New City Church - Merriam

Acts: The Church on MissionPastor Ray PeoplesSunday August 30, 2026An overview of where we've studied in ActsActs 1:8 you received the Holy Spirit to be witnesses to the end of the earth to share Jesus ChristActs 20:17-24Serve the Lord faithfully wherever He has placed you. How am I serving the Lord with my WHOLE life? Every day you're on mission!What is the church here for? The mission of God. Matthew 5 Let your light shine and give glory to your Father who's in heaven Tears and trials can and will happen. Didn't let that deter you from HIS path.Carry the whole Gospel courageously to everyone around you Don't shrink back from the Truth!!This does not say you will all become preachers, but all WILL be witnesses. Don't hesitate to talk about Jesus.   Who is Jesus?  What has Jesus done (in your life)?  What is the Gospel?   How has Jesus changed me? Find your answer to these questions and you have what to talk to people about Mission happens publicly, but also house to house Jews and Greeks means people like us AND people unlike us (whenever you see this)We sinned against God, we cannot rescue ourselves and God sent Jesus, who was executed, buried and rose again to forgive my sin We must continually repent of our sin Who, in my normal rhythm of life, needs to let Jesus in their life? Don't shrink back when Jesus opens the door for you to share. Help shepherd and strengthen the people God has put around youActs 20:28The whole church cares for the whole churchGalatians 6:2Hebrews 10:24-251 Thes 5:11Mission begins with abiding! Acts 20:29-31Help protect one another from drifting away from Him Acts 20:32Build up one another with Grace. Share Scripture, prayers and fellowship with others, inviting them into you life to Walk in God's GraceLive generously for the mission Every part of your life should be generous!What kind of person does the mission of Jesus require ME to become? You are sent and on mission every place you live.

Acts: The Church on MissionPastor Ray PeoplesSunday August 23, 2026Acts 16The Spirit can guide by closing doorsPaul had a good plan but God said noThere comes a point where discernment becomes disobedience Try this prayer for 7 days: Holy Spirit, make me sensitive to the people you put in front of me today"If I had ten more minutes, I would have spent more time in Acts 15, because what happens there helps us understand why Acts 16 matters so much.Before Paul ever receives the Macedonian call, before Lydia's heart is opened, before the Philippian jailer asks, “What must I do to be saved?” the early church has to settle a massive question:Who is the gospel really for?Acts 15 records what is called the Jerusalem Council.The church is growing. Gentiles are coming to faith.People who were not Jewish, who had not grown up with the law of Moses, who had not practiced the customs of Israel, were hearing the gospel and believing in Jesus. Good things were happening. And that created a major controversy.Acts 15:1 says:“Some men came down from Judea and began to teach the brothers: ‘Unless you are circumcised according to the custom prescribed by Moses, you cannot be saved.'”In other words, they were saying:“Jesus is good—but Jesus isn't enough.”Believe in Jesus, and become Jewish. Trust Christ, and keep these customs. Receive grace, and add the law.That is the issue sitting in front of the church.And Peter stands up and reminds them of what God has already done among the Gentiles.Acts 15:8–9 says:“And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he also did to us. He made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith.”Then Peter makes one of the clearest gospel statements in the entire discussion:“On the contrary, we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus in the same way they are.”— Acts 15:11That is the gospel.Saved by grace.Not grace plus circumcision.Not grace plus Jewish customs.Not grace plus religious performance.Not grace plus cleaning yourself up.Grace through Jesus Christ.Paul will later write in Ephesians 2:8–9:“For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God's gift—not from works, so that no one can boast.”That is what the Jerusalem Council protects.The gospel is not:Jesus plus something.The gospel is:Jesus.This Council Opens the Door WideHere is the challenge.Don't put barriers in front of the cross that Jesus never put there.The council affirms that Gentiles do not need to become Jews in order to become Christians.And that matters tremendously when you turn the page into Acts 16.Because immediately after this council settles that issue, Paul heads back out on mission.And where does the Spirit send him?Farther into Gentile territory.Macedonia.Philippi.Europe.Lydia.The slave girl.The jailer.Acts 15 establishes the theology.Acts 16 shows the theology moving down the road.The church says:“The gospel is for the Gentiles.”Then the Holy Spirit says:“Good. Now go get them.”That is the connection.The Jerusalem Council isn't just an administrative meeting.It becomes a launching pad for mission.And here is why that matters for us.Most of us reading Acts today are Gentiles.We were not born into Israel.We did not grow up under the Mosaic covenant.We are part of the “nations” that the Old Testament prophets said God would one day draw to Himself.So when you read Acts 15, you are not reading somebody else's story.You are reading about the gospel door being declared wide open for people like us.Paul says in Romans 1:16:“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek.”Everyone who believes.That includes Lydia.That includes the jailer.That includes the nations.That includes us.Ephesians 2 says that Gentiles were once:“without Christ… excluded from the citizenship of Israel… without hope and without God in the world.”But then Paul gives us two of the greatest words in Scripture:“But now…”Ephesians 2:13:“But now in Christ Jesus, you who were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.”We were far away.Jesus brought us near.We were outsiders.Jesus brought us in.We were without hope.Jesus became our hope.Not because we deserved it.Not because we inherited it.Not because we followed enough religious rules.Because of the blood of Christ.And this is where the gospel gets even more beautiful.Jesus doesn't merely save Jews over here and Gentiles over there.He creates one new people.Ephesians 2:14 says:“For he is our peace, who made both groups one and tore down the dividing wall of hostility.”The cross tears down the wall.The gospel creates a family made up of people from every background.Every nation. Every tribe. Every people. Every language.That is where Acts is heading.Be reminded, Acts 1:8 begins with:Jerusalem.Then Judea.Then Samaria.Then: the ends of the earth.Acts 15 says there are no second-class Christians among the nations.Acts 16 begins pushing the gospel even farther out.And eventually, generation after generation, somebody carried that gospel to us.The gospel reached us because the church refused to keep it to itself.Acts 15 did not end with:“Great! Gentiles can be saved.”It led directly to:“Then let's go tell them.”That's why Acts 16 happens.The Spirit sends Paul farther.And the same gospel that reached us is now entrusted to us.Matthew 28:19 says:“Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations…”We are not the finish line of the gospel.We are supposed to be part of the next leg of the race.We received it.Now we carry it.We were once far off.Christ brought us near.And now, filled with the same Holy Spirit who directed Paul, we ask:“Who still needs to hear?”That is why the Jerusalem Council matters.Because Acts 15 declares:The gospel is for the nations.And Acts 16 responds:Then let's go to the nations.And thank God they did.Because eventually—the gospel came to us.Therefore, let us continue the mission as well. Let us take his word to each and every person that we can."

Acts: The Church on MissionElder Jeff KirkSunday August 16, 2026

Acts: The Church on MissionSunday August 8, 2026Pastor Ray PeoplesActs 8:1-8There is not ANYONE that cannot be changed by Jesus! Acts 1:8What the Enemy Meant for Destruction, God used for Distribution Ordinary spreads the Extraordinary when it's Jesus. He uses all! Sowing the Word Everywhere. They shared the Good News as they traveled, as they went about their everyday lives. Use every opportunity to make disciples!John 4:25-26, 28-30, 39-41As she went, she carried His Truth.If you are waiting for the perfect moment to share the Gospel, it will never come. Share in the moment God puts in front of you!!1 Peter 3:15Phillip didn't arrive declaring himself, but rather Jesus and how He changes everything.Christ is The Gospel! Samaria demonstrated the reach of the Gospel There is no place or people that are beyond His reach Acts 8:6Acts 8:8 there was great joy, even after great persecutionPsalm 16:11Carry the Gospel with you as you go in your everyday life, everywhere you go, because the Holy Spirit is there to help you go and make disciples. You are never alone.

Acts: The Church on MissionCR Ministry Lead Blake AppletonSunday August 2, 2026Acts 6:1-7Serenity prayerPeople Matter to GodGospel growth always brings blessings, problems and opportunities L.E.A.DL-Legitimate problems are acknowledged Philippians 2:4 More opportunities to love othersE-Equipped servants are selectedActs 6:3 Character comes before position. God develops something in us before He entrusts something to us1 Peter 4:10 use your good name to serve othersCharacter determines what we can faithfully carry. A-Apostles stay focusedThere are times when you have to leave the crowd to follow where God is leading you D-Dynamic Growth is ReleasedActs 6:7 needs were met and the Gospel kept advancingA healthy check isn't one without problems, it's one that faithfully meet them with God Mark 10:45

Acts: The Church on MissionElder Jeff KirkSunday July 26, 2026Acts 5:1-11Acts 4:32-36 Are we all one in heart and mind? God requires us to be people of honesty and integrity.It involves matching your words to your actions...1 Samuel 16:7Hebrews 4:13Psalm 139:1-4Ephesians 4:25Matthew 7:12A lie of omission is still a lie. God knows your heart, stop lying to him. Rationalizing and Minimalizing1 John 1:8-10Ephesians 4:222 Timothy 2:22James 4:17We diminish our own value-it's a lie that Satan tells us. We are ALL worthy of God's love. JOHN 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life."Romans 5:8We are ALL worthy of God's love

Acts: The Church on MissionPastor Ray PeoplesSunday July 19, 2026Acts 4:13When were your bold in a decision? What was true in that moment? The power is never in the person, the power is in GOD. Boldness is the evidence of time spent with Jesus. Boldness begins....Acts 3:1-8Boldness follows intimacy.Acts 3:11-12Bold people know they aren't the hero BUT they are deeply connected to the hero.Acts 3:6-10Boldness is rooted in conviction.Acts 4:12 (Strong conviction)Boldness fears God more than peopleActs 4:19-20Matthew 10:28Boldness is the mission of EVERY believer Acts 4:29-31Boldness requires continual dependence on the Holy Spirit and we are are called to boldness! Where are you going with boldness? Spread that boldness wherever you go! Where is my ordinary place I can take Jesus? Every part of this city needs ordinary people to be bold in their faith.The disciples were ordinary people that let the Holy Spirit fill and drive their lives.Acts 4:13. Not achievement but boldness in the Spirit 

Acts: The Church on MissionTeacher Micah FrySunday July 12, 2026Acts 2:42-47The church is POWERED by the Holy Spirit.Devoted to:Apostle's Doctrine ("teaching" Acts 2:42)Dining Table (communion and meals Acts 2:42)Desperate Prayer (communal prayer Acts 2:42) "deeply personal and it usually requires one of us to be vulnerable"Deep Fellowship (Acts 2:44) familial? communityJohn 13:34-35Bringing Unity to the Body 

Elder Jeff KirkSunday July 5, 2026Acts 

Acts: The Church on MissionPastor Ray Peoples Sunday June 28, 2026Acts 1:1-14Apologies for all of the slips and pauses. Several technical difficulties struck on this day.

Elder Jeff KirkSunday June 21, 2026Luke 24:13-34

Pastor Ray Peoples Sunday June 14, 2026Luke 22:14-23IF I HAD 10 MORE MINUTES:There is one disciple that I unintentionally skipped over, and honestly, I am glad we have a chance to come back to him because his story adds something beautiful to the picture of the table.I skipped the Apostle John.Throughout Scripture, John is often referred to as "the disciple whom Jesus loved" (John 13:23; John 21:20). Now, that doesn't mean Jesus loved John more than the others. Rather, it reveals how deeply John understood and experienced the love of Christ. John's identity was not primarily found in what he did for Jesus, but in the fact that he was loved by Jesus.When you read John's writings, that theme is impossible to miss.The Gospel of John continually points us to the love of God displayed in Christ. Then you come to 1 John, 2 John, and 3 John, and they are saturated with the language of love.1 John 4:7-8 says,"Dear friends, let us love one another, because love is from God, and everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, because God is love."A few verses later John writes,"We love because He first loved us." (1 John 4:19)John understood something that every believer needs to understand: the Christian life begins with receiving the love of Christ before it ever moves into extending the love of Christ.And when you look around the table of the disciples, that truth becomes even more powerful.At that table sat fishermen and tax collectors.At that table sat Peter, who would deny Jesus.At that table sat Thomas, who would doubt.At that table sat Matthew, who had a complicated and sinful past.At that table sat Simon the Zealot, a political revolutionary.At that table sat Judas, who would betray Jesus.Different personalities.Different backgrounds.Different stories.Different failures.Yet they all had a seat at the table.The beauty of the gospel is that Jesus does not gather people because they are alike. He gathers people because they all need Him.And the same is true today.Some of us come to the table carrying shame.Some come carrying pride.Some come carrying doubt.Some come carrying wounds.Some come carrying questions.Some come carrying a long history of mistakes.Yet the invitation of Jesus remains the same.The table is not filled with people who have it all together. The table is filled with people who have found grace.That is why communion is so significant. Every time we gather around the Lord's Table, we are reminded that our hope is not in our goodness, our performance, our church attendance, or our spiritual resume.Our hope is in Christ.The bread reminds us of His body that was broken.The cup reminds us of His blood that was shed.As Jesus said in Matthew 26:28,"For this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins."His body was broken.His blood was shed.Not merely for one type of person, but for people from every tribe, every tongue, every background, every story, and every failure.The cross is the great equalizer.At the foot of the cross, Peter and John stand on the same ground.Matthew and Simon stand on the same ground.The faithful and the broken stand on the same ground.And so do we.The table reminds us that while our stories may be different, our Savior is the same.The invitation is the same.The grace is the same.And the love that John wrote about so often is available to every person who comes to Jesus in faith.Because in the end, the greatest thing about John was not that he was the disciple who loved Jesus.The greatest thing about John was that he understood he was loved by Jesus.And that is the invitation for every one of us today. Not simply to know facts about Christ, but to sit at His table, receive His grace, and rest in the overwhelming reality that we are deeply loved by Him.

Elder Matt MannSunday June 7, 2026Luke 19:1-10

Elder Jeff KirkSunday May 31, 2026Luke 15:11-32

Pastor Ray PeoplesSunday May 24, 2026Luke 14:15-24

Pastor Ray PeoplesSunday May 17, 2026Luke 10:38-42

Pastor Ray PeoplesSunday May 10.2026Luke 10:25-37

May 3, 2026Jeff KirkBook of Luke

Pastor Ray PeoplesSunday April 26, 2026Luke 7:36-50

Elder Jeff Kirk kicks off our series in Luke 

Neighborhoods Pastor Steven Daniel joins us to teach about starting to share Jesus with those around you 

Genesis 21:1-7Luke 24:1-12 Romans 4:18-25

Listen to this week's message from our Sunday gathering.  Be encouraged, challenged, and equipped as we explore Scripture together.To learn more about New City Church locations and gathering times please visit our website www.newcitychurch.com