God always fulfills his promises. Text: Acts 7:1-8 In this sermon, we start looking at Stephen's sermon. The sermon is a Biblically rich rebuke of the religious leaders of his time. The overarching argument is that it should be no surprise that the people mistreated Jesus as they have routinely mistreated God's prophets and servants. But this week, we lay a foundation - God is a faithful God, he will complete that which he promises. Stephen shows this by looking at Abraham's

Are you on the way of God or man? Text: Acts 6:8-15 We now turn our focus to Stephen, sometimes called the proto-martyr (or first Martyr). It is the first time in the book of Acts that we turn our focus away from Peter, John, and the other apostles. But Luke shares this moment for another important reason. In it, we see two very different ways - the way of Christ and the way of man. The contrast couldn't be more stark. The way of man is one of deception and pain, while the wa

What do you do when you don't know what to do? Text: Acts 6:1-7 In Act 6:1-7, we see the Devil's third attack on the church. This time, he attempts to distract and divide the church through controversy. What has arisen was no small problem, but the Apostles also recognized it could easily distract them from the primary mission: prayer and the ministry of the word. Through the Holy Spirit, the apostles recognize a wise solution, and the church actually becomes stronger. The De

Acts 5:17-42 reveals what it looks like to be obedient to man or to God. Text: Acts 5:17-42 In this passage, we see two types of obedience: the first stems from the fear of man and self-made obedience, the second stems from knowing God. In this passage, we learn how Christ has fulfilled our obedience for us, and from that, we get to do because God has already redeemed us. This distinction makes all the difference; the self-made obedience leads to horrible destructions - jealo

Why did God give the early church such incredible signs and wonders? Text: Acts 5:12-16 This passage allows us to ask the question, why were the signs and wonders given? And as we look at the passage, we see that they revealed God's power, his goodness, and mercy towards humanity. While we don't always see such incredible signs in our day and age, as we contemplate our salvation, we realize that it is a testimony to God's goodness and power in its own right. The passage invit

What does it look like to live in unity? Text: Acts 4:32-5:11 This lesson starts with this beautiful picture of unity, where nobody wanted because everyone cared for one another. People were sacrificing their own property so that others might have what they need. Then we meet Ananias and Sapphire, and something shifts within them. At first glance, it almost seems as though there's a sense of severity and cruelty in the church. But if we read the text carefully, we realize tha

Prayer is powerful because it depends upon God, not our own strength. Text: Acts 4:23-31 We often define our lives and service to God by what we cannot do. But prayer changes that; instead of depending upon our own strength and our own courage, in prayer, we experience the power of God. In Acts 4:23-31, we meet the apostles as they left the Sanhedrin. They report to their friends what has occurred, and then they pray. In this prayer, they praise God, ask for boldness, and the

Is God the authority of your life? Text: Acts 4:5-22 There's a level of indignation as the Sanhedrin asks Peter and John by what power they healed the lame man. This stems from a desire to protect what they believed was the truth, yet they had missed all the signs that Christ was God, taught with God's authority, and had, by the power of the Holy Spirit, given to the apostles and his church. The whole passage is about the interplay between temporal authority and the authority

The gospel is so much better. Text: Acts 3:17-4:4 We often expect a certain kind of blessing, or that our lives will turn out in a specific way, but God's plans are not always what we expected, but always infinitely better than we could imagine. Peter tells his audience that they are ignorant of the reality of who Christ is and what he has done. He goes on to note just three of the benefits of Christ's death and resurrection. When we put our faith in Christ, our sins are wipe

Come ye weary hearted Text: Acts 3:11-16 In the second of Peter's sermons, we hear another incredible gospel proclamation as people are amazed by the healing of the lame man. Yet again, he reveals the people's sin and shows them that Jesus is the one who can take it away. But it is particularly poignant that Peter makes sure the people know that the healing doesn't happen because of his or John's power or piety. It is in Christ alone that we find healing from our sin, from th

God gives infinitely better gifts than we ask for or could ever expect. Text: Acts 3:1-10 We were blessed to be visited by The Rt. Rev. Ben Fischer, rector of Christ the Redeemer, Nampa, ID, and one of our diocese's suffragan bishops. He preached on Acts 3:1-10 and reminded us how God always gives good gifts. As Peter and John enter the temple to give thanks and worship God, they run across a man who was lame by birth. He asks them for alms, but they have no money to give the

May we be a church that people know God built. Text: Acts 2:42-47 Acts 2:42-47 is the conclusion of Pentecost Sunday. We don't see an ecstatic charismatic moment, but rather the church doing the basic beautiful things of life together. They worship, they enjoy fellowship, and they are radically generous with one another. We like to make Christian life far more complicated than it needs to be. Yet, the early church was grounded in the right things. This passage is a helpful re

Acts 2:14-41 is one of the most wonderful articulations of the gospel in scripture. Text: Acts 2:14-41 In this sermon, we look at Peter's Pentecost sermon. It is an incredible sermon, first because it is thoroughly rooted in scripture, but it is also a profoundly clear articulation of the Gospel of Christ. Peter starts with why the Holy Spirit was given, but quickly moves into reviewing Christ's life, death, resurrection, and exaltation, showing what it all means. As the peop

Text: Acts 2:1-13 The Holy Spirit being given to the church is one of the most significant moments in church history, and it defines who we are as a body. But one of the most amazing things about the giving of the Holy Spirit is that he is given to the whole church, he unites the church, and he makes it so the message may be understood by all who hear the gospel and are ready to receive it. In a very real way, the giving of the Holy Spirit undoes what was done at Babel. But i

How do we as Christians wait well? Acts 1:12–26 We live in a culture that struggles to wait. Yet in Acts 1, after Jesus ascends, the disciples are told to remain in Jerusalem and wait for the promise of the Holy Spirit. What follows is a powerful picture of faithful obedience in uncertain times. They do not panic. They do not scatter. They gather in unity, devote themselves to prayer, search the Scriptures, and act carefully in community. Their waiting is not passive—it is ac

What happens when God says no? Text: Acts 1:1-11 We start our series working through the Acts of the Apostles, and we meet them in Christ's final 40 days on earth. Luke only briefly tells us that they spent those forty days learning from Christ. But what is interesting is the one recorded question they ask Jesus, "When will the kingdom of Israel be restored?" Except that he doesn't answer them. Instead, he tells them they will receive the Holy Spirit and makes it very clea

The Greatest of These is Love Text: 1 Corinthians 13 In this sermon, we will look at what may be the most well-known and possibly most popular passage of scripture. As we prepare for Lent, we'll sit in St. Paul's call to love well, in 1 Corinthians 13. In this passage, we learn the importance of love, what love actually is, and that in the end, it is the most important thing. But Paul is also clear that love isn't an emotion but an attitude and posture towards others. As we

Should I not pity them? Text: Jonah 4 We finish our travel through Jonah. Nineveh has repented, God has shown them mercy, and then Jonah's true fear is revealed. He wasn't afraid that the Ninevites might hurt him, or that he'd fail; he was afraid that God would actually show them mercy. In the final chapter of the book, we get the true punch, the true point of the whole book: what if God chooses to show mercy to those whom we hate, despise, fear, or think are truly evil? How

We follow Christ without knowing what will come next, but still, this is good. Text: Jonah 3 In this sermon, we look at Jonah 3, which is a chapter of hope. In it, Jonah is told, yet again, to go to Nineveh; he goes, preaches the message that God gives to him, and the Ninevites repent. What makes this chapter especially interesting is the people's hope without promise. The Ninevites in particular realize the despicable nature of their ways, show signs of repentance through in

Text: Jonah 2 In this sermon, we look at Jonah 2. After three days in the belly of a fish, Jonah finally prays. But before he prays, he has to be crushed, brought low. Christ looks at this bringing low as Jonah's death. While it may not be have been a physical death, Jonah certainly reaches a point of being crushed. Sometimes we must be brought low in order to experience new life in Christ. While we would never hope for this, we can meet Christ anew in our lowest moments.