Sunday, 26 May 2019
Duration: 29 mins 15 secs
Paul's life was full of selfless acts as he shared about Jesus to others. We see in Acts 27 that Paul is heading for Rome to stand trial before Caesar. He did not travel alone and we are reminded that the Christian life is not meant to be traveled alone. Paul showed that whatever circumstances he faced, particularly in the difficult travel circumstances to Rome, he always trusted in God. Paul also continued to share the good news of Jesus and was an encouragement to others. Today we to need to have these same characteristics that Paul had as we move through life and witness to others about the love of Jesus.
Sunday, 12 May 2019
Duration: 34 mins 15 secs
Nearing the end of Paul's life, we see him continuing to defend the gospel as he shares about the love of Jesus. In this passage, Paul's response to King Agrippa starts off with a reflection of what his life was like before committing his life to Jesus. All of us have a past that has been apposed to God. As Paul did, we need to continue to share the gospel at every opportunity, so that people's eyes will be opened from the darkness of Satan to the light of God.
Sunday, 05 May 2019
Duration: 29 mins 26 secs
After Paul's arrest he was taken to Caesarea to answer the charges that the Jews had brought against him in Jerusalem. They argued that he was troublemaker on civil, state and religious grounds. Paul was none of these things, and in fact forfeited some of his rights so he may show that he was man of peace, trying to persuade these people about God's salvation through Christ. We should also be trying to live peaceful lives with those around us, because that is one of the ways that Jesus works in us. We can do that by remembering what he has done for us and treasuring it. Accept him if you don't treasure him already.
Sunday, 28 April 2019
Duration: 19 mins 13 secs
Paul's ministry to the Gentiles continued as he entered into Jerusalem, but he was met with a lot of hostility to the message he was presenting about Jesus and was ultimately put in prison. All Paul had to do was stop talking about Jesus and he would be set free from prison. Paul did not want people to pity him because of his situation, he just wanted them to know about what Jesus had done for him and what he could do for those who followed Jesus. How can we live a life that is worthy of Jesus? We need to give our whole life over to Jesus and let Him direct us in His ways.
Sunday, 14 April 2019
Duration: 31 mins 54 secs
In the final stages of Paul's third missionary journey he took the opportunity to share with the church leaders about the aspects of his ministry, testifying to his past, present and future ministry. The message that Paul shared with others was not his own, but what God wanted him to share. Paul was faithful in doing this no matter what personal attack he faced. As we share the gospel with others we need to strive for the dedication that Paul had in sharing the good news of Jesus.
Sunday, 07 April 2019
Duration: 31 mins 43 secs
In this passage Paul's message of Jesus was falling on deaf ears in a lot of cases because the Ephesians had forgotten what it meant to be a follower of Jesus. It is easy for us to move into the same situation as the Ephesians where we fall away from the enthusiasm we had when we first became a Christian. We need to continue to work on our relationship with Jesus and rely on Him in all things and not do things in our own strength.
Sunday, 31 March 2019
Duration: 32 mins 21 secs
Paul's missionary journey did not go as planned and he faced many personal challenges on the way. Paul had many opportunities to give up and quit, but he surrounded himself with supportive people and do not give up the task of sharing the good news of Jesus to those he came across. As we take the opportunities of sharing about Jesus to others, it is important to recognise the support and encouragement of fellow Christians and not try and go alone. We may never see the fruits of our efforts but need to recognise that we need to be ever faithful in sharing the new of Jesus.
Sunday, 24 March 2019
Duration: 30 mins 53 secs
Political parties send out messages and promises to the people, but even though we all hear the same message, we each respond to those messages differently. In this chapter of Acts, Paul visits three different cities, and whilst he brings the same message to each city, the good news of Jesus, people responded to the news differently. Today, we have this same message to share with others. We are not responsible for how people respond to the message we bring, but we are to faithful, like Paul, in delivering the good new of Jesus to others.
Sunday, 10 March 2019
Duration: 39 mins 20 secs
God has made us for partnerships and when we come together with others, disagreements can occur, as was the case in this passage. As a church, we aim to live in unity with each other as we strive to live like Christ. Paul and Barnabas could agree on the mission but not agree on the team. The gospel is about getting the right balance of staying firm and true to God's Word, but also being flexible when appropriate. We are called to be partners with each other and to be partners with God so that He can speak through us as we minister to others. Are you ready to partner with God?
Sunday, 03 March 2019
In Act 15 we have a very important meeting where the church met to talk about some important issues. At the heart of this discussion was the relationship between LAW and GRACE. God had been moving in some amazing ways, as He saved the Gentiles, but did they still need to follow the law of Moses? Time and time again we have seen that all are saved by grace and not by their works. Peter says in v.11 that "we believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved". This is still true for us 2000 years later.
