Sometimes I think I understand God. I think that I understand his ways and his plans. I've grown up in the church, made my faith my own in college and have been diligently following God for at least two decades now. I must have it down (I can hear my family snickering). Truth is, we will never come to a place where we grasp the fullness of who God is or what he is doing.
Read MoreThe Bible isn't sufficient. I can hear what you're thinking....HERESY! AWAY WITH THIS 'GOSPEL FAMILY' NONSENSE!! :) But wait...let me explain. In Acts 1o God orchestrated a series of events that led Peter to Cornelius' house (a devout, God fearing man). God was demonstrating that the Gospel has no barriers marked by ethnicity or nationality (Jew or Gentile). "What God has made clean, do not call common." (verse 15)
Read More2017 is here. And with every new year we are presented with two opportunities:
As you look back, I hope you are filled with gratitude for what God has done. As you look forward, I pray that you are filled with hope with what God might do. As we dive back into the book of Acts I am struck by Paul's conversion. He was breathing "threats and murder" against the disciples and then God interrupted and changed his life.
Read MoreWhere there is a work of God there is joy. We will see that this week in Acts 8. The early church will encounter extreme persecution. Saul (soon to be Paul) will be commissioned to go arrest followers of ‘the way.’ And he’s pretty successful at it. Christians will be scattered abroad, the Holy Spirit will do amazing things (like teleport Philip..) and the gospel will go throughout their land creating a massive sea of joy.
Read MoreThe early church needed some structure. Roles and responsibility from inside the church that would allow the apostles to be dedicated to prayer and the preaching of the word. They appointed men that would help. They weren't just normal men. These were men filled with the Spirit. These servants in the church were of "good repute, full of the spirit and wisdom." It was not just to serve tables that God called these men. In chapter seven we see that Stephen was out performing amazing miracles and signs of power. He was causing a scene. There was work to be done. And in the craziness the chief priests and elders get feed up and arrest Stephen.
Read MoreAs the church was growing and people were increasing, more needs in the church were increasing as well. We learn from Acts 6 that there was a food ministry of the early church. But as the church was made up of men and women, still “hungover” from the power of sin, some people were being neglected in the daily distribution of food just because of where they were from.
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