Book: Acts (of the Apostles)

From Bitter to Better

Have you ever battled bitterness? It’s not that uncommon. Bitterness usually sets in after one painful or disappointing event, or series of events, that rob people of the joy they once had. Sometimes bitterness is expressed outwardly—people who are mean, angry, moody, and negative. But sometimes bitterness is internal—people who are suffering on the inside but smiling on […]

A Martyr’s Example

The first martyr of the Early Church was a man named Stephen. He was killed defending his faith in Jesus Christ. His life and death serve as a great example for Christians today and also challenges us with three questions: (1) Do I love God more than my own life? (2) Do I forgive others who have wronged […]

Lessons from the Early Church

The Early Church was united around common beliefs and common burdens—the belief in Jesus as Lord and Savior, and the burden of being persecuted by those who opposed them. Jews in the first century who believed in Jesus as Lord and Savior were killed at worst and cancelled at best. As a result of facing […]

When It’s OK to Disobey

At some point every Christian’s faith will be tested in the area of conscience and duty—to see whether you will have the courage to obey God rather than man wherever man’s law and authority contradicts the higher law and authority of God. The Early Church practiced civil disobedience wherever that contradiction existed. We have been […]

Four Foundations of the Church

In 1869, the tallest lighthouse in America was built in Cape Hatteras, NC. It was built ½ mile from the coast, but after more than a hundred years of beach erosion, the Army Corps of Engineers had to relocate the lighthouse another ½ mile inland. The erosion threatened the foundation of the lighthouse. In a […]

The Gift of Tongues

In today’s study, Pastor Gary teaches about one of the gifts of the Spirit that manifests in Acts 2 known as “tongues.” Tongues is a known language, except to the person speaking, that God gives a Believer for the purpose of prayer and/or praise to God. But is it still available today? Should all Believers […]

The Day of Pentecost

The followers of Jesus, who numbered about 120, were told to wait in Jerusalem until the “Promise” of the Holy Spirit. When the Day of Pentecost came, God poured out the Holy Spirit on all who had gathered in that Upper Room. It was an AUDIBLE, VISIBLE, and VERBAL event—the sound like a rushing wind, […]

The Power of the Holy Spirit

Some Christians feel powerless—struggling to have victory over sin, unable to be bold in their witness, tired of running the race, wondering if there is more to the Christian life than just biding their time until Jesus returns. Maybe this describes you, and maybe it’s all because there is an absence of God’s power without the […]