Finding God
When Paul began explaining God to the people in Athens, he told them the Lord brought them to this point in time: “27 so that they might seek God, and perhaps they might reach out and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us. 28 For in Him we live and […]
JXSW (Jesus by Southwest)
Acts 17:19-21 (HCSB) 19 They took him [Paul] and brought him to the Areopagus, and said, “May we learn about this new teaching you’re speaking of? 20 For what you say sounds strange to us, and we want to know what these ideas mean.” 21 Now all the Athenians and the foreigners residing there spent […]
A Reasonable Faith
Acts 17:16-17 (NIV) 16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. 17 So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there. […]
Mobs, riots, and the Truth
Acts 17:5-9 (NIV) 5 But the Jews were jealous; so they rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace, formed a mob and started a riot in the city. They rushed to Jason’s house in search of Paul and Silas in order to bring them out to the crowd. 6 But when they did not […]
The Art of Persuasion
Acts 17:1-4 (NIV) 1 When they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. 2 As his custom was, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3 explaining and proving that the Christ had to suffer and […]
Open Season on Christians
Acts 16:35-39 (NIV) 35 When it was daylight, the magistrates sent their officers to the jailer with the order: “Release those men.” 36 The jailer told Paul, “The magistrates have ordered that you and Silas be released. Now you can leave. Go in peace.” 37 But Paul said to the officers: “They beat us publicly […]
Pass it on!
Acts 16:26-34 (NIV) 26 Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody’s chains came loose. 27 The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself […]
Cross-Worldview Communication
God spoke to me a couple years ago about my ministry through a passage in Ezekiel: “…Our offenses and sins weigh us down, and we are wasting away because of them. How then can we live?” (Ezek. 33:10, NIV) Our churches – and consequently our nation – are wasting away because we’ve lost our sense […]
“Who despises the day of small things? Men will rejoice when they see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel… (Zechariah 4:10, NIV) Those words were spoken by the prophet/priest Zechariah somewhere around 538 B.C. Nehemiah had returned to Jerusalem and led the people to rebuild the burned down walls. The remaining Israelites […]
Don’t Cut Corners
Acts 16:1-5 (NIV) 1 He [Paul] came to Derbe and then to Lystra, where a disciple named Timothy lived, whose mother was a Jewess and a believer, but whose father was a Greek. 2 The brothers at Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him. 3 Paul wanted to take him along on the journey, so […]
Strengthening Your Core
Acts 15:41 (NIV) 41 He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches. After the important church council of Acts 15, Paul and Barnabas head in different ministry directions. Luke follows Paul through Syria and Cilicia. Paul’s purpose: strengthening the church. I had a coach in college that insisted you were only as strong […]
Election Sermon
“Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,” they said.” (Acts 14:21-22, NIV) Paul and Barnabas were now headed into three new cities – new fields of ministry. The first […]
