Expansion of Faith - Westminster Calvary

Where Are You God?

November 17, 2024 • Jeff Cramer • Acts 24, Acts 25

As we near the end of our study in Acts, we see the conclusion of a life lived for Jesus. Paul got caught up in the legal system and from his perspective it was hinder his ministry. Yet, as we discover in scripture present set backs are often the breeding ground for next steps. Remember Paul was in custody in Caesarea waiting for his court case to be heard. His accusers were the religious elites the High Priest of Judaism, the Elders of Judaism, and an attorney named Tertullus. They painted Paul as the ringleader of a cult that was creating rebellion in Jerusalem against the Pax Romana (Roman Peace). The Jews fabricated stories attempting to have Paul put to death. Now as we pick up today, the traveling ministry of Paul has come to an end — no more mission trips. But the effectiveness of the Gospel was still at work.

Unexpected Moments In Ministry

October 27, 2024 • Jeff Cramer • Acts 23:11—24:26

Paul was a hard charging man but it wasn’t according to his human desire. The Holy Spirit placed a strong desire in Paul to get to Jerusalem. Yet in all the lead up to get to Jerusalem, Paul’s friends were telling him that it was dangerous, and jail & suffering were ahead! And they were alright! But they were missing God’s purpose. God was moving Paul forward into the next phase of his ministry. While unexpected moments left an imprint on Paul’s life, He was still compelled to continue forward! Here’s the key… God used an unexpected way to move Paul forward.

Revelations, Roadblocks, & Testimonies

October 13, 2024 • Jeff Cramer • Acts 21:1—23:11

Today we enter the last segment of Paul’s Mission in the book of Acts. Paul completed his 3rd Missionary Journey and he’s headed back to Jerusalem to drop off a financial donation from the Gentile Churches. However, along his travel route believers were warning Paul what would happen to him in Jerusalem! Paul was being warned of the difficulty ahead. In this section of verses, we see his arrival in Jerusalem goes bad - exactly like he had been warned about.

Personal Direction for Ministry

September 15, 2024 • Jeff Cramer • Acts 20

As we continue our study through the book of Acts, we cover the last segment of Paul’s 3rd Missionary journey before he heads to Jerusalem. He leaves some final instructions to the Elder’s leading the Church in Ephesus. Paul begins the discussion by highlighting how he modeled perseverance against the obstacles in ministry, and he gives the key points to church leaders starting in (v. 28). He gives 5 applications to consider focussed on an emphasis to “guard yourselves and God’s people” from two areas of attack – without & within.

Pushback in Ministry

September 8, 2024 • Jeff Cramer • Acts 19:23–41

It was in Ephesus a city of spiritual darkness that the Gospel was having a massive impact! People burned their magic books, their little handmade idols of Diana were being ditched by people, and it was causing an impact upon the economy. Here’s the point… When the Gospel is being advanced by the people of God, light shines into very dark places and breaks people free! We are the distributors of God’s love! Which is why it’s so important to learn the full counsel of God.

The Mission, The Mess, The Ministry

September 1, 2024 • Jeff Cramer • Acts 19:11–22

We’ve learned of the expansion of faith is a work of the Spirit and not of man. We’ve seen this demonstrated thru the New Testament. The supernatural work of God’s Holy Spirit is needed in our time just as much as it was 2,000 years ago! Many people in the Church today are suffering from a lack of what Jesus offers because they’re spiritually unhealthy! Jesus has taught us that desperate people have a place to find hope! But, when we forget these truths, disastrous results happen as man tries to implement help separate from the Holy Spirit.

The Work of The Spirit

August 25, 2024 • Jeff Cramer • Acts 19:1–10

This morning we enter Paul’s 3rd Missionary Journey with “The Work of The Spirit.” Paul had been in Corinth while Apollos was in Ephesus (Acts 18:24). Then a swap happened and Apollos was in Corinth & Paul in Ephesus, and the focus of ministry changed to the work of the Spirit. Under Apollos, the believers knew only about John’s baptism (i.e. repentance from sin). They did NOT receive the Spirit for new life. This is what Apollos was missing last week before Aquila & Priscilla pulled his aside (Acts 18:26).

Basic Ministry Truths

August 18, 2024 • Jeff Cramer • Acts 18:18–28

Paul’s second ministry journey is coming to a close and we are getting the picture of what’s happening in his ministry as he makes his way back home. This isn’t some modeless journey that he’s on, rather it’s intentional and calculated. Let's look at some practical take-aways that we can apply to our lives today!

The Up's and Down's of Ministry

August 11, 2024 • Jeff Cramer • Acts 18:1–17

Today we’ll see the up’s and down’s of ministry. Here in Acts 18, God provided Paul with other ministry partners while he was waiting for Silas and Timothy. There’s a simple principle here… always do ministry two-by-two.

Effective Ministry

August 4, 2024 • Jeff Cramer • Acts 17

God sends out his work and it accomplishes what He desires. That’s important to remember as we discuss what effective ministry look like. Because some will respond in faith and others reject placing faith in Christ. In today’s text, we’ll see both! Paul continue on his second missionary journey taking the gospel to different regions and cities and we can learn a few things about what a truly effective ministry looks like.

How Ministry Happens

July 28, 2024 • Jeff Cramer • Acts 16:16–40

As we continue through Acts 16 the growth of Paul’s ministry team is being chronicled. At the start of Acts 16 Paul went into Macedonia (Philippi, Thessalonica, & Berea). From there he moved south into Athens & Corinth before circling back east to Ephesus and finally went south into Jerusalem. Why does this journey matter to you as a Christian? Because it’s a picture of the expansion of ministry, which results in an expansion of faith. The Holy Spirit was moving through men and women as they stepped out in faith. The church needs to be reminded of how God wants to use us today.

Decisions

May 26, 2024 • Jeff Cramer • Acts 16:1–15

In these verses the Holy Spirit was forbidding Paul and the team to preach the word. This is an important topic to discuss with growing believers because we need to recognize the value of open & closed doors. Think about your life and discover where God is leading you. Look around and see where God is forbidding you. When we try to push through a closed door, it results in frustration, irritation, & unexplained problems. The ministry team was staying flexible between the open and closed doors! This is a great example of directed service here where God was leading the way and showing them where to go & what to do.

Don't Stop The Momentum

May 19, 2024 • Jeff Cramer • Acts 15

As we come in Acts 15 Paul & Barnabas had returned to Antioch of Syria from their first missionary trip with excitement & celebration of what God had done. The Church was onboard and things were looking good, but then a crack in the unity erupted. A group of people, some pharisees, wanted to manage the work of God by placing rules around the moving of God’s Spirit. While there’s much to learn in the book of Acts, 85% of this chapter is spent on dealing with the cracks of unity and then another 10% on division between Paul & Barnabas. We read about two major arguments in this chapter; first about God’s grace & second about God’s goals.

Who Wants To Be A Christian?

May 12, 2024 • Jeff Cramer • Acts 14

As we come to (Acts 14) Paul & Barnabas continue to take the Gospel into remote areas where both Jew & Gentiles lived. But, they kept getting run out of town. Literally each town they visited had some people come to faith, but many others rejected them & stirred up riots which forced Paul & Barnabas out of town. They were forced out of Antioch of Pisidia. Then down to Iconium, and further south and preached at Lystra and into Derbe. There are some who accept the message, but others were skeptical, rejected, and even mocked the message, making ministry very difficult!

He Who Has Ears To Hear

May 5, 2024 • Jeff Cramer • Acts 13:13–52

The mission goes on with Paul & Barnabas making their way to Antioch of Pisidia. Which you and I would recognize in our Bibles as the region of Galatia. The people in this area were known to be impetuous, fickle, and loved new things. Basically, they had a reputation for being uncommitted. The Gospel is spreading rapidly, and people are getting saved!