Gilulim and God

August 30, 2021

As world continues to change by becoming more post-Christian and adapting to a post-pandemic world, the church finds itself in a period where change is the new normal. For this season, we are looking at the book of Acts to remind ourselves how the early church followed God as God led the church into the future that was unfolding before them.

As Paul walks through the city of Athens, he sees idols to all the different gods—including the idol to an unknown god. Paul takes the opportunity to share with the Athenians who that God is. It would be a mistake to think that it is only ancient cultures that are full of idols. We have ours as well. Even those of us who follow Jesus may still have unknown gods in our lives that need to be seen and dealt with.

The Grace of God at Work

June 04, 2021

As world continues to change by becoming more post-Christian and adapting to a post-pandemic world, the church finds itself in a period where change is the new normal. For this season, we are looking at the book of Acts to remind ourselves how the early church followed God as God led the church into the future that was unfolding before them.

The book of Acts begins to shift its focus from Jerusalem to Antioch. Antioch was a unique city in the Roman Empire in that it was extremely cosmopolitan and diverse. It’s not surprise then that the church in Antioch became an extremely diverse place. What is surprising is that Paul becomes one of the leaders of this church and the church becomes a launching point for Paul’s missionary journeys. In both the diversity of the church and the reconciliation with Paul, we see the grace of God at work. And we see a church we want to be a part of.

Open to the Possibility

June 04, 2021

As world continues to change by becoming more post-Christian and adapting to a post-pandemic world, the church finds itself in a period where change is the new normal. For this season, we are looking at the book of Acts to remind ourselves how the early church followed God as God led the church into the future that was unfolding before them.

The miraculous stories of the Bible capture our attention—mostly because that’s the way we want it to work. In the story of Peter’s supernatural escape from jail we have to wonder if the miracle is what Luke wants us to focus on? Maybe not. Maybe what Luke wants us to see is that the miracle happens in the midst of ordinary events. Luke isn’t giving us a prescription for how to get the miracle, but rather, to be open to the possibility that our ordinary, everyday lives might be interrupted by an act of God.

Spirit and Church

June 04, 2021

As world continues to change by becoming more post-Christian and adapting to a post-pandemic world, the church finds itself in a period where change is the new normal. For this season, we are looking at the book of Acts to remind ourselves how the early church followed God as God led the church into the future that was unfolding before them.

Acts 13 gives us a unique picture of the unique relationship between the Spirit and the church. The church does not operate independently from the Spirit, nor the Spirit without the church. God has chosen the church to unite itself to what God is doing in the world. Where the Spirit goes, the church follows. What the Spirit does, the church cooperates with. This is what God intends for his body on earth.

When the Gospel feels dangerous

April 23, 2021

As world continues to change by becoming more post-Christian and adapting to a post-pandemic world, the church finds itself in a period where change is the new normal. For this season, we are looking at the book of Acts to remind ourselves how the early church followed God as God led the church into the future that was unfolding before them. Acts 9 ends with two stories involving Peter. In the first, he heals a lame man name Aeneas, and in the second he raises a woman, Tabitha, from the dead. While the miracles capture our attention, a little detail often goes unnoticed. Luke tells us that Peter encounters these people while traveling the country visiting “the saints”? What does it mean to be a saint? Why does Luke not just include the stories of these two saints, but their names? What does all this mean for us?

When the Gospel Feels Dangerous

April 16, 2021

As world continues to change by becoming more post-Christian and adapting to a post-pandemic world, the church finds itself in a period where change is the new normal. For this season, we are looking at the book of Acts to remind ourselves how the early church followed God as God led the church into the future that was unfolding before them.

Saul’s conversion is both wonderful and terrifying. Those who heard of Saul’s relentless persecution of the church were rightly afraid of him. In a very real sense, the gospel made people feel unsafe. What do we do with that? How do we both protect the church and remain open to God moving in the hearts and minds of those who once hurt us?

Seeing All Things New

April 15, 2021

As world continues to change by becoming more post-Christian and adapting to a post-pandemic world, the church finds itself in a period where change is the new normal. For this season, we are looking at the book of Acts to remind ourselves how the early church followed God as God led the church into the future that was unfolding before them.

One of the most well known stories in the book of Acts is the story of Saul’s conversion on the road to Damascus. It’s no wonder that this story of a persecutor of the church becoming one of its most effective missionaries is well loved. But at the heart of this story is the resurrection. The resurrection of Jesus is a precursor to Saul’s conversion. Just as Jesus died on the cross, Saul died on the road to Damascus. Just as Jesus rose from dead, Paul rose from Saul’s past.

The Gospel Goes to the Margins

April 15, 2021

As world continues to change by becoming more post-Christian and adapting to a post-pandemic world, the church finds itself in a period where change is the new normal. For this season, we are looking at the book of Acts to remind ourselves how the early church followed God as God led the church into the future that was unfolding before them.

The Lord directs Philip to the road that runs from Jerusalem to Gaza. There he meets an Ethiopian eunuch—a man who is exotic and on the margins of society. As they study the scriptures, it becomes clear to the eunuch and to Philip that nothing can stop the expansive, inclusive love of God found in the gospel of Jesus.

Even to Them

March 25, 2021

As world continues to change by becoming more post-Christian and adapting to a post-pandemic world, the church finds itself in a period where change is the new normal. For this season, we are looking at the book of Acts to remind ourselves how the early church followed God as God led the church into the future that was unfolding before them.

Acts 8 tells the story of Philip going to Samaria and preaching the gospel. People respond and are baptized. Peter and John then come, see that the Samaritans have not been been baptized in the Holy Spirit, and proceed to lay hands on the people so that they might receive the Spirit. What is going on in this passage? Why did Peter and John need to be there? What is it about the Samaritans and a peculiar man named Simon that we need to pay attention to?

The Story We Find Ourselves In

March 18, 2021

As world continues to change by becoming more post-Christian and adapting to a post-pandemic world, the church finds itself in a period where change is the new normal. For this season, we are looking at the book of Acts to remind ourselves how the early church followed God as God led the church into the future that was unfolding before them.

As the disciples continue to preach the good news of Jesus, we begin to see a clash of stories. After his arrest, Stephen retells the story of Israel, but in emphasizing different points—namely the resistance of Israel to the prophets of God—those in the synagogue are enraged. As human beings, we all tell stories. It becomes important, then, to examine the stories we tell ourselves and hold those up against the story of God.

Viewed with Skepticism

March 12, 2021

As world continues to change by becoming more post-Christian and adapting to a post-pandemic world, the church finds itself in a period where change is the new normal. For this season, we are looking at the book of Acts to remind ourselves how the early church followed God as God led the church into the future that was unfolding before them.

Acts 5:12-42 records yet another account of the disciples being arrested for preaching Jesus. Once again, when questioned about what they are doing, they preach the gospels. Over and over, the disciples respond to persecution by inviting their captors to experience salvation through Jesus. In this story, we meet Gamaliel—a pharisee who views the followers of Jesus with skepticism. In this sermon, we ask the question, “Do we ever, like Gamaliel, view the gospel with skepticism?”

God’s Violence Against Our Idols

March 05, 2021

As world continues to change by becoming more post-Christian and adapting to a post-pandemic world, the church finds itself in a period where change is the new normal. For this season, we are looking at the book of Acts to remind ourselves how the early church followed God as God led the church into the future that was unfolding before them.

The violence in Acts 5:1-11 is unsettling. In many ways, God comes across as petty or overly vindictive. When faced with difficult texts, our tendency is to rush past them to get past our discomfort. But if we are willing to sit with the texts and wrestle through them, we often find that the violence of the text reveals our own violence towards God, others, and ourselves. In this week’s sermon, we find three ways the violence in this text reveals and undermines idols in our lives.

Judges and the Judged

February 26, 2021

As world continues to change by becoming more post-Christian and adapting to a post-pandemic world, the church finds itself in a period where change is the new normal. For this season, we are looking at the book of Acts to remind ourselves how the early church followed God as God led the church into the future that was unfolding before them. In Acts 4:1-31, Peter and John find themselves jailed and standing trial for an act of compassion. As strange as it sounds, this is relatively common. Those who upset the dominant order of the day, even through an act of kindness, are called into question. Those with authority take the role of judges, and those out of line are the judged. But Jesus flips all of this upside down by assuming the role as both the judge and the judged.

Our Collective Responsibility

February 22, 2021

As world continues to change by becoming more post-Christian and adapting to a post-pandemic world, the church finds itself in a period where change is the new normal. For this season, we are looking at the book of Acts to remind ourselves how the early church followed God as God led the church into the future that was unfolding before them.

This week, we explore Acts 3:11-26 and what it means to take collective responsibility for the impact of sin on the world. Inherent in human nature is a tendency to reject responsibility for things we are not explicitly involved in. But what if, by our sin, we are responsible? What does the gospel have to say to our complicity? How might the gospel free us up to have the difficult conversations plaguing our society?

To Be Seen

February 22, 2021

As world continues to change by becoming more post-Christian and adapting to a post-pandemic world, the church finds itself in a period where change is the new normal. For this season, we are looking at the book of Acts to remind ourselves how the early church followed God as God led the church into the future that was unfolding before them.

In Acts 3:1-10, Peter and John come upon a beggar as they are entering the temple to worship. In seeing the man—not just his situation, but his humanity—Peter and John find compassion to offer him healing. How can we be the kind of people who see the humanity of others? And what if our ability to see others is directly connected to our willingness to be seen ourselves? This week, we will explore these questions in our sermon.

Pentecost Fulfilled

February 22, 2021

As world continues to change by becoming more post-Christian and adapting to a post-pandemic world, the church finds itself in a period where change is the new normal. For this season, we are looking at the book of Acts to remind ourselves how the early church followed God as God led the church into the future that was unfolding before them.

Acts 2:42-47 is often lauded as the church in its most perfect form. What often get’s overlooked is that this portrait is a part of the story of Pentecost. Just as the tongues of fire and the speaking of tongues was a sign of the Holy Spirit among the disciples, so is the picture of the church holding all things together and being devoted to the apostles teaching, the breaking of bread, and prayer. Additionally, given the Old Testament references to Pentecost, the picture of the early church community is truly Pentecost fulfilled.