Acts 15
Church leaders have to decide what the requirements are for salvation - do Gentiles need to become Jews in addition to faith in Jesus? Or is Jesus enough? It is a great question, and one that needs to be constantly revisited in every generation. Are there things we are adding to the gospel that create barriers to people placing faith in Jesus?
Release Date: June 10, 2018
Acts 13-14
We’re looking at the theme of church planting this week in Acts 13-14. The church at Antioch is a model NT church - a local, multi-ethnic church with a vision to send out church-planting missionary teams to fulfill the Great Commission by preaching the gospel, establishing churches, and equipping local leaders to carry on the work.
Release Date: June 3, 2018
Stories of gospel work happening in Central Europe, Russia and East Asia.
Release Date: May 27, 2018
Acts 11
Release Date: May 20, 2018
This week’s text is Acts 14, Paul preaching the gospel among non-churched pagans. After Acts 13, he is more clear about taking the gospel to the Gentiles. And though Acts 14 starts with him in the synagogue again, the bulk of the text looks at how he preached Jesus to people who don’t know the bible, don’t believe in one God, and don’t have a sense of sin (as breaking God’s rules). Interestingly, Paul starts a few steps back before the gospel - he speaks about idolatry (building your life and hope on something other than God) and contrasts that with the One Living God, Creator of all things. He also emphasizes the mercy of the Creator (giving good gifts to all) and the moment of reckoning (God is now calling everyone everywhere to trust in his Son). It is a very different way of presenting the very same Gospel, calling people to turn to God in repentance and faith, trusting in Jesus.
Release Date: April 29, 2018
This week’s text is Acts 13, particularly looking at how Paul articulates the gospel to the religious Jews of his day. We’ll use that to connect to how churched people need to hear and rehear the gospel, even if we think we believe it. Our aim is to show us that evangelism happens as much among churched folks as among pagans.
Release Date: April 22, 2018
This week’s text is Acts 10-11, the conversion of Cornelius. The focus is again on what conversion is and how it happens, and what results in a truly converted life. We will contrast conversion with “getting religious” this week, as well as highlight the Spirit’s yearning to make a multi-cultural family (Jews and Gentiles, people from every tribe & tongue, all worshipping Jesus).
Release Date: April 15, 2018
This week’s text is Acts 9, the conversion of Saul/Paul. While it is a wild story of encounter with the risen Jesus, there are key elements that we see present in every genuine conversion. Conversion happens when we encounter the Risen Jesus, and his resurrection changes everything!
Release Date: April 8, 2018