Title: Paul Is Presented to Felix Text: Acts 23:12-35 Big Idea: God’s great interest is the small details of his kingdom and his people. Outline: 1) Paul’s enemies plot to kill him. (vv. 12-15) Question to consider: What promises from the past do you have for your current situation? 2) Paul’s nephew is used to deliver Paul. (vv. 16-21) Question to consider: Who might God be using/sending in your life right now? 3) The Roman army is used to protect Jesus’ messenger. (vv. 22-35) Question to consider: What personal details do you need to trust to God
Messages
Acts: The Lord Stood By Him
Title: The Lord Stood By Him Text: Acts 23:1-11 Big Idea: Jesus not only sends, but accompanies, his messengers everywhere. Outline: 1) Paul’s defense. (vv. 1-5) Question to consider: Do you desire to exalt God’s Word more than yourself? 2) Paul’s offense. (vv. 6-10) Question to consider: Are you willing to hear the facts about Jesus? 3) Paul’s ally. (v11) Question to consider: Are you willing to speak the facts about Jesus?
Acts: Go, For I Will Send You
Title: Go, For I Will Send You Text: Acts 22:17-30 Big Idea: God is not limited by our meager minds or wills. Outline: 1) Limiting God by our presumption. (vv. 17-21) Question to consider: Do you at times deny Jesus as lord, while calling him ‘Lord’? 2) Limiting God by our discrimination. (vv. 22-23) Question to consider: Do you place boundaries on God’s authority in this world? 3) Limiting God by our underestimation. (vv. 24-30) Question to consider: Are you misjudging God’s power in your circumstances?
Acts: What Shall I Do, Lord?
Title: What Shall I Do, Lord? Text: Acts 22:1-16 Big Idea: God calls everyone to know Jesus Christ, and to make him known. Outline: 1) I was zealous for God, just as you are. (vv. 1-5) Question to consider: If zeal doesn’t equal truth, what might you be wrong about? 2) I was opposing Jesus, just as you have. (vv. 6-10) Question to consider: What would a radical conversion look like in your life? 3) I needed the Righteous One, just as you do. (vv. 11-16) Question to consider: Do you perhaps have an appointment with
Does Prayer Really Change Anything?
Every Christian knows we are supposed to pray. In fact, most of us would probably rate prayer as one of the top five things we are supposed to be doing as a believer. Yet many of us have doubt that haunts the back of our minds: “Does this really make any difference?” Why should we pray? What difference, if any, does prayer make? No question, or answer, could be more important.
The Two Great Commands
Text: Matthew 22:37-40 The Big Idea: If we get these two things right, we get it all right. If we get these two wrong, we miss it all. God help us!
Loved To the End
Text: John 13:1 The Big Idea: We all long to be loved deeply, passionately, fulfillingly, extravagantly — and this is how Christ has loved us.
Pray For All People
Text: 1 Timothy 2:1-7 The Big Idea: The prayers of the Church should be as big hearted as the God we claim to worship, and as global and expansive as his purposes and activities on earth.
Wage the Good Warfare
Text: 1 Timothy 1:17-20 The Big Idea: Only a big view of God, and a big heart for God, will inspire you to faithfulness. 1) To the King goes the glory. Question to consider: Why would Paul include this song of praise (17) in his letter? 2) To the faithful goes the war. Question to consider: What would it look like for me to wage the good war faithfully? 3) To Satan goes the shipwrecked. Question to consider: Is there any area in my life where Satan has been exploiting a weakness?
Jesus Came To Save Sinners
Text: 1 Timothy 1:12-16 The Big Idea: No matter who you are or what you may be feeling, the gospel of grace through Jesus Christ is worthy of your trust. 1) I thank him who has given me strength. 2) Grace, faith, and love are in Christ Jesus. 3) Christ Jesus came to save sinners.
Nothing But Jesus
Paul writes to the church at Corinth and says, “I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.” Really? Nothing but Jesus? In this letter, Paul is going to address sin issues, life issues, church issues, and interpersonal issues. Yet, Paul insists at the outset that he will only be talking about Jesus! How can this be? All these issues have their center and solution in the gospel. And we must learn, then, to center our thinking and living and faith-fighting in the gospel like Paul consciously did. Paul, in this passage, shares with us at
Entrusted With the Glorious Gospel
The church of Jesus Christ has been entrusted with the gospel of Christ. This is both a sobering responsibility and a beautiful privilege. It is not enough to identify and reject false teaching in the church. We have to embrace and foster affection for what is good and glorious and godly. This is how Paul addresses the issue of false teaching in his letter to Timothy.
Christ Jesus Is Our Hope
As Paul writes his first letter to Timothy, his opening words remind us that “Christ Jesus is our hope.” That’s what this letter is all about. That’s what the Christian message is all about. That’s what the Bible is all about. And so that’s what our lives should be all about.
Timothy: From Ordinary to Extraordinary
In the Bible it is clear that some of its heroes are particularly gifted: few of us can benchpress a city gate like Samson, or quote most of the Old Testament from memory like Paul. But the young man Timothy, to whom Paul writes two letters included in the New Testament, does not seem to be such a person.
Christ Sustaining You to the End
As we look to a new year in 2020, it is important to think about the things we should be doing better, especially in our service to God. We all probably need to be more diligent in Bible reading, prayer, persevering, temperance, self-denial … the list could go on and on. And it is good and appropriate to make resolutions to improve in some of these areas. But instead of talking about what we should be doing for God, this Sunday we want to consider what God is doing for us.