Acts 21:17-36 - "Accusations"

We live in an era characterized by political unrest and growing tensions between different segments of society. Therefore, Christ-followers will face accusations, and we need to be prepared for that. These will come from non-Christians who stand against the gospel, but also from professing Christians who struggle with the consequences of the gospel as it relates to their deeply-ingrained cultural and political identities. We will be tempted to respond with fear or anger, but that would only exacerbate the tension and turmoil. Instead, we must consider how we can strive for unity in the Church by making accommodations for other Christians without compromising the gospel. We also must come to terms with the fact that we will sometimes be treated unjustly for our beliefs by those who are opposed to the gospel. Today’s passage teaches us how to live like this.

Acts 19:21-41 - "Strategic Opposition"

Too often, churches and Christians become known for our failures. But today’s passage reminds us that Christians can also become infamous for transforming lives and changing culture through the power of the gospel. Jesus promised that His followers would experience pushback from worldly people who reject Him. But He also commanded us to make disciples around the world, regardless of the opposition. The strategic operation of the Church will face strategic opposition, so we need to be prepared for that.

Acts 19:8-20 - "Witnessing Christ"

If we fail to think of ourselves as witnesses, then our witness will be ineffective. All too often, we don’t live by the word of the Lord, we don’t live in His triumph over sin and death through the power of the Holy Spirit, and we don’t treasure Him as our highest prize and priority. So people might look at our lives and wonder whether the gospel is actually true. Our big idea today is that Christ is revealed by Christians, so let’s give the world a witness. Every local church should be a display case for the words, the works, and the worth of Jesus Christ. This will require all of us to consider how the reality of the Lord is being revealed by our sacrifices, successes, and speech.

Acts 19:1-7 - "Repentance & Faith"

Our very human tendency is to sort of give people a pass as long as they’re inclined to believe in God, especially if they worship God in some sense. But Jesus didn’t say “I am A way,” He said “I am THE Way…to God.” So, like Paul, we need to understand that people need to know THE Way to God through faith in Jesus Christ. Therefore, we aren’t looking for people who are merely religious, but rather those who are repentant and ready to accept the Savior. Today’s big idea is that salvation comes through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ, so we should be sharing our faith with repentant people. Today, we’re going to look at two basic Christian beliefs that help us understand what it means to become a Christian: 1. Our belief that repentant sinners need the Savior; and 2. That all redeemed saints have the Spirit.

Acts 18:18-28 - "With and Without"

As we face new circumstances, we will be tempted to feel anxious. We might feel anxious about what wasn’t accomplished last year. Or maybe we don’t feel ready for whatever is around the corner. Whether we’re heading toward a new frontier, or hanging back a bit longer, we’re going to be tempted toward anxiety. But today’s big idea is that God works with AND without us, so we can trust His will whether we’re coming or going.

Acts 17:16-34 - "The Knowable God"

This is Paul’s longest recorded speech to an audience of unbelieving Gentiles, and Luke includes it in order to emphasize our big idea for today: God is knowable, and our mission is to make Him known. The first part of the passage emphasizes our Christian mission, which is to make God known. The second part emphasizes our Christian message, which is the fact that God is knowable through Jesus Christ.

Acts 16:6-24 - "The Lord Leads"

Today’s big idea is that the Lord is always leading us, so we must be prepared to follow. As we see Paul following the Lord, it’s going to raise two important points of application: 1. How might the Lord be leading us? and 2. Where might the Lord be leading us? If we can better understand how and where the Lord leads Paul and his companions, then we will be better prepared to follow the Lord in our own lives, with spiritual sensitivity and a sense of security no matter where we end up.

Acts 16:1-5 - "Cultural Sensitivity"

Sadly, sin makes us insensitive to others. Our sinful nature can have us seeing the world through a selfish, self-absorbed lens. But as Christians, Christ calls us to walk with sensitivity toward each other and our neighbors, so that we can love others well. Today’s big idea is that cultural sensitivity strengthens the Church. It does this by strengthening Christian witness and Christian community. In today’s passage, we can see the effects of a Christ-honoring cultural sensitivity both directly and indirectly at the beginning of Paul’s second missionary journey.

Acts 14:21-28 - "Strengthening the Church"

As believers, new or longstanding, we need to be strengthened in our faith and we need to continue to grow in spiritual maturity. As we will see in our passage today, believers need to be strengthened through discipleship, under the guidance of a church body and pastoral leadership, and through celebration in Christ. We need to be disciples and we need to make disciples that are growing in faith.

Acts 14:8-21 - "False Worship"

Part of our fallen condition is that we tend to assign worth to worthless things. This is what the Bible means by idolatry, which is the worship of worthless idols which can never provide what we want from them. Today’s big idea is that God alone is worthy, so He alone should be worshiped. False worship is what happens when we worship anything in place of the one, true, living God. Today’s passage gives us a glimpse into the nature of false worship, and also the character of false worshipers.