Messages on Acts
Sanctification and Love
1 Thessalonians 4:1-8 Sanctification is one of those big, churchy words that can confuse some people. It simply represents the work that Jesus is doing in each believer to make them holy. This message will explain not only what sanctification is, but it will attempt to help the listener understand who is responsible for the work of sanctification in the believer’s life and who is doing that work. Scriptures Referenced 1 Thessalonians 5:27 1 Peter 1:2 Acts 26:18 John 17:19…
He May Establish Your Hearts
1 Thessalonians 2:17-3:13 Jesus died for our sins. He wasn’t killed for our sins, He died for them in accordance with the plan of God that was established before the world began. Jesus gave up His life by His own will and power and that not only clears the Jews of condemnation and hatred for the death of Jesus, but it also does the same for us, the believers in the church. This brings to the surface the truth, that…
Who Killed Jesus Anyway?
1 Thessalonians 2:9-16 Many people ascribe blame to others for the death of Jesus. Some try to take the blame themselves. But the reality is that Jesus laid down His life to provide the substitutionary sacrifice needed by every one of us for the remission of our sins. And He did this so that we could spend eternity in heaven with Him. How was this possible? It was possible because He also had the power to raise Himself from the…
Finally, Rome
Acts 28:1-31 Paul finally makes it to Rome. It makes you wonder what comes next! Scriptures Referenced Psalm 24:1 Isaiah 46:9 1 Timothy 2:3-4
Shipwreck
Acts 27:1-44 It’s always a struggle when you wait and wait for something to happen, and when it finally does, nothing seems to go as planned. Paul has experienced many difficult things as he served Jesus, but when he finally is headed to Rome to stand before Ceasar, it is still not clear sailing. Scriptures Referenced
Testimony Before Leaders and Kings (Part 2)
Acts 25:22-27; 26:1-32 Paul is used to standing before leaders and testifying, but after two years of waiting for resolution, it had to be extremely frustrating to be handed off to yet another leader. Almost like starting over again. But true to his previous behavior, Paul starts over again and makes sure that everyone hears enough of the gospel to point them to Jesus. Scriptures Referenced 1 Peter 3:15
Testimony Before Leaders and Kings (Part 1)
Acts 25:1-21 Standing before judges and testifying to the truth is something Paul did repeatedly. For most this would be frustrating and tedious, but Paul always seemed to offer something more important. He presented the gospel because he was more concerned for the welfare of those asking for his testimony than he was his own liberty. Scriptures Referenced Isaiah 55:9
Words
Acts 24:1-27 Lots of people make their living as communicators of one sort or another, so words are very important to them. In today’s lesson, Paul ends up in a contest with an expert communicator, a lawyer. Thankfully, Paul’s ability with words is more than a match, because his words are based in truth Scriptures Referenced Deuteronomy 19:15 Proverbs 14:25
Take Courage
Acts 23:1-35 So often in life we end up in situations where we need to take courage, to be brave. Paul faced many difficulties, yet God gave him the courage to face them. And when Paul needed help, God provided the help he needed, like the Roman commander who protected Paul from a mob because Paul was a Roman citizen. Scriptures Referenced Deuteronomy 25:2
Controversy
Acts 21:26-22:30 Paul stood firm for the cause of Christ from the moment that he met Jesus on the road to Damascus, and he experienced plenty of opposition, but he was faithful through it all. Still, it seems like his life and his relationships were filled with controversy because so many rejected the message and yet he still kept after the work and saw people saved. Scriptures Referenced Acts 9:3-9
The Essentials
Acts 21:1-26 As Christians, we are told that we should be united in purpose, to love God and each other, and to share the gospel message with others in love. Sometimes we struggle with the concept of unity because we differ with each other on theology. But we don’t have to divide over our differences. We can be united if we choose to agree on the essential doctrines of the Christian faith and if we offer grace for any non-essential…
Heading Towards the End
Acts 20:1-38 Paul faced many challenges and some of them were deeply personal. One of his greatest challenges was to face a return trip to Jerusalem when he knew that it meant bondage and suffering were ahead. But strengthened by the Holy Spirit, Paul forged on ahead. He was sure of the rewards in his future, and he was determined to serve Jesus with everything he had all the way to the end. Scriptures Referenced Acts 19:21 Acts 9:16 2…