Podcasts about apostles acts

Friends of the Rosary, Today, January 12, the Church celebrates the solemnity of the Baptism of the Lord. As we read in the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 10:34-38), “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power. He went about doing good and healing all those oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.” John baptized people with water, but Christ Jesus baptized them with the Holy Spirit and fire. When Jesus was baptized and praying (Luke 3:15-16, 21-22), "heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended upon him bodily like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased." The all-light Son of God, the source of all grace, sought and received John's baptism of repentance to purify and make holy the water by touching it. Since then, the words heard from the Heavens can be applied to any person baptized. The sacrament of Baptism places in our souls the mark of being the privileged children of God. Ave Maria!Jesus, I Trust In You! Come, Holy Spirit, come! To Jesus through Mary! + Mikel Amigot | RosaryNetwork.com, New York • ⁠⁠Enjoy this video and enhance your faith in our newly released Holy Rosary University iOS app. • ⁠January 12, 2025, Today's Rosary on YouTube | Daily broadcast at 7:30 pm ET

Read Online“When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say. You will be given at that moment what you are to say. For it will not be you who speak but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.” Matthew 10:19–20These words of our Lord came to fruition in the life of Saint Stephen, the Church's first martyr. Saint Stephen was martyred within a couple of years after Jesus' ascension into Heaven. He was one of seven deacons who the Apostles appointed to assist them in their work of caring for the poor as the Church began to grow.Stephen was a man of deep faith and was filled with the Holy Spirit. After he was appointed deacon, he began to preach with boldness. Among his listeners were members of the synagogue of Hellenistic Jews. Stephen debated them vigorously and proved himself to be full of wisdom and power, performing many signs and wonders in their midst. But this only led his listeners to become outraged to the point of seeking his death. As a result, they made false claims that Stephen was preaching against the Temple and the Law of Moses.In the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 7:2–53), Stephen responded by giving a long and detailed speech by which he explained the full truth of Jesus in light of the Old Testament. Stephen concluded by saying, “You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always oppose the Holy Spirit; you are just like your ancestors.” This infuriated his listeners in the synagogue even more. After this, something truly miraculous happened. Stephen had a vision. He looked up to Heaven and said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” He saw his Lord, standing at the right hand of the Father. And it was his proclamation of this vision that finally drove the infuriated crowd to drag him out of the synagogue and city and to stone him to death. Stephen's story, however, ended in a beautiful and inspired way. As the crowd was stoning him, he spoke two powerful statements. First, he said, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” And then he prayed in a loud voice,  “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.”As mentioned above, the words our Lord speaks in the Gospel today came to fruition in the life of Saint Stephen. First of all, we see that Jesus' prediction that some of His followers would be handed over to deaths by their own kinsmen came true in the life of Saint Stephen. But Jesus also promised that when this would happen, “You will be given at that moment what you are to say.” And it will be the Spirit of the Father “speaking through you.” And that's exactly what happened with Saint Stephen. First, he was given a glorious vision of Heaven. Second, he was inspired to fully surrender his spirit over to Jesus. And third, he was inspired to pray for his persecutors and forgive them. These words and actions did not come from Stephen alone. They were the fulfillment of Jesus' promise that when one is persecuted for the sake of the Gospel, the Father will be especially present and give powerful inspiration at the moment of need. Reflect, today, upon the profound truth that God never abandons us. In fact, when we suffer the most or endure persecution, rejection or any form of mistreatment, God is especially present. Look at your own life and consider those moments that you find most challenging. Pray to Saint Stephen and ask him to pray for you so that you will be open to the inspired words and actions of our Lord when you need them the most. Most glorious Saint Stephen, please pray for me. Pray for me especially when I experience the heaviest crosses in my life. Pray that I, like you, will be open to God's inspiration and grace at those times I need it the most. St. Stephen, pray for me. Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2024 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.Featured image above: Martyrdom of Saint Stephen by flickr

Welcome back to the podcast, today we're talking about fasting as we continue our study in Acts chapter 13.--The PursueGOD Truth podcast is the “easy button” for making disciples – whether you're looking for resources to lead a family devotional, a small group at church, or a one-on-one mentoring relationship. Join us for new episodes every Tuesday and Friday. Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org.Help others go "full circle" as a follower of Jesus through our 12-week Pursuit series.Click here to learn more about how to use these resources at home, with a small group, or in a one-on-one discipleship relationship.Got questions or want to leave a note? Email us at podcast@pursueGOD.org.Donate Now --Today is a turning point in our study of Acts (We'll cover ch 13)Reminds me of “Clue”:Col Mustard in the library with the candlestick, orProf Plum in the kitchen with the revolverHere's a summary of Acts:Ch 1-12: Peter in Jerusalem with the HSCh 13-28: Paul in Gentile territories with the HSRemember: Acts of the Apostles = Acts of the HSToday we'll see a spiritual discipline that opens us to be used by HSFastingHave you ever done it?In the Bible, fasting is a discipline where believers intentionally set aside their most basic needs to realign their hearts with God's will.Food, water (mainly what we're talking about today)TV, entertainmentSocial mediaQ. Five Reasons Christians Should FastBased on an examination of Acts 13So open your Bibles with me…Fasting is a timeless spiritual discipline.We see it all over the Bible: followers of God sometimes fast.Moses - He fasted for 40 days and nights on Mount Sinai when receiving the Ten Commandments (Exodus 34:28).David - He fasted when he was grieving for the illness of his child (2 Samuel 12:16).Elijah - He fasted for 40 days while fleeing from Jezebel (1 Kings 19:8).Esther - She called for a fast among the Jews before approaching King Xerxes (Esther 4:16).Daniel - He fasted and sought God for understanding and guidance (Daniel 9:3; Daniel 10:3).Anna - The prophetess who served in the temple, fasted regularly (Luke 2:37).Jesus - He fasted for 40 days in the wilderness before beginning his ministry (Matthew 4:1-2).And we also see it here in Acts 13…Acts 13:1-2 (NLT) 1 Among the prophets and teachers of the church at Antioch of Syria were Barnabas, Simeon (called “the black man”), Lucius (from Cyrene), Manaen (the childhood companion of King Herod Antipas), and Saul. 2 One day as these men were worshiping the Lord and fasting…“As these men were fasting…”No need for explanationIt seemed normative for the early churchMatthew 6:16 And when you fast, don't make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, for they try to look miserable and disheveled so people will admire them for their fasting. I tell you the truth, that is the only reward they will ever get.“When,” not “If”Q. Have you ever fasted? Reason #1: Fasting is a timeless spiritual discipline.See also: Breakthrough Disciplines (Series) But Christians should not fast pointlessly, just because it's “what we do.” It's about more than that…Fasting helps us to hear the Holy...

Welcome back to the podcast, today we're talking about fasting as we continue our study in Acts chapter 13.--The PursueGOD Truth podcast is the “easy button” for making disciples – whether you're looking for resources to lead a family devotional, a small group at church, or a one-on-one mentoring relationship. Join us for new episodes every Tuesday and Friday. Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org.Help others go "full circle" as a follower of Jesus through our 12-week Pursuit series.Click here to learn more about how to use these resources at home, with a small group, or in a one-on-one discipleship relationship.Got questions or want to leave a note? Email us at podcast@pursueGOD.org.Donate Now --Today is a turning point in our study of Acts (We'll cover ch 13)Reminds me of “Clue”:Col Mustard in the library with the candlestick, orProf Plum in the kitchen with the revolverHere's a summary of Acts:Ch 1-12: Peter in Jerusalem with the HSCh 13-28: Paul in Gentile territories with the HSRemember: Acts of the Apostles = Acts of the HSToday we'll see a spiritual discipline that opens us to be used by HSFastingHave you ever done it?In the Bible, fasting is a discipline where believers intentionally set aside their most basic needs to realign their hearts with God's will.Food, water (mainly what we're talking about today)TV, entertainmentSocial mediaQ. Five Reasons Christians Should FastBased on an examination of Acts 13So open your Bibles with me…Fasting is a timeless spiritual discipline.We see it all over the Bible: followers of God sometimes fast.Moses - He fasted for 40 days and nights on Mount Sinai when receiving the Ten Commandments (Exodus 34:28).David - He fasted when he was grieving for the illness of his child (2 Samuel 12:16).Elijah - He fasted for 40 days while fleeing from Jezebel (1 Kings 19:8).Esther - She called for a fast among the Jews before approaching King Xerxes (Esther 4:16).Daniel - He fasted and sought God for understanding and guidance (Daniel 9:3; Daniel 10:3).Anna - The prophetess who served in the temple, fasted regularly (Luke 2:37).Jesus - He fasted for 40 days in the wilderness before beginning his ministry (Matthew 4:1-2).And we also see it here in Acts 13…Acts 13:1-2 (NLT) 1 Among the prophets and teachers of the church at Antioch of Syria were Barnabas, Simeon (called “the black man”), Lucius (from Cyrene), Manaen (the childhood companion of King Herod Antipas), and Saul. 2 One day as these men were worshiping the Lord and fasting…“As these men were fasting…”No need for explanationIt seemed normative for the early churchMatthew 6:16 And when you fast, don't make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, for they try to look miserable and disheveled so people will admire them for their fasting. I tell you the truth, that is the only reward they will ever get.“When,” not “If”Q. Have you ever fasted? Reason #1: Fasting is a timeless spiritual discipline.See also: Breakthrough Disciplines (Series) But Christians should not fast pointlessly, just because it's “what we do.” It's about more than that…Fasting helps us to hear the Holy...

Recorded October 23, 2024

Recorded October 13, 2024 Morning

Pastor Dusty Adkins

Repentance I wonder what you think the word, “Repentance” means. The dictionary defines repentance as Feel pain, or regret for something done or not done; · Change your mind, or conduct, because of regret; · Having sorrow or regret over an action or inaction. And this is of course partly true! But for the Christian, Repentance means more than these! Repentance is a voluntary change in mind, in which the person turns from a life of sin to living a life of righteousness. “Repent!” Cried the Roman officer to his soldiers! In other words, turn around now! The importance of repentance was central to the teaching of Jesus (Matthew 4v17; Mark 1v15); John the Baptist (Matthew 3v1-2); The Apostles (Acts 2v38; 20v21); Commanded by God (Acts 17v30); God’s will that all people repent (2 Peter 3v9; 1 Timothy 2v4) Repentance is done in three spheres: a) Mind (Intellect) - recognition of personal sinfulness and guilt before God (Psalm 51v3; Romans 3v20) b) Emotional (Heart) - genuine sorrow for sin - Godly sorrow... leads to repentance (2 Corinthians 7v8-10) c) Will - decision to turn from sin, self-pleasing and self-centredness to God. Continual repentance A question I often hear, is why do we need to continue to repent even though we are a Christian Disciple? Firstly because by doing so regularly, we maintain the honour of His Holy Name. Secondly, it keeps your relationship with God pure and your soul in good health. Going forward in repentance. When you realize you have sinned, ask God to forgive you. Don’t give sin a chance to get hold! It may take a second to commit some kind of disobedience against God, but it also only takes a second to ask forgiveness, which God will do, if you truly mean it. For in the words of Martin Luther, “To do so no more, is the truest repentance”. John Donne, wrote in the 17th century “Sleep with clean hands, either kept clean all day by integrity or washed clean at night by repentance.” That is good advice to take hold of. Before you sleep, confess your sins to God asking Him to forgive you for the things you have done in that day that have offended him. When you became a Christian Disciple, your sins were forgiven through Jesus’ death on the Cross. That is when you had your “bath” as it were. That is the point when you were justified before God and declared His child. Having been justified already, you don’t need a bath anymore! But to maintain a healthy relationship with God, you do need the equivalent of a feet washing regularly and a cleansing of your sin when you confess it before your God and repent.

Pastor Dusty Adkins

Pastor Josh Kerr

Pastor Josh Kerr

In modern times, the church has dismissed the importance of keeping the Sabbath, viewing it as an abrogated part of the Mosaic Law. Yet this flies in the face of the entire witness of Scripture. From Genesis to Revelation, we find an unbroken theme for man to set aside one day in seven to rest from his labors and worship God. This began following Creation Week with God Himself, who rested on the seventh day and sanctified the day for this purpose (Gen. 2:2-3), and it is reaffirmed in the Bible's final book by the Apostle John who recognized the “Lord's Day” as special (Rev. 1:10). In this podcast, Scott Brown and Jason Dohm, joined by special guest Tim Stephens, walk through the Bible, identifying (11) eleven scriptural reasons to keep the Sabbath, which was moved from the last to the first day of the week to honor Christ's resurrection. Among the reasons they give: not only was it established at Creation (Gen. 2:2-3), but it was honored by God's people prior to the Ten Commandments (Ex. 16:22-23); championed by the prophets (Isa. 58); celebrated by Jesus (Mark 2:27); and affirmed by the Apostles (Acts 20:7; 1 Cor. 16:2). Their charge to Christians—rather than focusing on negative prohibitions, make the Sabbath a day of delight by basking in the pleasures of the Lord.

This week's portion is called: Nasso (Take up). TORAH PORTION Numbers 7:42–89. HAFTARAH Judges 13:2–25; APOSTLES Acts 21:17–26. Think about: How does the Haftarah connect to this week's Torah Portion, and how do the Apostles connect to this week's Torah Portion? Daily Bread for Kids is a daily Bible reading podcast where we read through the Torah and the Gospels in one year! Helping young Bible-readers to study God's Word, while also discovering its Jewish context! THE KIDS' JOURNAL is available from ⁠⁠https://arielmedia.shop⁠⁠ BUSY MOMS who want to follow the Daily Bread readings on podcast for adults, can go to https://dailybreadmoms.com The Bible translation we are reading from is the Tree of Life Version (TLV) available from the Tree of Life Bible Society. INSTAGRAM: @dailybreadkids @arielmediabooks @dailybreadmoms Tags: #DailyBreadMoms #DailyBreadJournal #BibleJournaling #Messianic #BiblePodcast #BiblicalFeasts #Journal #biblereadingplan #Messiah #JewishRoots #Yeshua #GodIsInControl #OneYearBible #MomLife #MotherCulture #FaithFilledMama #BiblicalWomanhood #Proverbs31woman

Christ United Sermon Series - Sanctuary May 19 - Acts of the Apostles Acts 17:16-21 ~ Rev. Brian Hasty Christ United Methodist Church Mobile, Alabama 

Christ United Sermon Series - NewSong May 19 - Acts of the Apostles Acts 17:16-21 ~ Rev. Rob Couch Christ United Methodist Church Mobile, Alabama 

Christ United Sermon Series - Sanctuary May 19 - Acts of the Apostles Acts 17:16-21 ~ Rev. Brian Hasty Christ United Methodist Church Mobile, Alabama 

Christ United Sermon Series - NewSong May 19 - Acts of the Apostles Acts 17:16-21 ~ Rev. Rob Couch Christ United Methodist Church Mobile, Alabama 

Book of Acts

Christ United Sermon Series - Sanctuary May 12 - Acts of the Apostles Acts 16:23-32 ~ Rev. Rob Couch Christ United Methodist Church Mobile, Alabama 

Christ United Sermon Series - NewSong May 12 - Acts of the Apostles Acts 16:23-32 ~ Rev. Brian Hasty Christ United Methodist Church Mobile, Alabama 

Christ United Sermon Series - Sanctuary May 12 - Acts of the Apostles Acts 16:23-32 ~ Rev. Rob Couch Christ United Methodist Church Mobile, Alabama 

Christ United Sermon Series - NewSong May 12 - Acts of the Apostles Acts 16:23-32 ~ Rev. Brian Hasty Christ United Methodist Church Mobile, Alabama 

Christ United Sermon Series - NewSong May 5 - Acts of the Apostles Acts 13:1-5 ~ Rev. Rob Couch Christ United Methodist Church Mobile, Alabama 

Christ United Sermon Series - Sanctuary May 5 - Acts of the Apostles Acts 13:1-5  ~ Rev. Brian Hasty Christ United Methodist Church Mobile, Alabama 

Christ United Sermon Series - NewSong May 5 - Acts of the Apostles Acts 13:1-5 ~ Rev. Rob Couch Christ United Methodist Church Mobile, Alabama 

Christ United Sermon Series - Sanctuary May 5 - Acts of the Apostles Acts 13:1-5  ~ Rev. Brian Hasty Christ United Methodist Church Mobile, Alabama 

Christ United Sermon Series - Sanctuary Apr. 28 - Acts of the Apostles Acts 10:34-39, 44-48 ~ Rev. Shaun Kaulfers Christ United Methodist Church Mobile, Alabama 

Christ United Sermon Series - NewSong Apr. 28 - Acts of the Apostles Acts 10:34-39, 44-48 ~ Rev. Brian Hasty Christ United Methodist Church Mobile, Alabama 

Christ United Sermon Series - Sanctuary Apr. 28 - Acts of the Apostles Acts 10:34-39, 44-48 ~ Rev. Shaun Kaulfers Christ United Methodist Church Mobile, Alabama 

Christ United Sermon Series - NewSong Apr. 28 - Acts of the Apostles Acts 10:34-39, 44-48 ~ Rev. Brian Hasty Christ United Methodist Church Mobile, Alabama 

Christ United Sermon Series - Sanctuary Apr. 21 - Acts of the Apostles Acts 9:1-9 ~ Rev. Rob Couch Christ United Methodist Church Mobile, Alabama 

Christ United Sermon Series - NewSong Apr. 21 - Acts of the Apostles Acts 9:-19 ~ Rev. Tony Gatter Christ United Methodist Church Mobile, Alabama 

Christ United Sermon Series - Sanctuary Apr. 21 - Acts of the Apostles Acts 9:1-9 ~ Rev. Rob Couch Christ United Methodist Church Mobile, Alabama 

Christ United Sermon Series - NewSong Apr. 21 - Acts of the Apostles Acts 9:-19 ~ Rev. Tony Gatter Christ United Methodist Church Mobile, Alabama 

Christ United Sermon Series - NewSong Apr. 14 - Acts of the Apostles Acts 2:1-13 ~ Rev. Brian Hasty Christ United Methodist Church Mobile, Alabama 

Christ United Sermon Series - Sanctuary Apr. 14 - Acts of the Apostles Acts 2:1-13 ~ Rev. Rob Couch Christ United Methodist Church Mobile, Alabama 

Christ United Sermon Series - NewSong Apr. 14 - Acts of the Apostles Acts 2:1-13 ~ Rev. Brian Hasty Christ United Methodist Church Mobile, Alabama 

Christ United Sermon Series - Sanctuary Apr. 14 - Acts of the Apostles Acts 2:1-13 ~ Rev. Rob Couch Christ United Methodist Church Mobile, Alabama 

All of these are numbered among the Seventy, and all are mentioned in the Epistles of St Paul.   Herodion was a kinsmen of St Paul: 'Salute Herodion my kinsman' (Romans 16:11). After many sufferings for the Gospel, he worked with the Apostle Peter in Rome, and was beheaded with him.   Agabus was granted a spirit of prophecy: two of his prophecies are important in the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 11:28, 21:11).   Rufus was Bishop of Thebes. 'Salute Rufus, chosen in the Lord' (Romans 16:13).   Asyncritus (Romans 16:14) was Bishop of Hyrcania in Asia.   Phlegon, (Romans 16:14) was Bishop of Marathon in Thrace.   Hermas (Romans 16:14) was a bishop in Dalmatia.

Christ United Sermon Series - Sanctuary Apr. 7 - Acts of the Apostles Acts 1:6-11 ~ Rev. Brian Hasty Christ United Methodist Church Mobile, Alabama 

Christ United Sermon Series - NewSong Apr. 7 - Acts of the Apostles Acts 1:6-11 ~ Rev. Rob Couch Christ United Methodist Church Mobile, Alabama 

Christ United Sermon Series - Sanctuary Apr. 7 - Acts of the Apostles Acts 1:6-11 ~ Rev. Brian Hasty Christ United Methodist Church Mobile, Alabama 

Christ United Sermon Series - NewSong Apr. 7 - Acts of the Apostles Acts 1:6-11 ~ Rev. Rob Couch Christ United Methodist Church Mobile, Alabama 

Have you ever been ridiculed or rejected for your faith in Jesus? If so, were you able to thank God for allowing you to experience just a little bit of the suffering Jesus went through? Show Notes: ⁠Episode 290 Subscribe: ⁠My Daily Briefing⁠

“When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say. You will be given at that moment what you are to say. For it will not be you who speak but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.” Matthew 10:19–20These words of our Lord came to fruition in the life of Saint Stephen, the Church's first martyr. Saint Stephen was martyred within a couple of years after Jesus' ascension into Heaven. He was one of seven deacons who the Apostles appointed to assist them in their work of caring for the poor as the Church began to grow.Stephen was a man of deep faith and was filled with the Holy Spirit. After he was appointed deacon, he began to preach with boldness. Among his listeners were members of the synagogue of Hellenistic Jews. Stephen debated them vigorously and proved himself to be full of wisdom and power, performing many signs and wonders in their midst. But this only led his listeners to become outraged to the point of seeking his death. As a result, they made false claims that Stephen was preaching against the Temple and the Law of Moses.In the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 7:2–53), Stephen responded by giving a long and detailed speech by which he explained the full truth of Jesus in light of the Old Testament. Stephen concluded by saying, “You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always oppose the Holy Spirit; you are just like your ancestors.” This infuriated his listeners in the synagogue even more. After this, something truly miraculous happened. Stephen had a vision. He looked up to Heaven and said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” He saw his Lord, standing at the right hand of the Father. And it was his proclamation of this vision that finally drove the infuriated crowd to drag him out of the synagogue and city and to stone him to death. Stephen's story, however, ended in a beautiful and inspired way. As the crowd was stoning him, he spoke two powerful statements. First, he said, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” And then he prayed in a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.”As mentioned above, the words our Lord speaks in the Gospel today came to fruition in the life of Saint Stephen. First of all, we see that Jesus' prediction that some of His followers would be handed over to deaths by their own kinsmen came true in the life of Saint Stephen. But Jesus also promised that when this would happen, “You will be given at that moment what you are to say.” And it will be the Spirit of the Father “speaking through you.” And that's exactly what happened with Saint Stephen. First, he was given a glorious vision of Heaven. Second, he was inspired to fully surrender his spirit over to Jesus. And third, he was inspired to pray for his persecutors and forgive them. These words and actions did not come from Stephen alone. They were the fulfillment of Jesus' promise that when one is persecuted for the sake of the Gospel, the Father will be especially present and give powerful inspiration at the moment of need. Reflect, today, upon the profound truth that God never abandons us. In fact, when we suffer the most or endure persecution, rejection or any form of mistreatment, God is especially present. Look at your own life and consider those moments that you find most challenging. Pray to Saint Stephen and ask him to pray for you so that you will be open to the inspired words and actions of our Lord when you need them the most. Most glorious Saint Stephen, please pray for me. Pray for me especially when I experience the heaviest crosses in my life. Pray that I, like you, will be open to God's inspiration and grace at those times I need it the most. St. Stephen, pray for me. Jesus, I trust in You. Source of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2023 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

In a world of supernatural skepticism, it can be easy to dismiss the events of the bible as improbable. However, the book of Acts, which details the activity of Jesus' first followers, invites us to doubt our skepticism. Jesus' ministry through the power of the Holy Spirit continued in the life of his disciples and promises to continue through us. Are we open to that?

In the Gospels, we see Jesus enter his public phase by receiving a baptism of water by John the Baptist, and at the end of his life he asks his disciples to baptize all the nations. We might say, then, that baptism forms the bookends of Jesus' earthly ministry. In this episode, Dr. Luke Arredondo explores the significance of baptism for Jesus and its connection to discipleship.    Show Notes: In the Catechism of the Catholic Church, see paragraphs 1217-1222.  In the Bible:   The Ministry of John the Baptist (Matthew 3: 1-12; Mark 1: 1-4; Luke 3: 1-20)  The Baptism of Jesus (Matthew 3: 13-17; Mark 1: 9-11; Luke 3: 21-22)  The Necessity of Baptism (John 3: 3-5)  Baptism of “Households” seen in the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 16: 27-34)  Baptism as Death and Life (Romans 6: 1-14)  From St. Basil:  “The image of death is fulfilled in the water, and the Spirit gives us the pledge of life. Therefore it is clear why water is associated with the Spirit: because of baptism's dual purpose. On the one hand, the body of sin is destroyed, that it may never bear fruit for death. On the other hand, we are made to live by the Spirit, and bear fruit in holiness. The water receives our body as a tomb, and so becomes the image of death, while the Spirit pours in life-giving power, renewing in souls which were dead in sin the life they first possessed. This is what it means to be born again of water and Spirit: the water accomplishes our death, while the Spirit raises us to life.” 

Creationtide III - Trees 1st Lesson: A Reading from the Book of Genesis (Gen. 2:4b-22) In the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens, when no plant of the field was yet in the earth and no vegetation of the field had yet sprung up—for the LORD God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was no one to till the ground, but a stream would rise from the earth and water the whole face of the ground— then the LORD God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. And the LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there he put the man whom he had formed. Out of the ground the LORD God made to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food, the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. A river flows out of Eden to water the garden, and from there it divides and becomes four branches. The name of the first is Pishon; it is the one that flows around the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold, and the gold of that land is good; bdellium and onyx stone are there. The name of the second river is Gihon; it is the one that flows around the whole land of Cush. The name of the third river is Tigris, which flows east of Assyria And the fourth river is the Euphrates. The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, “You may freely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die.” Then the LORD God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper as his partner.” So out of the ground the LORD God formed every animal of the field and every bird of the air and brought them to the man to see what he would call them, and whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. The man gave names to all cattle and to the birds of the air and to every animal of the field, but for the man there was not found a helper as his partner. So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then he took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. And the rib that the LORD God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. 2nd Lesson: A Reading from the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 17:22-28 ) Then Paul stood in front of the Areopagus and said, “Athenians, I see how extremely spiritual you are in every way. For as I went through the city and looked carefully at the objects of your worship, I found among them an altar with the inscription, ‘To an unknown god.' What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. The God who made the world and everything in it, he who is Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in shrines made by human hands, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mortals life and breath and all things. From one ancestor he made all peoples to inhabit the whole earth, and he allotted the times of their existence and the boundaries of the places where they would live, so that they would search for God and perhaps fumble about for him and find him—though indeed he is not far from each one of us. For ‘In him we live and move and have our being'; as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we, too, are his offspring.' The Gospel Reading: John 3:1-16 Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. He came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with that person.” Jesus answered him, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother's womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be astonished that I said to you, ‘You must be born from above.' The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things? “Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen, yet you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.”

The Example of the Apostles — Acts 4:1-22 1. They were filled with the Holy Spirit (verse 8) 2. They were committed to the uniqueness of Christ (verse 12) 3. They had been with Jesus (verse 13) 4. They obeyed God rather than men (verse 19)

All of these are numbered among the Seventy, and all are mentioned in the Epistles of St Paul.   Herodion was a kinsmen of St Paul: 'Salute Herodion my kinsman' (Romans 16:11). After many sufferings for the Gospel, he worked with the Apostle Peter in Rome, and was beheaded with him.   Agabus was granted a spirit of prophecy: two of his prophecies are important in the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 11:28, 21:11).   Rufus was Bishop of Thebes. 'Salute Rufus, chosen in the Lord' (Romans 16:13).   Asyncritus (Romans 16:14) was Bishop of Hyrcania in Asia.   Phlegon, (Romans 16:14) was Bishop of Marathon in Thrace.   Hermas (Romans 16:14) was a bishop in Dalmatia.