He is Lord of all Text: Acts 10:34-43 In Acts 10:34–43, Peter recognizes that God shows no partiality and that the good news of Jesus is for every nation. Jesus is Lord of all: God’s anointed Son, the one who brings peace, died and rose again, and will judge the living and the dead. Through him, everyone who believes receives forgiveness of sins. The sermon closes with an invitation to stop trying to hold everything together and rest in Christ, whose salvation and peace are G

God doesn't call us to be little saviors, nor only to our clans. Text: Acts 10:23–33 Synopsis: In Acts 10:23–33, Peter enters Cornelius’s home and finds a gathered household eager to hear from God. Peter’s humility before Cornelius, his willingness to cross old social boundaries, and Cornelius’s expectant faith show how the Holy Spirit prepares both the messenger and the hearers. This sermon calls Christians to resist both isolation and self-importance, trusting Christ to bri

Who are we called to receive? Text: Acts 10:9-23 In Acts 10:9–23, God prepares Peter to bring the gospel to Cornelius by challenging his understanding of clean and unclean. Even an apostle needs correction, and Peter’s first act of hospitality shows how God’s Word reshapes both our thinking and our behavior. This sermon calls the Church to hold firmly to biblical holiness while welcoming those Christ has cleansed, trusting that his grace reaches people we may have assumed wer

God prepares the soil for evangelism. Are you ready? Text: Acts 10:1-8 Acts 10:1–8 introduces Cornelius, a Roman centurion who seems an unlikely candidate for faith but whose life shows that God has already been preparing his heart. As God readies Cornelius, Peter, and the church for the gospel to cross old boundaries, this passage encourages Christians to trust that the Holy Spirit prepares both those who proclaim the gospel and those who hear it. Let us pray. Heavenly Fathe

How does death lose its sting? Text: Acts 9:36-43 In Acts 9:36–43, the death and resurrection of Dorcas confront us with the real grief of loss and the greater hope of the gospel. Dorcas’s quiet life of charity shows what ordinary Christian faithfulness looks like, while the mourning widows remind us that lament is right and good. Yet her restoration to life points beyond itself to Christ, who alone has defeated death and promises resurrection to all who belong to him. Manusc

Text: Acts 9:32-35 Ordinary Tasks, an Extraordinary God This homily on Acts 9:32–35 centers on the truth that God often works extraordinary grace through the Church’s ordinary faithfulness. Peter’s simple journey to visit, encourage, correct, and remind scattered Christians of the gospel becomes the setting for Aeneas’s healing. The sermon emphasizes that Peter is not the source of the miracle—Jesus is—and that the physical healing ultimately points beyond restored mobility

True fear of the Lord builds in the Christian a fearlessness to preach and live the gospel. Text: Acts 9:26-31 In this sermon, we see Saul arrive in Jerusalem. Naturally, the disciples there are nervous to welcome him into their community; after all, he had tried to destroy them not that long ago. But Barnabas welcomes him into the community, where he preaches boldly. One of the central themes of the passage is that of fear and fearlessness. We start with the disciples in Jer

Saul was uniquely equipped for the calling God gave him. Text: Acts 9:19b-25 As we look at the newly converted Saul, we see him enjoying the fellowship of those he had intended to kill, but the true nature of his calling is quickly revealed. He immediately starts teaching in the synagogues. This shift is incredible, but underneath it, we realize something else: Saul was uniquely equipped for what God had called him to. Saul trained under Gamaliel, who we briefly met in chapte

God made Saul new. Text: Acts 9:1-19 Acts 9:1-19 is one of the most dramatic and well-known moments in Acts. As Saul heads to ravage the church in Damascus, Christ confronts him with a bright light and asks him Why are you persecuting me? As blindness sets in and Saul sits, fasts, and prays, another person is introduced: Ananias. In many ways, Ananias represents active Christians, challenged by their enemies' conversion. He has the same hesitancy that we might, yet he never q

How do we proclaim Christ? Text: Acts 8:25-40 After an incredible evangelistic moment, God calls Philip to go to a desert road. This is a surprising move, but Philip is obedient. On that road, Philip meets an Ethiopian Eunuch, a man who ran the royal treasury. This is a fascinating moment in the history of the church. What is most notable is that, despite being an outsider, the man also seemed to be a devoted believer. As we see how God works through Philip, it is clear that

Grace is free, but it is costly. Text: Acts 8:9-25 This week's lesson is incredible. As Rev. Nninda pointed out last week, we are starting to see the Great Commission truly fulfilled. As the Christians are scattered, Phillip, one of the seven deacons, makes his way to Samaria. Samaria was Israel's estranged cousin, somehow worse than the Gentiles. At one point, John even asked if Jesus wanted to see one of their cities destroyed, yet they received the gospel. But there was a

Text: Acts 8:4–8 Driven from Jerusalem by persecution, the early Christians did not abandon their mission: wherever they were scattered, they continued proclaiming the gospel. Philip carried the good news across cultural and religious boundaries into Samaria, demonstrating that the gospel is for every people and every nation. The same Holy Spirit who strengthened the first believers continues to lead Christ’s Church beyond comfort, fear, and weakness. As Christians go in the

The light of Christ overcomes every darkness. Text: Acts 7:44-8:3 This week, we will see Stephen's death. Stephen is the first recorded martyr of the church. What is most striking about this account isn't Stephen's death itself, but the sharp contrast between man's rage and sin and God's glory and grace. It is unclear exactly who drags Stephen out to be killed - but they are described as being enraged, stopping their ears, dragging, and stoning. These are violent, even frenzi

God is always with his people. Text: Acts 7:44-53 In this sermon, we end Stephen's sermon. For the last several weeks, Stephen has been showing how God was with his people in unusual places, yet they rejected him, his servants, and his works. This week, we end with Stephen showing that God persisted with his people, traveling with them, that even though the temple was good, it was not God's home, and that the end goal of God's covenant with the Israelites was a converted peop

Christ is the only way, truth, and life. Text: Acts 7:35-43 In Acts 7:35-43, Stephen challenges the religious leaders' perception. His sermon reaches a climax as he points out that the people God called to be his own rejected God's prophet, Moses. Rejecting Moses was on par with rejecting God himself. But Stephen does something more - he points to foreshadowing the one who is the way, the truth, and the life. Jesus fulfilled what Moses was a shadow of, and, as such, the Sanhe

What if you're missing the greatest gift of all? Text: Acts 7:23-34 One of the interesting things about this passage is that while Stephen was given a chance to defend himself, he took the opportunity to exalt Christ and indict the Sanhedrin. In this passage, we take a closer look at Moses as he rejects his royal place, defends his people, and then flees to another foreign land. In that foreign land, Moses experiences God's holiness. At first glance, it seems like the two eve

Will God really deliver us? Text: Acts 7:17-22 As we look at this passage, we see how God often works in unexpected ways, preparing us, using adversaries and challenges, and unexpected means to bring us through our trials and into his glory. Much like the Sanhedrin, we often want God to do things just so, but this is not always his will. It is encouraging to know that we have a heavenly father who loves us enough to bring us through even the most challenging times, and that h

Joseph reminds us that God redeems those who seem wholeheartedly unredeemable in surprising ways. Text: Acts 7:9-16 In this sermon, we look at the second section of Stephen's sermon. Here he turns his focus to Joseph, one of the 12 sons of Jacob, the patriarchs of Israel. Stephen draws on the image of Joseph to show that God redeems people who often seem unredeemable, and he does it in ways that are often unexpected. But we'll also see that Joseph is a shadow of Christ, fores

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