Archive for March, 2011
If you are anything like me, the details of most sermons you hear in life tend to fade away. I’ve gained great benefit from thousands of sermons throughout the years, but I can recall relatively few specifics. That’s why the following somewhat obscure section of Scripture always sticks out to […]
Read More...As a dad, I’ve occasionally had to tell my kids that the ache they were feeling in their legs was because of growing pains. And I remember being told the same thing by my parents when I was a kid. The thing about growing pains is that you never get […]
Read More...The book of Acts has always read like a great adventure story to me. There’s the explosive beginning, rich character development, surprising plot twists, and epic journeys. And just when it seems the narrative should reach its crest, it continues to swell. This book unfolds an infant faith that starts […]
Read More...“For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him. Boldly and without hindrance he preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ.” Acts 28:30-31 This final line in the book of Acts might seem a little […]
Read More...“Last night an angel of the God whose I am and whom I serve stood beside me and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.’ So keep up your courage, men, […]
Read More...“…I was not disobedient to the vision from heaven.” Acts 26:19 I’ve heard it said that good ideas are easier to find than sand on a beach. If you talk to a visionary, a leader, or a dreamer, it’s likely that you won’t be able to keep track of all […]
Read More...“If I’ve committed a crime and deserve death, name the day. I can face it. But if there’s nothing to their accusations—and you know there isn’t—nobody can force me to go along with their nonsense. We’ve fooled around here long enough. I appeal to Caesar.” Acts 25:11 Some Christians seem […]
Read More...“You can easily verify that no more than twelve days ago I went up to Jerusalem to worship. My accusers did not find me arguing with anyone at the temple, or stirring up a crowd in the synagogues or anywhere else in the city. And they cannot prove to you the charges […]
Read More...“The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, “Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.” Acts 23:11 Paul found himself mired in a massive storm that was threatening to take him out. He had been rejected by the Jewish […]
Read More...“When they heard him speak to them in Aramaic, they became very quiet.” Acts 22:2 Do you want to get people to listen to your message? Learn to speak their heart language. Communicate in a way they can fully understand. Then, they’ll pay attention to you; at least for a […]
Read More...In Acts 21 there is a strange sequence of events that can make us wonder if Paul isn’t paying attention to the word of the Lord. He is repeatedly met with opposition from his friends who are prophesying (correctly) that he will find nothing but heartache and pain if he […]
Read More...Have you ever found yourself listening to someone talk on and on, and you just couldn’t keep your eyes open? This happened to a young man named Eutychus in Acts 20. Paul had a one-night layover in Troas and had much to say to the disciples, so he was talking past […]
Read More...“You have brought these men here, though they have neither robbed temples nor blasphemed our goddess.” Acts 19:37 Paul had obviously upset the order of things in Ephesus. He was proclaiming a message that caused people to turn from their twisted worship, and the ministry was so successful that many […]
Read More...“After this, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. There he met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had ordered all Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to see them, and because he was a tentmaker as […]
Read More...“These men who have caused trouble all over the world have now come here…they are all defying Caesar’s decrees, saying that there is another king, one called Jesus” Acts 17:6-7 Paul and Silas had indeed caused trouble all over the world—or, as the New King James Version puts it, had “turned […]
Read More...