Focal Passage: Acts 26:19-29 

There are many things in life that demand a response. We are faced with these things each and every day of our lives. Some of them are small things that alter our lives very little. Then there are the big things that completely change the direction and outcome of our very existence. And of course, there is everything in the middle, each having varying effects on the way we live our lives. 

Let me give you some examples. A ringing telephone is one of those small things that demands a response. There is nothing more annoying than a ringing phone. We either have to answer it, or do something else like hanging up on the call to end the noise. One might argue, “I don’t have to respond to it at all. I can just ignore it.”  [Read more…]

Focal Passage: Acts 22:7-21 

I can remember growing up and how I loved getting together as a family for the holidays and other occasions. It was a special time and the evenings were my favorite. 

That’s when everyone would share stories. Some were funny, some were sad, but all of them were interesting. You can learn so much from just listening. You can also discover things about your heritage and people that have been an important part of your life, of how they have influenced you into the person you now are. 

Telling and listening to stories gives context to our lives, and every one of us has them. Stories of how we grew up, where we lived, who we are as a person and the list could go on. Stories are an important part of our life. They chronicle our life experiences.  [Read more…]

Focal Passage: Acts 20:18-32 

One of the hardest things a parent has to do is to release a child into the world to face life on their own. No longer are we be able to shield them from the harsh realities, heartaches and heartbreaks of the fallen world in which we live. 

No longer can we stand guard at the door of their lives and fight off those who would take advantage of them or who seek to harm them. And even if they launch well, our minds are always on them and we worry about them constantly. We do this because we love them and they are dear to us.  [Read more…]

Focal Passage: Acts 19:11-20 

Many people have this idea that the outcome of a situation is all that matters. In other words, the end justifies the means. But God doesn’t see it that way. 

He looks at it from all views — the beginning, the end and everything in between. It is important to Him in how we begin. It is important to Him as to how we go about doing it. And, it is important to Him how we end a task He has given us to do. 

But it doesn’t stop there. He is also very much interested in why we are doing it as well. He wants us to do things with a genuine desire and correct motive.  [Read more…]

Focal Passage: Acts 18:1-11, 18-21 

Over the years serving in ministry, I wish I had a dime for every time I heard the excuse, “I don’t have to be in church on Sunday to worship God. I can worship God anywhere.” While this is true because we can worship God anywhere, there is something that we miss in practice. 

There is something special in being with other believers and worshiping together. The same can be said in our service to God as well. After being on many mission endeavors, I can testify that working alongside other believers makes the work and the blessing more satisfying. We also can do more together than we can do alone, thus magnifying the impact of our service for God. 

Along these same lines, I have also had people say that they cannot be very effective in serving God in the church because they do not have certain skills or abilities, so they shy away from teaching Bible study class or becoming a deacon. But the simple fact is, everyone can, and should, do something in service to God and His Kingdom. God has gifted everyone, through the Holy Spirit, with something that will serve Him and build up the Church.  [Read more…]

Focal Passage: Acts 17:22-34 

Idolatry is something we don’t think about often, but it is very real and it’s all around us. Most people are not even aware of its presence would tell you they do not idolize anything. But if we were honest and looked closer, we might discover that we do. 

Some might discover we value having money and self-sufficiency. Others might value recreational enjoyment. Still others might value relationship and acceptance. The list goes on and on. While there is nothing wrong with any of these things, it is how we approach them that will determine whether it is sinful idolatry or not. 

For example, Scriptures say that the love of money is the root of all evil. Scriptures do not say that money is evil or that having money is evil. It says the desire to obtain it at all costs can cause us to do things we should not do — like selling drugs, which destroys other people’s lives or stealing and robbing which destroys other people’s livelihood.  [Read more…]

Focal Passage: Acts 16:11-15, 29-40 

God has a way of getting us to where He wants us to go. Often, we think we have an idea of what God wants us to do only to find out that we are so off the mark that we are left clueless and completely confused and bewildered. 

If only I could count the many times, I have heard people say, “Pastor, I really thought I was doing God’s will”, or, “I really thought God wanted me to do this.”  But God always finds a way to guide us and put us exactly where He wants us to be, doing exactly what He wants us to do. We should always be ready to respond to every opportunity God directs us towards.

In this week’s lesson, we find that Paul and Silas have arrived in Macedonia and they have made their way to the city of Philippi. Some key events take place there. After several days, they discover that there apparently is no synagogue there, which was their typical starting point, but did discover a place where people gathered for prayer.  [Read more…]

Focal Passage: Acts 15:39-16:10 

Sometimes things happen, which at the time, seems to be devastating. However, later we discover was the best thing that could have happened. Let me give you an example. There was a church that was strong and healthy in the community in which I lived. It was an evangelical church, and had a strong presence in our town. 

An issue arose over the use of musical instruments in worship. Some of the congregation wanted to expand their use in worship, others wanted to limit their use in worship. 

Soon, the church developed divisions within the fellowship with each side refusing to relinquish their position. As a result, one part of the congregation broke from the other an began another church just a few miles down the road from the original church. It looked like a terrible unfortunate situation. 

Everyone in the community watched with great interest to see what was going to happen. However, what did happen surprised everyone. Both churches began to grow. Now, where there was only one church, there are now two healthy, strong and growing congregations. Sometimes, what seems to be an unfortunate disaster, God is re-shaping His kingdom work.  [Read more…]

Focal Passage: Acts 15:7-9, 22-31 

Entitlement is not a virtue most of us would consider a good thing. Entitlement can cause us to develop many other undesirable such as pride, jealously, envy and selfishness. It can also cause us to look at others with contempt and arrogance. 

The dictionary defines entitlement as “the belief that one is inherently deserving of privileges or special treatment”. Entitlement is something most people would consider undesirable. In our study this week we can see how this trait can have devastating effects when it comes to reaching our world with the gospel of Jesus Christ. [Read more…]

Focal Passage: Acts 14:11-23 

Sometimes we may find ourselves in a position of miscommunication. This is especially true when we have different languages, cultures and social practices. Years ago, we ministered at a church that was close to a large university. The university would close a number of dormitories during long holidays to conserve energy and costs since most of the students would return home during this time. 

The international students, however would either have to move to another dorm or go somewhere else if they could not go home. My wife and I thought it would be a wonderful way to share the love of God and the gospel message on a global venue. If you cannot go to the world, bring the world to you. We contacted the university’s international student relations department and offered to host a student, who could not return home for the holidays. It was a wonderful experience and we enjoyed doing it for many years.   [Read more…]