After Peter healed a crippled beggar at the Temple gate, and preached a sermon showing how all of Scripture points to Jesus, he and John were arrested. They were dragged in front of the same group of religious leaders who condemned Jesus to death just a couple of months earlier. Peter, who abandoned Jesus the night of his arrest, and denied even knowing him in the High Priest's courtyards, is back in the place of his denial. He is faced with his greatest failure and pressed to stop proclaiming Jesus. This time, though, filled with the Spirit, he is bold and clear. This Sunday we see, in Peter, that the Spirit empowers us to boldness.
Empowered to Boldness
Acts 4:1-22
March 18, 2018 • Pastor Bill Riedel
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Acts - Beginnings
Empowered to Be the Church
May 20, 2018 • Pastor Bill Riedel
This has been a timely series for us as a church, and I have had a lot of fun preaching through the Beginnings of the early church, seeing the foundation of what we are and what we should pursue as a church. This Sunday we will focus in on Acts 6:7, which shows us what we should pursue in order to be a part of the advance of God's Word.
Empowered to Die
May 13, 2018 • Pastor Bill Riedel
This is a huge narrative section that shows us the ministry, life, and death of Stephen. Death is a shadow that hangs over every one of us. In a world that seems every-increasingly bent toward self-realization and expression, it is a shocking text to see someone self-sacrificially committed to the transcendent kingdom and cause of another. This text shows us how Jesus reorients our lives, and how Christians see and experience death.
Empowered to Serve
May 6, 2018 • Pastor Bill Riedel
As the early church grew quickly, some complaints rose up within the church family. The Apostles, filled with the Spirit, led with wisdom, though, and didn't allow things to fester. An all-church meeting was called to roll out some new structures to accommodate the needs of the growing church. This passage is essential for us. It shows us that the church is one body with many members, and that the opportunity for and burden of ministry falls on all of us together. It also shows us some of the foundations for the structures of the church that we carry through to today.