn how to love like Jesus. In https://biblia.com/bible/csb/acts%2010, Peter is confronted with his next marathon: overcoming his prejudice. As a Jew, Peter believed that the gospel was only good news for his own people. But when God reveals the global scale of the gospel by showing him that Gentiles are just as loved by God as Jews are, Peter must confront his prejudice. Like Peter, all of us have biases. We classify, exclude, and judge people based on ethnicity, social status, or political tribe. But to follow Jesus means we must love everyone the way Jesus did, even when we disagree with them. Just like Peter, and by the power of the Holy Spirit, we too can participate in the marathon of overcoming our biases and extending the gospel to all people.

The Slow Work of God

June 23, 2024 • Trey Van Camp • Acts 9:19–31, Galatians 6:9, Galatians 1:17–18, Galatians 2:1

In https://biblia.com/bible/csb/acts%209, Paul experiences his moment. He encounters the risen Jesus in an instant and his life is forever changed. But then, Paul begins his marathon. Rather than jumping straight into the work of the ministry that we know him for, Paul spends years cultivating a slow, gradual, and deep relationship with God. From Paul’s life, we learn that God always works slowly in us before working extraordinarily through us. But God won’t force His work in us. Like Paul, we must learn to trust in the slow work of God, yielding more and more of our idols, passions, and desires to him in surrender. Only by letting go of our expectations and accepting God’s grace can we slowly grow into mature disciples of Jesus who greatly impact those around us.

The Moment A Murderer Became a Minister

June 16, 2024 • Trey Van Camp • Genesis 15:6, Psalm 106:28–31, Acts 9:1–19, Philippians 3:4–9, 2 Corinthians 12:9

In Acts 9 we meet Saul, a murderer and enemy of the new Christian movement. Saul has built his life around what he believes is the righteous way of God: zealously eradicating evil from the world. But then, in a moment, Saul is transformed. He meets the risen Jesus and learns that the righteousness of God doesn’t come by our earthly power, violence, or force. Instead, it comes through Christ. God in human flesh, coming to take our punishment and suffer violence on our behalf. We can learn from Saul by accepting our own brokenness and inability to achieve righteousness. Like Saul, we learn that to be a follower of Jesus is to let him be a warrior for us against sin and evil. Jesus is our only hope and confidence. Acts 9:1-19 CSB

A Eunuch, a Deacon, and a Baptism | Acts 8:26-39

June 9, 2024 • Caleb Martinez • Acts 8:26–39

Acts 8:26-39

Sin of Simony

June 2, 2024 • Trey Van Camp • Acts 8:1–24

In this message, we learn about one of the first false converts of the early church: Simon. Acts 8:1-24