SCRIPTURE: Acts 4:23-31 OBSERVATION: Facing persecution, they do not pray for safety but for boldness. They pray based on God’s sovereign place in the universe, and His purpose through history. Their ‘theology’ (view of God) shapes how they deal with this crisis. God answers their prayer with Holy Spirit power and boldness. APPLICATION: When I compare…
June 8 — Acts 4:13-22
SCRIPTURE: Acts 4:13-22 OBSERVATION: The Jewish leaders were stuck. Even they noted that these men were radically changed – unschooled, ordinary men who had been with Jesus. This is the fruit of the Spirit in the lives of those who humbly surrender to Jesus. He takes charge and transforms them from the inside out. That Peter…
June 7 — Acts 4:1-12
SCRIPTURE: Acts 4:1-12 OBSERVATION: How do we account for the boldness of Peter and the others, considering that not long before they were cowering in fear? We certainly would not expect them to risk their lives if the whole resurrection thing was a hoax, a cover-up. The answer lies in the filling of the Spirit (v.8)….
June 6 — Acts 3:1-26
SCRIPTURE: Acts 3:11-26 OBSERVATION: The basic point of this ‘sermon’ is that Jesus is the promised Messiah that the Jews were expecting, only they missed it, and killed Him instead of welcoming Him (just as was predicted). Fortuneately, God is merciful and will forgive them in they repent, and He will bless them, as He has…
No more “Good Sermons”
I have a confession to make: I like and dislike when people say to me “Good sermon!” On the one hand, I like it because it boosts my feelings, since I normally feel discouraged after I preach. But on the other hand, I don’t know what that statement really means. And what does it mean…
June 5 — Acts 3:1-10
SCRIPTURE: Acts 3:1-10 OBSERVATION: This is an amazing story, though in the context of all the other miracles attributed to Jesus and His followers, this is “just another miracle”. The huge question for me is this: Is this the way we should all work when confronted by human need? Is this a template for how things…
June 4 — Acts 2:37-47
SCRIPTURE: Acts 2:37-47 OBSERVATION: What can account for such a radical change? What would transform so many people (3000) into such a humble, eager, caring and sharing bunch? Two things come to mind: genuine repentance, which opened the way for Spirit-enabled transformation. When we surrender our hearts to the Lord, then everything within us begins to…
June 3 — Acts 2:14-36
SCRIPTURE: Acts 2:14-36 OBSERVATION The “big deal” for Peter here is not the outpouring of the Spirit. This is simply a by-product of the big deal, that Jesus is the Messiah, that He died and rose again and ascended to His throne in heaven. Jesus is in charge of the universe, and people must either accept…
June 2 — Acts 2:1-13
SCRIPTURE: Acts 2:1-13 OBSERVATIONS 1. (vv.1-3) A sound like the blowing of a violent wind, and what seemed like tongues of fire. These phenomenon may relate to what happened on Mount Sinai when God revealed Himself to Israel (Exodus 19:16-19). Traditionally Pentecost was both a harvest festival and a commemoration of when God revealed the Law to…
June 1 — Acts 1:12-26
SCRIPTURE: Acts 1:12-26 OBSERVATIONS 1. (vv.12-14) Something happened to keep them from giving up. If Jesus had only died, then they would have been hard-pressed to keep on praying, after such a major discouragement. Something kept them going. Its hard to think that they would rally around a hoax, as some suggest. APPLICATION: The resurrection is…