We love our sports teams (pro, college, school, or Rec league). We love to cheer on them on. We deck out in the colors, scream, chant, and make our devotion obvious. But what about our faith? Do we do the same when it comes to our singing and praying? In our text for Sunday, Acts 16:16-34, Paul and Silas are in the midst of some terrible circumstances and yet their worship is so obvious and so compelling that even other prisoners listen in. In time the jailer is so convinced by what he has seen and heard that he asks to be baptized. Worship is evangelism. It can be life changing. Therefore we must worship well. Listen to Pastor Ben’s message Acting Out: The Witness of Worship.
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Frequently in our corporate prayers we make the confession that we “have not heard the cry of the needy.” In our lesson for the morning, Paul hears such a cry – in a vision there is a man crying out, “come help us.” When Paul goes, he meets a woman who by all appearances is far from needy. Still she is eager to hear the Good News Paul brings. This week we will be Acting Out: Hearing the Cry of the Needy with Pastor Lib. Who are the needy among us? They may not look like they need a thing. Human need is sometimes covered up and buried deep. Listen with an eagerness to hear Good News. Acts 16: 9 – 15
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There’s ‘them’ and there’s ‘us’. There are insiders and outsiders. It is true today and it has been true throughout human history. History is full of the story of struggle between nations, races, creeds, and tongues. In the New Testament it was Jew vs. Gentile. But in our text for the morning - Acts 11:1-18 - we learn that Peter has been out baptizing and breaking bread with the Gentiles. The church leaders don’t quite know what to do. They question Peter and he shares his experience. When he is done they are speechless and the church is never again the same. From that moment forward the church is supposed to be about the work of ensuring that all are welcome to the table – to the feast of the Lord. Yet sadly we’ve not always boldly acted out this calling. The good news is that it is never too late for us to invite and bring others with us to the table. Who will you bring? Hooper Humperdink…? or Alice, Abe, Bob, Bill, and Babe…?
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April 25, 2010 – 11:50 pm
We have a crisis on our hands. The statistics about hunger are gut wrenching. They tell a story of death. Our text for Sunday - Acts 9:36-43 - also tells the story of a crisis. Tabitha is dead. But then Peter comes and wrenches life from death. Tabitha is raised and many believe. Through our involvement with Stop Hunger Now we have an opportunity to address the crisis of hunger. We have a chance to pick up were Tabitha left off. We have an opportunity to wrench life from death. Do you believe we can make a difference? We can! We can change the world!
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April 18, 2010 – 11:50 pm
ACTING OUT is the story of Saul’s conversion from Acts 9. Not only does he end up with a new name, he ends up with a new identity as he encounters the Risen Christ. Saul is chosen to be An Instrument for telling the good news of Jesus Christ. He becomes a great proclaimer and a bold witness of the abundant life found in the grace and goodness of Christ. How are we instruments of Good News? Unpack the story and the questions with Pastor Lib . Scriptures: Acts 9: 1 – 20 & Psalm 30
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April 11, 2010 – 11:59 pm
The news of Easter cannot be contained! It must be told. While the call to “go and tell” is clear, we often hesitate or shy away from opportunities to share our faith story. In the days and weeks following the Resurrection of Jesus, Peter and John, along with many others, start telling any and everyone they can find (Acts 5:27-32 ). So many respond that the Jewish religious authorities can hardly stand it. They issue Strict Orders for Peter and John to stop teaching and preaching in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John don’t flinch. They don’t obey the court’s orders but instead comply with Christ’s Strict Orders . What about us? We have faith in Christ because someone first shared with us. Now it is our turn to tell the story. By the way – That’s A Strict Order!
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The news of the day can be heartbreaking. What kind of trajectory are we on? Who among us is not worried or anxious about their job, family, or future? It can be easy to descend into feelings of despair, hopelessness, and emptiness. When we find ourselves there where can we look for hope? Join the women as they venture to the tomb. What they discover amid their fear and despair is alarming, amazing, and life changing. It is anything but an idle tale. Their lives are never again the same. We too can be forever changed by an encounter with the empty tomb and the risen Lord. Once we claim this Good News, this hope, everything changes and we can never go home again. Listen afresh to the story in Luke 24:1-12 , but when it is over know that you can’t go back to the way things were before. Life will never again be the same!
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March 28, 2010 – 11:59 pm
What are your expectations of a king? What should a king look, act, and sound like? We proclaim Jesus as the King of kings, but does he really meet our expectations of a king? How do we respond if he doesn’t? Will we still call him King? Do we just admire him from afar or will we commit to following him no matter what? Listen to this Palm Sunday message – as we retell the story of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, andexplore both our and Jesus’ Great Expectations! . Read Luke 19:28-40 .
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March 21, 2010 – 11:59 pm
What is the craziest, most lavish thing you have ever done for love? In this text, John 12:1-8, Mary does not count the cost of love. She pours it out upon Jesus’ feet and in so doing foreshadows Jesus’ outpouring of love upon the cross. The call to us is to love like Mary. How Much Does Love Cost? Listen for the answer.
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March 14, 2010 – 11:59 pm
We are no doubt familiar with the images of missing people we often find stamped on the sides of milk cartons, or on postcards in our mailboxes. We can barely begin to imagine the agony that those parents and families must go through as they wait for their loved one’s return. Our Scripture lesson is a story about missing persons. It is the parable of the Prodigal Son Luke 15: 11-32. We see again a parent’s heartbreak over the loss of his son… or is it his sons? One comes to himself and finds his way home but one remains missing – missing in plain sight. All of us are lost in and or to something. Our Father’s heartbreak is real but he never stops hoping for our return. He never stops searching and calling us home. Will we answer the call or remain on the Missing Persons list? Listen to the invitation, the plea, to be found!
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