Podcasts about god acts

Pastor Dodge opens today's teaching with a quote from St. Augustine, "The New is in the Old concealed, the Old is in the New revealed."  Meaning what the New Testament teaches is already in the Old Testament scriptures and the Old Testament scriptures find their fulfillment in the New Testament. The Old Testament isn't to be sloughed off, it is at the heart of the New Testament teaching.  In order to understand the New Testament we need to be well versed in the Old Testament. This is what we will see in today's study of Acts 17.   Acts 17:1-3 - Paul and his companions come to a synagogue in Thessalonica and Paul explains that Jesus is the Messiah. Paul is showing them the Hebrew Scriptures and demonstrating how Jesus is the fulfillment of what the Jewish people have been longing for.   Some ways the Messiah was mentioned in the Old Testament Hebrew Scriptures and revealed in the New Testament through the life and death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ: The New Adam The Seed of the woman Virgin born Immanuel Passover Lamb Heavenly Manna Son of David  Suffering Servant New Covenant Divine Son of Man The King who enters Jerusalem The First and the Last King of Kings   Acts 17:4-10 many believed but some did not and so the believers send Paul and Silas away to Berea where they went again to the Jewish synagogue.    Acts 17:11-12 - The Berean Jews received their message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. And as a result many of the Berean Jews believed along with prominent Greek women and men.   The Christian faith is a rational faith. It is not something uncovered by human reason but is entirely rational because God is entirely rational.   God has done mighty things. He is the God of the universe and the God of human history and in His Word He reveals to us His Son - our Redeemer and Hope.   Paul reasoned with them and we too need to confront the reasoning and the wisdom of God as revealed through ancient Hebrew prophets, through apostles and through His Son.     Now What? Learn about God at https://www.awakeusnow.com EVERYTHING we offer is FREE.   View live or on demand: https://www.awakeusnow.com/tuesday-bible-class   For the full list of videos in this series, Dig Deeper, https://www.awakeusnow.com/dig-deeper   For more check out our Sunday series, God ACTS! https://www.awakeusnow.com/god-acts-then-now   Join us Sundays  https://www.awakeusnow.com/sunday-service   Or watch from our Youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/@AwakeUsNow/videos    Watch via our app. Text HELLO to 888-364-4483 to download our app.

SEEING CLEARLY: Then + Now   Scandal of Idolatry - Then - Acts 17:16 we read that Paul was in Athens and was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. 1 Corinthians 10:20 Paul writes that the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God. And in Romans 1:22-23 "Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal human beings and birds and animals and reptiles." In Athens life revolved around the idols. Sampling: Festival of Athena Festival of Apollo Festival of Demeter Festival of Poseidon Festival of Dionysus Festival of Zeus Now - Today we need to have our eyes opened to the idolatry of this age. The worship of things and self.   Reason vs Ridicule - Then - Acts 17:17-18 Paul reasoned in the synagogue and the market place to both Jews and God-fearing Greeks regarding idolatry. Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to debate with him. They accused him of advocating foreign gods because he was preaching the good news of Jesus and the resurrection - something they had not heard before.  Now - Today there are many who ridicule the Christian faith so it is important to reason with them and to bring into their lives the truth of what the scriptures say. (See 1 Corinthians 1:21)    Tyranny of Fads - Then - Acts 17:19-21 - Paul is taken to a meeting of the Areopagus (legislative body) where they question Paul about what he was teaching. They were interested in new ideas, interested in going with the latest fad. However the good news of Jesus is not a fad and in Romans 12:2 we are encouraged to not conform to the patterns of the world.  Now - Today we are called to be grounded in the word of God, to be transformed by it and not follow the ways of the world.   The Unknown is made Known - Then - Acts 17:22-25 Paul stands up and addresses the group saying that he sees they are "very religious." He had observed their objects of worship and told them they were ignorant and then he reveals that God who made the world and everything in it, the Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples built by human hands. He told them that God gives life and breath and everything else.  Now - today just like then, many have heard of God but they do not know Him. (See 1 Timothy 6:15-16) Paul seeks to communicate who God truly is: all powerful, all knowing and good.   The Priority of Repentance - Then - Acts 17:26-30 -  Paul tells them of the one true God who made nations from one man. "For in Him we live and move and have our beings." He goes on to say that since we are God's offspring, we shouldn't think that God is like an idol of gold or silver. God commands all people to repent.  Now - today - we too are to repent. To turn around, change our direction and return to God.    Resurrection of Christ - Then - Acts 17:31-33 - Paul tells of the day that the Lord has set to judge the world with justice by the One who God Himself raised from the dead. (Jesus - Redeemer, Deliverer) When Paul talked of the resurrection of the dead, some sneered, but others wanted to learn more.  Now - today - the resurrection of Christ is the key biblical teaching and the heart of the New Testament teaching. By human standards, Christ's resurrection seems ridiculous - unless it's REAL!  And that is precisely what the scriptures declare AND what the evidence points to!  1 Corinthians 15:20 tells us that Christ has indeed been risen from the dead! And that news can change even the most devout skeptic.    Pastor shares the story of a cold case investigator, detective and atheist, J. Warner Wallace. Using cold case investigation tools and tactics Wallace uncovers compelling evidences for Christ's resurrection, yet he still chose to ignore what he uncovered and chose NOT to see clearly. However, that's not the end of the story. Pastor closes class with how it all ended for J. Warner Wallace and how it ends for all of us.    God has set a day when He will judge the world - Thus we need to repent - because God has raised His Son from the grave and He IS coming back!     This week's READING ASSIGNMENT: Acts chapter 17-18.      Now What? Learn about God at https://www.awakeusnow.com EVERYTHING we offer is FREE.   Check out this video series from our website: https://www.awakeusnow.com/god-acts-then-now   Or watch from our Youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/@AwakeUsNow/videos   Join us Sundays live or on demand from our website  https://www.awakeusnow.com/sunday-service

First Baptist Church Williamstown Senior Pastor Tony Foreman gives this week’s message “When God…” from Acts 22:30 – 23:35.

Lordwin JeyaKumar - September 27th, 2026 - Discernment Hebrews 5:14 2 Corinthians 11:4 1 John 4:1 Matthew 7:15 , 22 2 Corinthians 2:17 Philippians 3:18 1 John 2:18, Ephesians 4: 11-12, 2 Corinthians 11: 13 , Matthew 7: 15 Galatians 1:6-8 , John 10:12 , 2 Peter 2: 1 , Philippians 3: 2 , 2 Timothy 3: 13 1 Timothy 4: 1 , Hebrews 1:1–2, Matthew 24:36 , How do we discern whether something is from God or from Satan? 1. Discernment through the Word of God Acts 2:16, 17, 2 Corinthians 4: 13 , Romans 12:19 , Matthew 7:22-26 2. Discernment through the Holy Spirit 1 John 2:26-27, Acts 17:11, John 14:16-26 3. Discernment through Prayer 1 Kings 3: 9, Proverbs 3: 5-6 4. Discernment through Wise Counsel 1 Corinthians 12: 12 , Ephesians 4: 14-16 5. Discernment through a Renewed Mind Romans 12:2 , Galatians 1:3-5, 2 Corinthians 3: 18

Send us Fan Mail"No, but I will." That's what Jess said to her grandma when she was asked to wash the dishes as a kid. Snotty, ungrateful, and she still cringes thinking about it. This week on Midweek Motivation, Jess unpacks why that attitude is the exact one most of us bring to service without realizing it, and what happens when we flip it. She walks through John 13, where Jesus literally took off his crown and picked up an apron, and makes the case that serving the people right in front of you might be the most powerful thing you can do for them and for yourself.Discover:Why Jesus chose the lowest job in the room at the Last Supper, and what it meant to the disciplesThree ways Jesus modeled service: in proximity, personally, and in God's powerThe story of a deaf and mute man healed in Mark 7 and what it teaches about meeting people where they areThe psychological and social benefits of serving (endorphin release, stress reduction, combating isolation)How service builds the kind of trust that opens the door to sharing your faithWhat reciprocity and gratitude have to do with transformational communityOur bodies are literally made to feel good when we serve. But more than the chemistry, there's a spiritual connection that forms when you step into someone's life with no agenda other than meeting a need. That's how trust gets built. That's how people start to see something different in you. And that's when they want to know why.Key Takeaways:Service starts where your feet are: your home, your neighborhood, your workplaceJesus served people personally, the way they needed, not one-size-fits-allYour body is designed to reward you for serving othersBeing served combats isolation, builds self-esteem, and opens people up emotionallyService creates the trust and permission to share your storyQuestion for you to think about:Who is one person in your life right now that you could serve this week, not because you have to, but because they're worth it?If this challenged your approach to service, share it with someone who needs the push. Drop a comment and tell us about a time being served changed how you saw someone. Subscribe so you never miss a Midweek Motivation.Series: The Wild Work of God (Acts 1-6) at Westside Community ChurchFramework: BLESS (Begin with prayer, Listen, Eat, Serve, Share)Scriptures referenced: John 13:1-17, Mark 7:31-37Tool: Download the Westside app to use the BLESS tooliPhone/iPad: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/westside-comm-church/id1479755097Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=io.pushpay.westsidecommunitychurchccSUBSCRIBE to always see our content and let us reach more people for Jesus: https://www.youtube.com/westsidecommunitychurchpdx?sub_confirmation=1Give to support this ministry and help us reach people all around the world: https://www.westsidecommunitychurch.com/giveWebsite: https://www.westsidecommunitychurch.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/westsidecommunitychurchFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/westsidecommunitychurchpdx#MidweekMotivation #BLESS #Serve #WestsideCommunityChurch #WildWorkOfGod #ServiceMatters #John13 #ChristianLiving #FeetWashing #Faith

In the age of content creation, it's easy to think we're merely distracted from spiritual formation, and forget that anything and everything we give our attention to is actually forming us. So, what Paul does in Athens, a place that is full of idols and very religious, is he recognizes how sin has distorted and deformed their worship, and points out how people made to image God have become people who make gods in their image. 

Send us Fan MailWhat if the most powerful thing you could do for someone spiritually was just eat with them? This week on Midweek Motivation, Gabe and Melissa Kolstad sit down together to unpack why sharing a meal is one of the most underrated tools in the Christian life. Gabe shares the story of meeting a homeless man at a shelter and getting coffee with him every Friday for a year, a simple habit that completely changed the man's life. Melissa breaks down what she's learned from years of leading IF:Tables gatherings. If you've been praying for someone but don't know what the next step is, this might be it.Discover:- Why Jesus's first move with Matthew was accepting a dinner invitation, not delivering a sermon- How weekly Friday coffee at a Portland Starbucks changed a homeless man's entire trajectory- What IF:Tables taught Melissa about how food lowers every barrier in a room- The story of a Filipino family, karaoke, lumpia, and two people coming to faith- Why the BLESS framework puts eating before sharing your story (and why that matters)- How a simple Halloween s'mores tent turned into a neighborhood ministry momentEating together isn't fancy. It's hot dogs in a cul-de-sac, coffee at a Starbucks, pizza on a weeknight. But something happens around a table that no sermon or bullhorn can replicate. Barriers drop, trust builds, and people start to feel like they belong somewhere.Key Takeaways:- You have to earn the right to be heard, and meals are how you earn it- Eating together is biblical: Jesus did it, the early church did it, and it still works- You don't always have to be the initiator. Say yes when someone invites you.- Hospitality doesn't require perfection. Takeout, a picnic, or a shared lunch all count.- Love without a required outcome is the pointQuestion for you to think about:Who is one person you've been praying for that you could invite to grab coffee or share a meal this week?If this inspired you to take a simple next step, share it with someone who needs the push. Drop a comment and tell us about a meal that changed a relationship. Subscribe so you never miss a Midweek Motivation.Series: The Wild Work of God (Acts 1-6) at Westside Community ChurchFramework: BLESS (Begin with prayer, Listen, Eat, Serve, Share)Tool: Download the Westside app to use the BLESS tool iPhone/iPad: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/westside-comm-church/id1479755097Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=io.pushpay.westsidecommunitychurchcc&pcampaignid=web_shareScriptures referenced: Luke 5, Acts 2, John 6SUBSCRIBE to always see our content and let us reach more people for Jesus: https://www.youtube.com/westsidecommunitychurchpdx?sub_confirmation=1Give to support this ministry and help us reach people all around the world: https://www.westsidecommunitychurch.com/giveWebsite: https://www.westsidecommunitychurch.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/westsidecommunitychurchFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/westsidecommunitychurchpdx#MidweekMotivation #BLESS #EatTogether #WestsideCommunityChurch #WildWorkOfGod #Evangelism #Hospitality #ChristianCommunity #SharingMeals #Faith

We explore an action the Apostle Paul took. Was Paul compromising what had been decided at the Council in Jerusalem (Acts 15) when he circumcised Timothy?   Chapter 15 was about the question of Gentiles needing to be circumcised to be a genuine follower of Jesus. The Council at Jerusalem's unanimous decision was no - that salvation is though faith in Christ Jesus alone. But now in Acts 16 the questions is if Paul is going against what had been decided in Jerusalem when he circumcised Timothy.   Acts 16:1 - Paul came to the city Lystra where a disciple named Timothy lived. Timothy's mother was Jewish and a believer but his father was a Greek/ With a Greek father, Timothy had not been circumcised when he was 8 days old as were Jewish boys, so he is uncircumcised.   Vs 2-3 Paul wanted to take Timothy along on his upcoming journey, so he circumcised Timothy because of the Jews who lived in the areas they would be going to. People knew that Timothy's father was a Greek. But they also knew his mother was a Jew. Was Paul going against what the council in Jerusalem said?  No.  In Acts 15 we are told how we are saved only through faith in Christ, but the Gentiles were told to be gracious and reflective of Jewish sensibilities, especially around the idea of not wanting the Gospel to come under disrepute.     Their upcoming journey was to many towns with Jewish people and in their eyes Timothy would have been seen as a hypocrite who had abandoned his jewish heritage and faith.    What Paul is saying is that no Gentile needs to be circumcised but Jewish people were called to be circumcised and Timothy is making it clear that he is a faithful Jew. His circumcision shows his heart is for his fellow Jewish people, as well as Gentiles.    Timothy and Paul will spend many years together. Paul and Timothy have a beautiful friendship. Paul will consider Timothy his spiritual son.   And then we read in Acts 16:4-5 that as Timothy and Paul traveled from town to town, they delivered the decisions reached by the apostles and elders in the Council of Jerusalem. And the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers. More and more Jewish and Gentile people became followers of Jesus.   Timothy and Paul recognized the importance of reaching all with the gospel of Christ.     Now What? Learn about God at https://www.awakeusnow.com EVERYTHING we offer is FREE.   View live or on demand: https://www.awakeusnow.com/tuesday-bible-class   For the full list of videos in this series, Dig Deeper, https://www.awakeusnow.com/dig-deeper   For more check out our Sunday series, God ACTS! https://www.awakeusnow.com/god-acts-then-now   Join us Sundays  https://www.awakeusnow.com/sunday-service   Or watch from our Youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/@AwakeUsNow/videos    Watch via our app. Text HELLO to 888-364-4483 to download our app.

St. James Church, Evangelical and Reformed Louisville, KY September 20, 2026

Acts 16: 2,500 years ago, the Holy Spirit gave a prophetic word to several Hebrew prophets. It is a word that began to be fulfilled in a dramatic way at the time of the book of Acts, and continues to be dramatically fulfilled in our day in ways that seemed impossible generations ago.  "The earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord just as the waters cover the sea." We will see in this chapter a dramatic example of how that prophetic word was fulfilled at the time of the early apostles. We will also see how that speaks to us today as that word is being fulfilled in ways they couldn't even conceived of 2,000 years ago.   Is the Book of Acts History or Theology? It is both! Is it descriptive or prescriptive? It is both!   THEN and NOW:  Walk by the Spirit - Vs 8-9 - Paul receives a vision of a man in Macedonia. Paul and his companions conclude that God had called them to preach the Gospel there - so they followed the prompting of the Spirit. (See Galatians 5:16, 25)   Point to Jesus Christ - Vs 14 -15 - They go to Philippi in Macedonia via the Egnatian Way (Road). They go to the river to find a place of prayer and they meet several women there, meeting Lydia. They share the Gospel message with the women. Lydia responded to Paul's teaching, inviting them to her home. God is moving!  (See Philippians 2:9-11)    Spiritual Warfare - Vs 16 - 18 - Paul and Silas are followed by a female slave with the Python spirit for several days.  Paul gets annoyed and said to the spirit, "In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!" And at that moment the spirit left her. The word of Jesus has power!! (See Ephesians 6:12)    Rejoice in the Lord - Vs 19 - 25 - The slave's owners realized that their opportunity for making money on the slave was lost, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them to the authorities saying that they were Jews causing an uproar by advocating customs unlawful for Romans. Paul and Silas are stripped and beaten with rods and thrown in prison with feet fastened in stocks. But Paul and Silas prayed and sang hymns to God and the other prisoners were listening. They were rejoicing even in their difficulties. (See Philippians 4:4-6)   Assurance of Salvation - Vs 26 - 34 - Suddenly there was a violent earthquake and prison doors flew open and everyone's chains came loose. The jailer saw the prison doors open and was about to kill himself assuming the prisoners had escaped. But Paul shouts, "Don't harm yourself! We are all here!"  The jailer runs to Paul and Silas, trembling, he asked what he needed to do to be saved. They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved." Then they spoke the word of the Lord to jailer and to all the others in his house and the entire family was baptized. The jailer was filled with joy.because he had come to believe in God - he and his whole household. (See Philippians 1:6)   Vs 35-39 The authorities realize they beat Paul and Silas who were Roman citizens and no roman citizen is to be beaten and flogged so they release them.   Encourage One Another - Vs 40 - After being released from the prison, Paul and Silas go to Lydia's house, where they met with the brothers and sisters and encouraged them and then they left. (See Philippians 1:27f)    No matter what the future may hold, we know Who holds the future!   This week's READING ASSIGNMENT: Acts chapter 16-17.      Now What? Learn about God at https://www.awakeusnow.com EVERYTHING we offer is FREE.   Check out this video series from our website: https://www.awakeusnow.com/god-acts-then-now   Or watch from our Youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/@AwakeUsNow/videos   Join us Sundays live or on demand from our website  https://www.awakeusnow.com/sunday-service

Job 22-27 constitute the third cycle of speeches between Job and his friends. It is unlike the others in that Bildad's speech is extremely brief and Zophar has no speech at all. 22:1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite responded,- Eliphaz speaks first for the friends as he did in Job 4-5, 15. Verses 2-5 ask rhetorical questions.22:2 Can a vigorous man be of use to God,- The word of use or profitable was used in Job 15:3 where Eliphaz accused Job of talk that is not profitable. Or a wise man be useful to himself? The LORD will sarcastically taunt Job's claims to wisdom in 38:4, 5, 18, 21. Even the wisest and strongest of men add nothing to God (Acts 17:25), but they are completely dependent upon Him- Jer. 9:23-24; I Cor. 1:25-26. 22:3 Is there any pleasure to the Almighty if you are righteous,- In I Sam. 15:22 uses this word to tell us that God takes pleasure in the obedience of His people. Whether it is the wisest, strongest, or the most righteous, we cannot benefit God or make God in some way indebted to us. Or profit if you make your ways perfect? The word perfect, tamam, is connected to the word blameless, tam, used to describe Job in the prologue (1:1, 8; 2:3).God is still God whether we are righteous or wicked. He is not obligated or indebted to us because we are so good because He gives us every good thing we have (James 1:17).  However, the Bible tells a story of God who loves man (John 3:16; I John 4:7-11, 19) and seeks to save man and longs for fellowship with Him (Luke 19:10; John 4:23-24). 22:4 Is it because of your reverence that He reproves you,- The word reverence is from the Hebrew yirah. Eliphaz used the word in 15:4 telling us Job did away with reverence. Remember Job is described as one who feared, yare, God (1:1, 8; 2:3).   22:5 Eliphaz gives no witnesses or evidence of crime.  22:6 For you have taken pledges of your brothers without cause,- The word without cause, chinnam, was used in Job elsewhere in 1:9; 2:3; 9:17; 22:6. The Satan accused Job of serving God for nothing in 1:9. But the LORD says the Satan stirred him up to ruin Job for nothing in 2:3. Job says God multiplied his wounds without cause in 9:17. 22:7 To the weary you have given no water to drink,- Matt. 10:42; Prov. 25:21-22. Being thirsty is connected to being weary in Prov. 25:25.And from the hungry you have withheld bread. Job denies these charges in 31:17-18. 22:8 But the earth belongs to the mighty man,- This verse unlike those around it is not a specific act of sin but an attitude that led to it. It is also not addressed to Job in second person, but it is in third person.  22:9 You have sent widows away empty,- The idea of sent away, shalach, seems to indicate the widow appealed to him for legal protection. The basic responsibility of caring for these groups is emphasized repeatedly in the Old Testament (Deut. 14:29; 16:11, 14; 24:17; 26:12; 27:19; Isa. 1:17; Jer. 7:6; 22:3; Zech. 7:10). Why does Eliphaz assume that Job is guilty of these sins? Job has lost everything (1:13-19). The fact that God often punishes man according to his sin (lex talionis) leads his friends to conclude that this was Job's sin. 22:10 Therefore snares surround you,- The word snares, pach, was used by Bildad in 18:9 to talk of the minefield God laid for the wicked man  

Wednesday, September 16, 2026

Tuesday, September 15, 2026

Acts 15:36-41.  Paul and Barnabas, after having been partners for a lengthy time, have a sharp disagreement over staffing with Barnabas wanting to take John Mark with them and Paul not wanting to. They have such a strong disagreement they part company.   Colossians 4:10 we see the relationship of Barnabas and John Mark, that John Mark is the cousin of Barnabas.   Barnabas heads out one direction and Paul another. Barnabas takes John Mark with him and sails for Cyprus. Paul takes Silas with him and heads to Syria and Cilicia.   Take note of what has happened and has not happened. The mission has not suffered - both are going back to church groups they had established, going back to the believers they had led to Christ months ago. What has happened is a relationship has floundered.   However, we see in Scripture a real indication of God's mercy and grace - as they are later reconciled. Taking a look at Colossians 4:10 written later in Paul's life, we see in this verse that Paul is also sharing a greeting from John Mark - showing us that they are once again working together. They are united in their love for the Lord. And in Paul's final years, John Mark becomes one of Paul's closest associates.   We, too, are to keep out hearts open to Christ and open to reconciliation with one another.     Now What? Learn about God at https://www.awakeusnow.com EVERYTHING we offer is FREE.   View live or on demand: https://www.awakeusnow.com/tuesday-bible-class   For the full list of videos in this series, Dig Deeper, https://www.awakeusnow.com/dig-deeper   For more check out our Sunday series, God ACTS! https://www.awakeusnow.com/god-acts-then-now   Join us Sundays  https://www.awakeusnow.com/sunday-service   Or watch from our Youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/@AwakeUsNow/videos    Watch via our app. Text HELLO to 888-364-4483 to download our app.

Acts 15: This chapter deals with Entrance Requirements for entering the Kingdom of God.   Acts 15:1 tells us what some people are saying in order to be saved: you had to be circumcised according to the custom taught by Moses.    THEN and NOW:  Proclaim God's Goodness -  As we continue on with the next verses we read that Paul and Barnabas dispute what these people are saying. So they head to Jerusalem to talk to the apostles and elders about this question. As they travel to Jerusalem they shared how the Gentiles had been converted to faith and this news made all the believers very glad. Paul and Barnabas keep proclaiming God's goodness to encourage other believers, even in the light of the upcoming meeting/debate in Jerusalem.  Address False Teaching - wrestle for truth and search the scriptures to make sure what we hear is in sync with what the Bible says, and that we are not taking what the Bible says and adding to it or subtracting from it or taking one verse out of context. Acts 15:4-5  they arrive in Jerusalem and share all the Lord was accomplishing. But the Pharisees stand up and say that the Gentiles must be circumcised and were to be required to keep the law of Moses. Then the apostles and elders met to consider the question and search the scriptures. Gospel of Grace Alone -  Acts 15:6-11  Peter addresses the gathering reminding them how the Gentiles had believed in Jesus and had been given the Holy Spirit, too. Then Peter tells them that Jew and Gentile alike are saved ONLY through the grace of Jesus. Laws don't save - they help show us how to live in response to God's incredible love. Unity of the Body -  Acts 15:12-21  we read about the assembly becoming silent as they listen to the signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles.  Then James, Jesus half-brother, tells how God intervened to choose a people for his name from the Gentiles as well and quotes from Amos "…and even all the Gentiles who bear my name…"  and he goes on to encourage Jewish believers not to make it difficult for Gentiles who are turning to God. Meaning let's not add additions to the Gospel of Grace. James goes on saying let's encourage them to not offend Jewish believers and thus to abstain from food offered to idols and from sexual immorality, meat from abused animals and blood.  He was teaching both Jew and Gentile to  have respect for one another and not drive each other away from the faith. Letter + Leaders Acts 15:22-32 - They sent out letters of encouragement to the other churches. Spirit-Guided Living - Acts 15:35 Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch where they and others taught and preached the word of the Lord. Flesh vs Spirit - in Galatians 5:19-26 we see the encouragement we need to walk in the Spirit. We are saved by grace and no longer live by the flesh but by the Spirit: Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. We are saved by Grace and empowered to be who God has made us, living for Him alone, transformed by the Holy Spirit.   This week's READING ASSIGNMENT: Acts chapter 15-16.      Now What? Learn about God at https://www.awakeusnow.com EVERYTHING we offer is FREE.   Check out this video series from our website: https://www.awakeusnow.com/god-acts-then-now   Or watch from our Youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/@AwakeUsNow/videos   Join us Sundays live or on demand from our website  https://www.awakeusnow.com/sunday-service

Send us Fan MailYou're 30 seconds into a conversation, and you can already see their eyes glazing over. Or worse, you're the one glazing. This week on Midweek Motivation, Jess gets honest about three ways we fake listen without meaning to, and what it actually looks like to hear someone well. If you've ever caught yourself mentally composing your response before the other person finished their sentence, this one will sting a little (in a good way).Discover:The three most common listening traps: distraction, self-focused listening, and listening with an agenda to fixWhy sharing a similar story back often feels like a competition instead of a connectionWhat Proverbs 18:13 says about answering before you've actually heard someoneA three-layer listening method: what happened, what it meant to them, what it touched in themHow to offer support without turning someone into a projectPresence is the first thing someone notices before a single word is spoken. And in a world full of scrolling, multitasking, and mental noise, the simple act of looking someone in the eye and actually hearing them might be the most radical thing you can do this week.Key Takeaways:Your presence is the number one gift you can offer someoneStay curious, not competitive. Ask follow-up questions instead of sharing a follow-up story.Listening to fix someone isn't love. Holding space for them is.Ask permission before jumping in with solutionsReal listening builds the kind of trust where people feel safe enough to be fully knownQuestion for you to think about:When is the last time you asked a follow-up question instead of sharing a follow-up story?If this made you rethink how you show up in conversations, share it with someone who needs it. Drop a comment and tell us which listening trap you're working on. Subscribe so you never miss a Midweek Motivation.Series: The Wild Work of God (Acts 1-6) at Westside Community ChurchFramework: BLESS (Begin with prayer, Listen, Eat, Serve, Share)Scripture referenced: Proverbs 18:13SUBSCRIBE to always see our content and let us reach more people for Jesus: https://www.youtube.com/westsidecommunitychurchpdx?sub_confirmation=1Give to support this ministry and help us reach people all around the world: https://www.westsidecommunitychurch.com/giveWebsite: https://www.westsidecommunitychurch.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/westsidecommunitychurchFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/westsidecommunitychurchpdx#MidweekMotivation #Listening #BLESS #WestsideCommunityChurch #WildWorkOfGod #Communication #Relationships #ChristianLiving #Presence #ListenWell

God Empowers the Weak (2) (audio) David Eells, 9/9/26 God wants us to trust Him alone. (Jer.17:5) Thus saith the Lord: Cursed is the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord. God calls this “departing from the Lord” when you trust in the arm of the flesh. That's departing from the Lord. When you do it the way the world does it, when you don't have any difference, any separation, any sanctification between you and the world, that's departing from the Lord. (Jer.17:6) For he shall be like the heath (or like a tumbleweed) in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh, but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, a salt land and not inhabited. (7) Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose trust the Lord is. (8) For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, that spreadeth out its roots by the river, and shall not fear when heat cometh, but its leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit. Now that sounds like the wilderness that's coming, doesn't it? And he's telling you who will make it through and prosper and be blessed going through it. It's the person who puts his trust in the Lord. But the person who trusts in the “arm of the flesh” is going to be blown away like a tumbleweed. That's why we're preparing to get in the Ark now. There's a flood coming that's going to take a lot of people away and it's not only the fault of the teachers, but the people who listen to them because it's the easy way. There's no death-to-self in it; there's no becoming like a child in it. God is preparing to show you there's a difference between His method and the method of the world. (2Ch.16:11) And, behold, the acts of Asa, first and last, lo, they are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel. (12) And in the thirty and ninth year of his reign Asa was diseased in his feet; his disease was exceeding great: yet in his disease he sought not to the Lord, but to the physicians. (13) And Asa slept with his fathers, and died in the one and fortieth year of his reign. (14) And they buried him in his own sepulchres, which he had hewn out for himself in the city of David … What offended God here is that Asa sought his help from the physicians and not from the Lord, meaning that there is a difference.  But Asa's problem was not in just that area. He began to trust in the arm of the flesh in so many things. When Asa ruled over Judah, Judah was at war with the northern 10 tribes. (2Ch.16:1) In the six and thirtieth year of the reign of Asa, Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah, and built Ramah, that he might not suffer any one to go out or come in to Asa king of Judah. (2) Then Asa brought out silver and gold out of the treasures of the house of the Lord and of the king's house, and sent to Ben-Hadad king of Syria, that dwelt at Damascus, saying, (3) [There is] a league between me and thee, as [there was] between my father and thy father: behold, I have sent thee silver and gold; go, break thy league with Baasha king of Israel, that he may depart from me. Judah was bribing the Syrians to break their league with the northern 10 tribes of Israel, so that they could whip them. Well, Asa made a big mistake because he robbed God in order to bribe these people. He looted out of the Lord's treasuries and hired himself some insurance. He took God's money to do this. And you know, we do the same thing a lot of times. If the enemy seems too big, many times we'll take God's money to try to whittle him down a little bit. That's not permitted, and God rebuked Asa for it. In the first place, Asa was bowing down to the god of fear because the enemy was bigger than he was. But throughout history, the enemy was always bigger than God's people when they won, so he shouldn't have bowed down to fear in the first place. In the second place, Asa should not have used God's money. Did you know that all of your money is God's money? It's not our money, so Asa shouldn't have used God's money to buy insurance against his enemy or to strengthen himself against his enemy. But he didn't know God's plan. God had a great plan. (2Ch.16:4) And Ben-Hadad hearkened unto king Asa, and sent the captains of his armies against the cities of Israel (the northern 10 tribes); and they smote Ijon, and Dan, and Abel-maim, and all the store-cities of Naphtali. (5) And it came to pass, that when Baasha heard thereof, that he left off building Ramah, and let his work cease. (6) Then Asa the king took all Judah; and they carried away the stones of Ramah, and the timber thereof, wherewith Baasha had builded; and he built there with Geba and Mizpah. Look! He had success! He bribed the Syrians to break their league with his enemy and it worked. You'd say, “Well, he accomplished what he wanted to do. In a way, he won the war.”  Asa used God's money to do something that worked; he hired insurance and it worked, but God didn't see it that way. (2Ch.16:7) And at that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah, and said unto him, Because thou hast relied on the king of Syria, and hast not relied on the Lord thy God, therefore is the host of the king of Syria escaped out of thy hand. You see what God was planning? He had planned to give to Judah both Israel and Syria. He was going to let Judah conquer both of them. Instead, Judah got worried, and they bribed Syria to break their pact with Israel, so that they would only have one to conquer. However, God said, “You've made a mistake. I was going to give them both to you. It would have cost you nothing and I was going to give them both to you.” That's the way it is when we run for our insurances and our assurances of the world in our strengthening ourselves. See, God wants to give it all to us. Look. (2Ch.16:7) ... Because thou hast relied on the king of Syria, and hast not relied on the Lord thy God, therefore is the host of the king of Syria escaped out of thy hand. (8) Were not the Ethiopians and the Lubim a huge host, with chariots and horsemen exceeding many? yet, because thou didst rely on the Lord, he delivered them into thy hand. (9) For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect towards him. Herein thou hast done foolishly; for from henceforth thou shalt have wars. Do you understand what God was saying here? He was saying, “Look, if you'd have done it My way, you wouldn't have had to conquer this problem again. This would have been the end of it. But, okay, since you did it your way, you're going to have wars from here on.” So we won't necessarily have to fight if we just do it God's way the first time. God would have given the whole enemy, vastly outnumbered as Judah was, He would have given all of them to Israel, but Judah used money to make themselves strong.  God gives you His help for free, but the alliance that you make with the world using your money is costing you something. When you make yourself strong with the strength of the world with your money, which is really God's money, it is taking from God. Think about that now. It's not your money; it's God's money. You're taking God's money and you're giving it to the devil's kingdom to make yourself strong against an enemy that God would give you anyway and give you for free. An alliance with the world is not God's method, and it wasn't His plan for Asa. That was Asa's problem. Asa had fallen into this trap of putting his trust in the arm of the flesh and it made Asa angry when God rebuked him. (2Ch.16:10) Then Asa was wroth with the seer, and put him in the prison-house; for he was in a rage with him because of this thing…. Many of God's people are doing the same thing with their money when they bow down to the gods of insurance. What are you doing when you buy insurance? Isn't it because you don't believe the Word of God? “Oh, we need insurance,” you say. Oh, really? Think about why we need insurance. Is it not because you trust the security insurance companies provide with their large financial reserves? You're trusting in them in case something happens, as if God isn't on His throne. God knows things are going to happen. He also knows He's going to provide. So what you're doing is robbing God's money and giving it to another god. I've hardly ever seen a greater miracle than when God told me to get rid of my insurance. And, let me tell you, when I called my insurance man and got rid of my house and car insurance, it really shocked him. But I don't think it was maybe a week or two later that I saw one of the biggest miracles I've ever seen, and God proved to me that dropping my worldly insurance was His way for me because He blessed me so abundantly. I had pulled my car into this little old quickie supermarket and gone inside when I heard this big crash. The whole front of the store, all the glass in front of the store, just shook. A car had run up in that parking lot and slammed right into my car, and I had just gotten rid of all of my insurance. It slammed right into my little Datsun station wagon that wasn't but a little tin box anyway. I knew something had happened when I looked out of that store, but when I went outside, I tell you what, I was just totally awed by the power of God. This big old Buick had just wrapped itself around the corner of my Datsun station wagon. I mean hit it right on the plastic tail lens of my Datsun, and it just notched the front of that Buick from top to bottom. The hood, the grille, the bumper- they were all caved in about a foot. The plastic tail lens of my Datsun had caved in that car from top to bottom. It was an old Buick, too – an old heavy car built like a tank; hit my car and it literally wrapped around my car.  When I went outside, the driver had backed up about a foot and was out there looking at it with his eyes just as big as saucers. I said, “Oh, man!” If I hadn't seen that, I'd have never believed it because it just totaled out the whole front of his car. And there wasn't a scratch on my car. While he was standing there looking at it, I took my thumbnail and I scraped the paint off of the plastic tail lens where his hood hit my wrap-around tail lens on the corner of that Datsun station wagon. That was the only mark on my car! No, he couldn't believe it. I couldn't believe it, either. But you see, I didn't have any insurance. I'd put myself in the hands of the Lord. You know, I'd become like a child, in a way, because I put myself in the hands of the Lord.  Now we have to obey the law, but at this time in Louisiana, we didn't have to have any insurance, and I didn't have any insurance. Nobody ever collected off of me, but boy, I collected off some other folks. I don't say that to be bragging; I'm just saying God did miracles for me because of that. In every way that I didn't have insurance, He was my assurance. Well, I wasn't even thinking right when I saw this; I was just awed. I mean, the guy got in his car and took off, and after he left, I thought, “Boy, I missed the best chance in the world of witnessing to somebody,” so I jumped in my car and caught him at the next red light. I got out and I witnessed to him. I told him that was God! I said, “God did that because I didn't have any insurance.” When I said, “It's a miracle,” he said, “It must be.” I remember the first thing he said when I went outside and looked at the car. He said something like, “Boy, they sure must build them better than they used to.” You know that was totally stupid. His car would have cut a path right through the middle of my car, and he wouldn't have been scratched. It would have been the other way around. Those old Buicks were tough, and mine you could dent with your elbow. A Datsun station wagon? You could knock the car tail lens out with your elbow. I'm telling you there's just nothing there.  This was one of those positions I was put in where I was made so weak and the situation I was facing was so strong that it was totally ridiculous. But I'd just gotten rid of all my insurance. When you put yourself in the hands of God, He takes that very seriously. Whatever you do and however it turns out, when you put yourself in the hands of God, you're going to be the blessed one. Another time when I got in a wreck, God didn't protect my vehicle, but I was so glad He didn't. I had a little Toyota truck that I loved. I was going down the interstate on my way to work, and I saw the car in front of me slowing down. The whole line of traffic was slowing down because somebody was stopped in the middle of a bridge, and I was slowing down, but the fourth guy back was looking off down the river instead of looking at the bridge, and he just scooped us all up. Bang! Bang! Bang! It was just one right after another. Well, the guy in front of me was hurt really badly. He had slammed into the steering wheel, and it jammed up in his chest, and he had lung blood just gushing out of his face. I've shot enough deer to know that it was lung blood. It was bright red because it has a lot of oxygen in it.  So I got up in his cab, and I pulled him out, and I laid him down on the concrete there beside his truck, with his head on the curb like it was a pillow. And the lung blood literally piled up from the road up to his face. That's how it was coming out of him. It came out jelly-like. I'm just telling you what a miracle God did. I knelt down there right beside him, and I prayed for him, and I commanded him to be healed in the name of Jesus. There were people all around me just looking at me doing that. Then the medics came and put him in the ambulance. I immediately left there and went home to call the hospital, and they told me there was nothing wrong with that man. The nurse said, “We turned him loose. He went home.” I said, “Lady, if you'd seen the pile of blood out there on the concrete, you'd know there was something wrong with him.” She said, “Well, I don't know, maybe he had a scratch in his nose or something, but there was nothing wrong with him we could see. We turned him loose and he went home.” Praise the Lord! Now, even though my truck was totaled out and at that time I didn't have any insurance, I got my truck fixed, and I still had $1500 in my pocket. It was a real blessing. I wouldn't have missed it for anything. Not only that, what really tickled me the most was this: While I was standing there beside the highway with that man's blood on my arms from picking him out of the cab, somebody from work also came by. It was a Christian guy and he knew I'd preached walking and speaking faith. He saw me standing there with that blood on my arms and said to me, “You'd better go to the hospital.” I kept saying, “There's nothing wrong with me,” but he thought I was speaking faith. He insisted, “You better go to the hospital!” I told him again, “There's really nothing wrong with me,” so he drove off, and he went and told my boss. When I got to work, he and my boss and a bunch of people were standing around waiting for me. They were giving me the once-over with their eyes. They were looking me up one side and down the other, and I told them, “Look, I told him there was nothing wrong with me. It wasn't me. It's the other guy who got hurt. There's nothing wrong with me.” It was really hard to convince them. They thought I was just speaking faith. Well, anyway, that time God fixed my truck. The next time, of course, we didn't have any insurance either and God bought my house with their insurance money. He plundered Egypt right on down and bought my house and car with their insurance money. You know, even in our ignorance, sometimes God blesses us, right? Sure, there is a worldly method that can bring success. Didn't Asa get success by bribing Assyrians to break their pact? But God didn't agree with his method. Asa's method worked. He conquered his enemy and, in fact, it broke the war off totally. But even though it was successful, Asa used God's money to do it. He used God's money to buy insurance. God didn't agree with it. This is not to condemn anybody. This is just so that we know for the future what God can do. God doesn't appreciate insurance because it's a false god. It's something that we're counting on for our salvation in the future. And here's something we really ought to think about: Suppose things come on us because we have insurance. I'll give you a good example that just stuck with me so well, which the Lord showed me. When I worked at Exxon, I was working with this guy on pumps in the field; his name was Melvin. One day we were working on this old slurry pump. It's an old crude pump. Crude is real bad about staining. It's almost like paint. If it gets on you, it will stain you almost permanently. And so I was working with him on this old pump, and the gauge on the top of the pump showed that it was empty, no pressure. The bleeders were open to make sure that there wasn't pressure, that when we broke into it, we wouldn't come into pressure. The bleeder was plugged and the gauge was broken, so when we were breaking into this thing, we were breaking into a pump that had pressure on it, and it was pressurized crude oil.  So, he and I were working on the head of this pump and we'd taken all the bolts out, but the gasket was holding the head stuck onto the thing. I tapped on it a little bit, but it wouldn't break loose, and Melvin was standing right there beside it. I walked away from the pump to get a bigger hammer so I could rear back and hit that plate and it would break the gasket surface. The minute I walked away, the thing popped off and blew crude all over him. Just all over him. Now I'd been talking to Melvin about the Lord a lot. In fact, he'd been converted to the Lord by my testimony to him. But he said, “You planned that, didn't you?” It was like I just walked away and all of a sudden BOOM! and it was crude oil all over him. He was black from top to bottom, clothes and everything. And he said, “Well, don't worry about it; I have a change of clothes in my locker.” I said, “Oh, that's the reason you got it and I didn't get it. I don't have a change of clothes.” So God knew I couldn't afford to get that way because I didn't have a change of clothes. You get the point? Melvin prepared for a disaster and he got one. He had full faith that he was going to have one, and he got what he believed for. See, we don't realize that God is sovereign. If we prepare or we insure for disaster, He can bring one. Sometimes we think, “Oh, thank God I prepared!” But actually, we could have brought on the disaster in the first place. Melvin and I left this pump, and after he had changed his clothes and everything, we went to another pump. This is a very rare thing. Well, believe it or not, this other one was the same kind of pump, and almost the same thing happened. And I was standing right beside him this time, right beside him when the flange broke open. It was amazing to me how two things in a row could happen like this. The flange broke open and it squirted out of one place from that thing and drowned him from top to bottom with crude oil. But just before this happened, Melvin said, “You're never gonna get me like that again.” I said, “Melvin, you better watch those positive statements. God is listening.” We left right there and went over to work on this other pump. Sure enough, we had checked that one even with a rod, but evidently it was plugged up somewhere else- the bleeder with a rod and everything- and the plate just backed up just a little bit. It squirted a stream and hit Melvin and squirted him from top to bottom with crude oil. I said, “I told you about those positive statements, Melvin.” This was the second time. It was a good thing he was a good-natured guy, and he really was, but he got it twice in a row. Well, I'm sure he learned something from that because it was impossible for something like that to happen twice. It was just impossible for us to be working on the same kind of equipment because we worked on everything from turbines to motors to pumps to drivers, and here we were working on a reciprocating pump. There weren't even that many of them out there, and we worked on one right after another, and he got it on both.  God takes offense when you insure yourself, and when you do, He causes you to lose the battle. In the last case we looked at, it seemed like they made the right decision because what Asa did worked. The only thing is, he robbed God by trusting in a false god. God even gave Asa temporary victory in it, but then the prophet came and prophesied to him that he wasn't going to get out of wars because of that. In other words, he didn't do it right that time, so another war was coming. We have to understand that if we don't do it God's way, we haven't gotten out of anything. Another trial just like it is right around the corner because these trials are put there for us to be overcomers and to overcome something in us that's wrong. And trusting in the world is wrong. It's offensive to God. (2Ch.20:35) And after this did Jehoshaphat the king of Judah join himself with Ahaziah the king of Israel; the same did very wickedly: (36) and he joined himself with him to make ships to go to Tarshish; and they made the ships in Ezion-geber. (37) Then Eliezer the son of Dodavahu of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, Because thou hast joined thyself with Ahaziah, the Lord hath destroyed thy works. And the ships were broken so that they were not able to go to Tarshish. (21:1) And Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David…. So we see that Jehoshaphat lost his life because of his insurance, and Asa lost his life because of his insurance. They trusted in something other than the Lord. You know, our help does not come from anything that we can do or anything that we can eat. (Exo.15:26) … I will put none of the diseases upon thee, which I have put upon the Egyptians: for I am the Lord that healeth thee. Help comes from God. Divine help comes from God. It doesn't come from anything we can eat. In fact, whatever you eat, God says it's good and to be received with thanksgiving, if it is sanctified through the Word of God and prayer (1 Timothy 4:4,5). See, God sanctifies your food. He makes it what you need. Whatever you eat, God will make it what you need, if you sanctify it through the Word of God in faith. As a matter of fact, I want to show you something. See, there are all kinds of insurance. We think, “Well, we're not getting enough vitamins.” That's not what the Bible says.  Now we're not putting anybody under laws about vitamins; this is just an example. (1Ti.4:1) But the Spirit saith expressly, that in later times some shall fall away from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons, (2) through the hypocrisy of men that speak lies, branded in their own conscience as with a hot iron; (3) forbidding to marry, [and commanding] to abstain from meats…. Why do they command to abstain from meats? Because they say they're unclean. They say they're not healthy. Why does the world say that pork, for instance, is not healthy? Because they have statistics to prove that pork is not healthy. But who is that talking about? It's talking about the world. We are not the world. The statistics that work for them don't work for us. Paul says this is a doctrine of demons to us. Now, they have the statistics to prove that for the lost world, pork is not a healthy meat, but that's not us. Read what it says to Christians. We are the ones who are delivered from the curse. They are not delivered from the curse. We are delivered, so he calls it a doctrine of demons “to abstain from meats, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by them that believe and know the truth” (1Ti.4:3). See, if you know the truth, you can eat those meats because you're free from the curse, if you know the truth. If you really believe what he's saying, you can do this; it will have no bad effect upon you. He said they are “created to be received with thanksgiving.” God created them for that purpose for those who love the truth and know the truth. Only those people won't be hurt. These doctrines of demon teachers are going to tell you they're not all good; some of them you better stay away from, and they take that from Old Testament doctrine about unclean meats. But what did those unclean meats signify? Remember that Peter saw the unclean animals coming down out of Heaven on a sheet (Acts 10:11,12) and God said, “rise, Peter; kill and eat (Act.10:13). (14) But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common and unclean. (15) And a voice [came] unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, make not thou common.” And God did this to Peter three times (Acts 10:16) to make sure he got the point. The sheet came down out of Heaven. God said, “What I make clean, don't you make unclean.” Then three men showed up at his door, inviting him to come and preach the Gospel to the Gentiles (Acts 10:19). And when Peter went before the Gentiles, he said he perceived that they were acceptable to God (Acts 10:28) because of the revelation he had just received about the unclean animals. You see, men are beasts. Gentiles represent unclean animals in the Scriptures.  We're not to partake of unclean animals. If you listen to unclean people, to Gentiles, pagans, their thinking gets into you and, in a way, you're eating what they're saying. Jesus said you're supposed to eat of His Body (John 6:51). His Body is clean. His Body represents the Word, right? He was the Word made flesh. If you eat His body, it goes into you and becomes you. It becomes a part of you. If you do that with an unclean person, you partake of their thinking, their word; it goes into you, and it still becomes a part of you. So God said not to partake of these unclean people, whom the unclean animals represented. That's the revelation that God gave to Peter.  (1Ti.4:4) For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be rejected…. Nothing. Because He said it's good. If God said it's good, it's good: “What I make clean don't you make unclean.” Remember what God said to Peter. “If I say it's clean, it's clean.” In fact, when the disciples were talking about eating only certain things, Jesus said, “not that which entereth into the mouth defileth the man; but that which proceedeth out of the mouth, this defileth the man (Mat.15:11). (18) But the things which proceed out of the mouth come forth out of the heart; and they defile the man. (19) For out of the heart come forth evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, railings: (20) these are the things which defile the man; but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not the man.” Out of his thinking are unclean thoughts. These defile man. It's not what he eats or his unwashed hands. It's what comes out of your mouth, what comes out of your thinking, that defiles you. Worry about that. Don't worry about eating pork is what He's saying here. (1Ti.4:4) For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be rejected, if it be received with thanksgiving: (5) for it is sanctified through the word of God and prayer. It is to be received with thanksgiving, for it is sanctified through the Word of God and prayer. “Sanctified” means “set apart unto God.” Can the world do that? No, they're under the curse. They can't do that. Jesus told the disciples, And into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you (Luk.10:8). (Eat what is put before you.) (3) Go your ways; behold, I send you forth as lambs in the midst of wolves. (7) And in that same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they give: for the laborer is worthy of his hire. Go not from house to house. (8) And into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you.  (1Ti.4:6) If thou put the brethren in mind of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Christ Jesus, nourished in the words of the faith, and of the good doctrine which thou hast followed [until now:] (7) but refuse profane and old wives' fables…. And that's what these rules of men are. “Don't do this, don't do that; take this and take this,” and all that other garbage. That's not God's plan. That's just like the insurance. That is going after other gods. That's putting your trust in other things. You don't need that. Where does our health come from? It comes from the fact that Jesus became cursed for us so that we could be blessed (Galatians 3:13,14). He bore the whole curse. If I'm blessed and He took all of my curse, then I have to be healthy. I have to be delivered. That's where my faith should be. I am healthy. I don't have to go looking for health by listening to a bunch of quacks who think this drug or this herb or this vitamin is going to heal or keep me. No, that's just crazy, and it's just not Biblical. Our health comes from what Jesus did on the cross. It's something that you accept because of what happened; it's past tense. But people don't believe that's enough, so they think, “I have to do something else to get health. The cross is not enough. Jesus is not a good enough provider, so I'd better get insurance.” Stop and think about these things we're doing. We are trusting in false gods. It is offensive to God. Insurance is common sense to the world, but look at how many times the insurance is the very thing that caused God to bring the curse. And everybody says, “Oh, praise God! Thank God I had that insurance!” No. The curse came because you have insurance. Read here carefully and see if you get the point Jesus is making. (Mat.16:5) And the disciples came to the other side and forgot to take bread. (They didn't provide for themselves.) (6) And Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees. (7) And they reasoned among themselves, saying, We took no bread. (8) And Jesus perceiving it said, O ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves, because ye have no bread? (9) Do ye not yet perceive, neither remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets ye took up? (10) Neither the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many baskets ye took up? Do a little arithmetic in your mind here to figure this thing out.  (11) How is it that ye do not perceive that I spake not to you concerning bread? But beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees? (12) Then understood they that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and the Sadducees. See, before we look at this carefully, what was the teaching of the Pharisees and the Sadducees? Their teaching was the Law, salvation by works. In everything, salvation was by works to the people under the Law. Now, the disciples thought, “Well, we don't have provision, we didn't bring bread. We should have stored up some bread and brought it with us.” That was what they were thinking, but Jesus wasn't talking about that.  He said, “Don't you remember the five loaves of the 5000 and how many baskets you took up?” And that was 12. Remember, there were 5000 people to feed. They had five loaves to feed them, and after the miracle, they took up 12 baskets of leftovers. That's a miracle, right? Jesus wants you to compare these two miracles. In the next miracle, He says, “the seven loaves of the 4000.” There were fewer people to feed and they started with more to feed them. They had seven loaves and the baskets they took up were only seven.  In other words, when they put in more, God put in less, and there was less left over. Jesus is saying to the disciples, “Look at these two miracles carefully. Don't you remember? When you didn't put in, God made a bigger miracle. When you put in, God made a lesser miracle and there was less left over. Understand the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees. They think it's by their own strength.” And that's how the Law worked, by the way. God just gave them the Law and said, “Okay, you keep it or else.” The strength of the Law was the individual's own strength. But what Jesus was saying is, “Don't worry because you didn't bring bread. God's still here. This is not a problem. Don't you understand? Don't you remember what happened?” Look, when you put in less, God puts in more. The less that you have to put in, the more God puts in to show you that it was Him. But the more you put in, the less God puts in. It's that way in everything. The more of self that goes into something, the less of God is going to be there. We must decrease so that He may increase. Remember John the Baptist? (Joh.3:30) He must increase, but I must decrease. That's the truth. That's for all of us. The more we decrease, the more God will increase. Remember, God wants salvation to be by grace – unmerited and unearned, not of your wisdom. (Ephesians 2:8). God is not dealing with us the way He deals with the world. Don't look at the world and think that's the way God wants to deal with you. The world is totally different. He wants all of our salvation, deliverance, prosperity and blessing to come by grace. It has to come freely and trusting in the promise of God. He's called us out of this world (1 Peter 2:9) and He's dealing differently with us. When this life is over, we're going to see how great God is and how little we are. This is the whole point. (Rom.4:4) Now, to him that worketh, the reward is not reckoned as of grace, but as of debt. See, if you could earn it, God would owe it, but God will not permit that. Think about it again now. “To him that worketh, the reward is not reckoned as of grace, but as of debt.” That's your works, right? This salvation would not be by grace. You'd be making your way to Heaven and God would owe it to you. Think that's ever going to be possible? It's not possible. He's sovereign and He's not going to permit it.  Even where God permits the world's works to save them, He won't permit your works to save you. (Rom.4:5) But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is reckoned for righteousness. You see, God calls a person righteous because they walk by faith. (Rom.4:17) (As it is written, A father of many nations have I made thee) before him whom he believed, [even] God, who giveth life to the dead, and calleth the things that are not, as though they were. (18) Who in hope believed against hope, to the end that he might become a father of many nations…. See, it looked hopeless. God made a promise and then He waited 40 more years until Abraham and Sarah were ancient, when it couldn't possibly come to pass. God waited because, if He had done it right there, everybody would have said, “Oh, it's possible; maybe Abraham did that.” No. God waited until Abraham couldn't do that, and then God brought it to pass to prove it was Him. He wanted all the credit. In our circumstances, it may also become increasingly impossible. Don't lose faith, because the more impossible it gets, the more possible it is for God. Why? Because when you're in the position of weakness, that's what God likes. It's where He wants you to be. It's where He gets all the credit for the miracle, and He looks greater in the eyes of the world when these great things happen. (Rom.4:18) Who in hope believed against hope, to the end that he might become a father of many nations, according to that which had been spoken, So shall thy seed be. (19) And without being weakened in faith he considered his own body now as good as dead (he being about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah's womb; (20) yet, looking unto the promise of God, he wavered not through unbelief, but waxed strong through faith, giving glory to God, (21) and being fully assured that what he had promised, he was able also to perform. Now, there was one time when Abraham and Sarah decided to have a little insurance (Genesis 16) and God permitted them to do that, but ultimately, it brought a great curse upon his seed. God's plan and what He is doing is so wonderful. You should have more courage and more faith when things get impossible, because every time in the Bible, that's where they were when the miracle came. Be encouraged when you see the odds against you, as the world calls it, because that's when they're in your favor. 

Reading Acts 17:22-23 where the Apostle Paul is in Athens, and he comes across an altar that says, "To an Unknown God," and Paul preaches to them about the true God. Visit wwutt.com for all our videos!

In Acts 5:3–4 Peter confronts Ananias about lying to the Holy Spirit and reminds us that dishonesty before God is never hidden from Him. Pastor Derek looks at the holiness and deity of the Holy Spirit and the importance of living honestly before God.Purchase The Spirit Rhythm book on Amazon : https://a.co/d/0fMXInF1Learn More & Stay ConnectedPastor Derek: https://awakenlv.org/derekneider/Daily Devotional: https://awakenlv.org/devotionals/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/derekneider/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DerekNeider/A ministry of Awaken Las Vegas: https://awakenlv.org/

Send us Fan MailWhat if trying harder to share your faith is actually getting in the way? This week on Midweek Motivation, Jess unpacks the first step in the BLESS framework: Begin with Prayer. But this isn't a lecture about praying more. It's about why surrendering control is the thing that actually opens doors, changes your heart, and takes the weight off your shoulders. If you've ever felt the pressure to be someone you're not in order to share Jesus with people, this one is for youDiscover:Why Jesus began every major moment of His ministry with prayer, and what that means for usHow prayer shifts the responsibility for life change from you to GodThe practical habit of pausing in prayer and following through when God puts someone on your mindWhat it looks like to pray for open hearts, opportunities, boldness, and alignment with GodWhy your weakness might be the most important thing you bring to the tableYou don't have to be the most persuasive person in the room. You don't have to have all the answers. When you begin with prayer, you're handing the results to the one who actually changes people. And that, as Jess puts it, sure does take a load off.Key Takeaways:Prayer is the non-negotiable starting point for sharing your faithSurrender comes before strategyGod uses your weakness to show His strengthPraying for someone often opens doors you never would have knocked on yourselfYou're not responsible for the outcome. You're responsible for showing up.Question for you to think about:What if you paused right now and asked God to put one person on your mind, then followed through with a simple text?If this encouraged you, send it to someone who's been feeling the pressure to "do more." Drop a comment and let us know how prayer has opened doors in your life. Subscribe so you never miss a Midweek Motivation.Series: The Wild Work of God (Acts 1-6) at Westside Community ChurchFramework: BLESS (Begin with prayer, Listen, Eat, Serve, Share)Tool: Download the Westside app to use the BLESS tool IOS: Download on the App StoreAndroid: Download on Google PlaySUBSCRIBE to always see our content and let us reach more people for Jesus: https://www.youtube.com/westsidecommunitychurchpdx?sub_confirmation=1Give to support this ministry and help us reach people all around the world: https://www.westsidecommunitychurch.com/giveWebsite: https://www.westsidecommunitychurch.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/westsidecommunitychurchFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/westsidecommunitychurchpdx#MidweekMotivation #Prayer #BLESS #WestsideCommunityChurch #WildWorkOfGod #ShareYourFaith #HolySpirit #ChristianLiving #BeginWithPrayer

In Acts 14:19- 22, Paul is stoned in the city of Lystra. Those stoning him thought he was dead; they dragged him outside the city, but the disciples gathered around Paul and he got up and he and Barnabas left for the town of Derbe.   It's easy to look at this story and in a human sense say, "Well, that didn't turn out well," when actually some amazing things went on there in Lystra.   In Galatians 6:17 we read Paul talking about this event saying, "from now on, let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus." The leftover marks from the stoning. And 2 Corinthians 11:25 Paul tells us "…once I was pelted with stones."   Yet inspite of that horrible event -  3 lives were changed (2 Timothy 1:5) - 3 people were converted to faith in Christ in the city of Lystra: A grandmother - Lois A mother  - Eunice A teenager - Timothy  After being stoned, believe it our not, Paul goes back to Lystra to see Timothy. Acts 16:1-2 tells us that Paul takes Timothy as his son in the faith and Timothy accompanies Paul in the following missionary journeys. Timothy becomes one of Paul's dearest friends and trusted co-workers. This all happened in a city where everything looked like it had gone wrong.   What we learn: A profound lesson: often times in those places where we feel things have not worked out well, God is working behind the scenes to do things that are absolutely amazing. From these verses we get to see what happened in the spiritual realm at the stoning at Lystra that day.  God was moving mightily, even though with human eyes it didn't look good. It was! God was working!   As we face challenges and difficulties today, we need to be strong and courageous and take heart, because just as the Hebrew Scriptures say: "The Lord our God is with us!"     Now What? Learn about God at https://www.awakeusnow.com EVERYTHING we offer is FREE.   View live or on demand: https://www.awakeusnow.com/tuesday-bible-class   For the full list of videos in this series, Dig Deeper, https://www.awakeusnow.com/dig-deeper   For more check out our Sunday series, God ACTS! https://www.awakeusnow.com/god-acts-then-now   Join us Sundays  https://www.awakeusnow.com/sunday-service   Or watch from our Youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/@AwakeUsNow/videos    Watch via our app. Text HELLO to 888-364-4483 to download our app.

God brings together diverse people through faith in Jesus and makes them a family.

Many of us face hundreds, if not thousands, of decisions every day. But many are left wondering what God's will for their life is. In the remainder of Acts 1, we see the apostles engage with this question through prayer and the clarity of God's Word as they decide who the next apostle will be. It's here that we see that God tells us his will, and he guides us in doing his will.

Acts 14 is a lesson in church planting. It is a lesson on how God's people are called to call others into a relationship with Jesus, and to build congregations in homes, in unusual places, underground in some parts of the world, wherever the Spirit of God is moving.    God gives to His people strength, guidance, direction and power to carry out the mission Jesus has given us in making disciples of the nations.   The story pics up in Acts 14:1 in Iconium and there Paul and Barnabas teach both Jews and Greeks the Good News of Jesus and many came to faith. But a group of Jews who refused to believe in Jesus stirred up opposition. Paul and Barnabas however, were not intimidated and continued to preach and perform signs and wonders. Then there began a plot to stone them, so they fled and head to Lystra where they see a man that was lame.   As Paul spoke the Good News of Christ, he saw the man had the faith to be healed and Paul tells the man to "stand up and walk." Following this miracle the crowds, in their own language, spoke of Paul and Barnabas being gods; Zeus and Hermes. As Paul and Barnabas figure out what is being said and see people wanting to offer sacrifices to them, they tear their clothes and tell them they are human just like them and refuse to receive anything from the crowd. They tell them they are bringing them the Good News of a Living God.    As the story continues Paul is being stoned, the angry leaders of the church and others, left him outside the town as dead, but the disciples gather around Paul and then he gets up and heads to Derbe where he and Barnabas again won a large number of disciples for Christ. (See 2 Timothy 3:10-11)    But then, Paul and Barnabas return to those cities where they had been persecuted and they encourage the disciples to remain true to the faith. They tell them that as believers we must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God.   Salvation is free but living the christian life is hard.   THEN + NOW - Spreading the Kingdom - church planting When we are around people who have a confused notion of what is real and what is true we are to do as Paul did: Bring them the Good News of Jesus - tell them Jesus' story. One God - tell them there is One god, not many like they had Creator - that the One God is Creator of all Good - That God is good Strengthen one another - We are to be grounded in the Word of God, the word of truth, and to take the narrow road.  The word gives direction and understanding, and exposes what is false, evil and deadly. Encourage believers - we are to encourage believers going through tragedy and loss, reminding them of God's promises, building them up in confidence and hope in Christ. Commissioning - As believers we are commissioned. Our purpose is to reach the world for Christ. We are called to being committed to carrying out the commission of Jesus. We are not called to be comfortable, we are called to be comforters. We are not called to be contented with the status quo, we are called to be committed to carrying out the commission of Jesus. This is needed in every age, every generation and in every land.     Pastor shares a personal family story…   Pastor concludes with: How dangerous it is to embrace religion without embracing Christ.  It's a danger to be comfortable with the status quo rather than to have hearts that grieve for those who don't yet know the Lord.  How dangerous it is to simply want to maintain what we have rather than follow what Jesus has commanded us to do to winning the world to faith in Him.   We are to answer the Lord's call, "Send me! Send me!"     This week's READING ASSIGNMENT: Acts chapter 14-15.      Now What? Learn about God at https://www.awakeusnow.com EVERYTHING we offer is FREE.   Check out this video series from our website: https://www.awakeusnow.com/god-acts-then-now   Or watch from our Youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/@AwakeUsNow/videos   Join us Sundays live or on demand from our website  https://www.awakeusnow.com/sunday-service

Thursday, August 27, 2026

Wednesday, August 26, 2026

Send us Fan MailWhat if everything you thought about evangelism is actually getting in the way? This week on Midweek Motivation, Jess and Pastor Gabe have an honest conversation about the baggage Christians carry around sharing their faith, why the "spiritual salesperson" approach backfires, and a simple five-step framework called BLESS that changes the whole game. Gabe confesses how he started out blitzing his neighborhood with church invites and what happened when he stopped.Discover:Why most Christians feel like they have to become a different person to share their faithhe BLESS framework: Begin with prayer, Listen, Eat together, Serve, Share your storyHow Gabe's 20-year neighborhood journey went from door-to-door invites to an organic prayer circleWhy trust is the only currency that matters for the gospel in PortlandHow to use the free BLESS tool right from the Westside appThe difference between a transactional approach and a relational lifestyleThe best part? None of this requires you to be someone you're not. You don't need a megaphone. You don't need all the answers. You just need to be willing to listen, show up, and share your own story when the time comes. This is the Jesus way, and it's been working for 2,000 years.Key Takeaways:Evangelism starts with prayer and listening, not talkingTrust is built through presence, not invitationsYou don't need to know all the Bible answers to share your storyServing someone's real needs opens doors that arguments never willThis is a lifestyle, not a program or a tactic with an end dateQuestion for you to think about:What would it look like to invest in one neighbor this week with zero agenda other than actually knowing them?If this reframed how you think about sharing your faith, pass it along to someone who needs to hear it. Drop a comment with your story. Subscribe so you never miss a Midweek Motivation.Series: The Wild Work of God (Acts 1-6) at Westside Community ChurchSUBSCRIBE to always see our content and let us reach more people for Jesus: https://www.youtube.com/westsidecommunitychurchpdx?sub_confirmation=1Give to support this ministry and help us reach people all around the world: https://www.westsidecommunitychurch.com/giveWebsite: https://www.westsidecommunitychurch.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/westsidecommunitychurchFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/westsidecommunitychurchpdx#MidweekMotivation #BLESS #Evangelism #WestsideCommunityChurch #ShareYourFaith #WildWorkOfGod #ChristianLiving #Community #Trust #Portland

This message launches from Acts 17 to observe how the apostle Paul spoke before Greek philosophers in the ancient city of Athens and how he opened the door leading people to consider Jesus. Paul began with the greatness of God and how God created the nations to seek and find Him for He is not far from anyone. This message continues by recognizing the model of evangelism in the New Testament and how Christians can begin to imitate this approach today.

Acts 13:6-11 - is the story of the blinding of the false prophet. Paul uses tough words against the false prophet with the intent to heal, not destroy.   Who else do we know was blinded?  Paul himself had been blinded by the Lord in order that he would then see the truth of who Jesus is.   At the root of this event of blindness on the false prophet is God's same desire - to use it to bring the false prophet to see the truth of who Jesus is.    Bar-Jesus the false prophet was an attendant to the proconsul Sergius Paulus, and as the proconsul witnessed the blinding of his attendant and heard the teaching about the Jesus, he came to faith in Christ.   Then Paul and Barnabas head to Pisidian Antioch. Pastor shares a very interesting discovery found near Pisidian Antioch. A Family Estate Marker engraved with the name "Sergius Paulus."  Pastor, with holy speculation, wonders whether it may have been the proconsul along with the Holy Spirit who instigated Paul and Barnabas' trip to Pisidian Antioch based on the proconsul's desire for his family to hear the Gospel message!   Now What? Learn about God at https://www.awakeusnow.com EVERYTHING we offer is FREE.   View live or on demand: https://www.awakeusnow.com/tuesday-bible-class   For the full list of videos in this series, Dig Deeper, https://www.awakeusnow.com/dig-deeper   For more check out our Sunday series, God ACTS! https://www.awakeusnow.com/god-acts-then-now   Join us Sundays  https://www.awakeusnow.com/sunday-service   Or watch from our Youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/@AwakeUsNow/videos    Watch via our app. Text HELLO to 888-364-4483 to download our app.

Trust the Slow Work of GodActs 15:36-41Teacher: Matt PiersonDate: August 23, 2026What should we do when the unthinkable happens, and a relationship we thought was rock solid and indestructible explodes into a thousand pieces? What do repentance and forgiveness look like when we can't even agree to disagree? What hope is there for healing, forgiveness, and reconciliation? Join Pastor Matt as we look at Acts 15:36-41 and consider the broken relationship of Paul and Barnabas, and how God continued to work through them, despite their differences.Support the showTo find more resources like these, follow us:Website: https://thevillagechapel.comYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQVTzDbaiXVUAm_mUBDCTJAInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/tvcnashville/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tvcnashvilleX: https://twitter.com/tvcnashvilleTo support the ongoing mission of The Village Chapel go to https://thevillagechapel.com/give/. If you are a regular giver, thank you for your continued faithfulness and generosity!

Chapters 1-12 the focus has been on the Jerusalem believers, Apostle Peter Chapter 13 and onward will be focused on the Apostle Paul (also known as Saul) and the church at Antioch. In the book of Acts Paul travels 12,000 miles (20,000 kilometers) to bring the message of Jesus to people who had never heard of Him.   Acts 13   THEN + NOW   Seek and heed the Spirit. In the first 3 verses of this chapter we see them praying, fasting and doing as the Holy Spirit leads.Seeking the Spirit's guidance and then heeding it is an important truth for us today individually and as the Body of Christ.  Acts 13:1-3 Rely on the Holy Spirit.  Paul and Barnabas follow the Holy Spirit's leading and head to the island of Cyprus. There they meet the proconsul Sergius Paulus and his attendant, a sorcerer and false prophet named Bar-Jesus. The sorcerer tries to stop the proconsul from faith in Jesus as Paul and Barnabas share the Good News. God blinds the sorcerer and when the proconsul sees this he believes because he was amazed at the teaching about Jesus.  There is power in the Name of Jesus, there is power through the Holy Spirit, there is insight given to those who believe and trust the Lord and who rely upon the Holy Spirit. Acts 13:4-12    Connect Scripture to today. Paul and Barnabas leave Cyprus and sail to Perga and then travel to Pisidian Antioch. They go to the synagogue and are asked if they have a word of exhortation to share with the people. Paul talks through the history of the people of Israel and all that God had done ending with God's bringing of the Messiah, Jesus the Savior. Paul connected the scripture to the present day. The Bible is for all people, in all times, in every generation. The Scriptures are relevant for us today. Acts 13:13-26 Testifies to the Risen Savior.  Paul goes on to say how people missed and ignored what was prophesied about the Savior even going so far as to execute Him on the cross even without proper grounds to do so. Then they laid him in a tomb and God raised Him from the dead and there are witnesses to His resurrection.  Paul makes it evident that what the prophets had said would happen was accomplished with Jesus Christ the Messiah and risen Savior. Our mission is to testify what God has done and point people to Jesus.   Acts 13:27-32  Christ alone can free us.  Paul shares by quoting Scriptures: Psalm 2:7, Isaiah 55:3, Psalm 16:10 and goes on to tell that all sins are forgiven in Christ. Following the Law doesn't save us, rather it shows us our failure to uphold it and shows our need for the Savior. Through faith in Jesus we are set free from every sin, a justification we are unable to obtain ourselves, it is only in Jesus Christ alone.  Act 23:33-43 The following weeks many came to the synagogue to hear the Good News but some Jews were filled with jealousy and began to contradict what Paul was saying, heaping abuse on him. Paul and Barnabas spoke boldly that they had to speak the Word of God to the Jews first but that now they would teach the Gentiles. The gentiles rejoiced and the word of the Lord spread throughout the whole region and as it did the Jewish leaders incited the Jewish people against Paul and Barnabas until they finally left, shaking the dust off their feet and going to Iconium filled with joy and the Holy Spirit. Acts 13:44-51   This week's READING ASSIGNMENT: Acts chapter 13-14.      Now What? Learn about God at https://www.awakeusnow.com EVERYTHING we offer is FREE.   Check out this video series from our website: https://www.awakeusnow.com/god-acts-then-now   Or watch from our Youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/@AwakeUsNow/videos   Join us Sundays live or on demand from our website  https://www.awakeusnow.com/sunday-service

Verse by verse study through the book of Acts Chapter Thirteen and Verse  Five

Read with us: Acts 10:9-18 Check out our website: https://faithcommunityma.com/

Herod Agrippa I Ruled 41-44 A.D. Grandson of King Herod the Great Imprisoned Peter during Passover in 42 or 43 A.D. He died before Passover of 44 A.D.   Herod went from Judea to Caesarea following Peter's angelic escape from prison. Herod was quarreling with the people of Tyre and Sidon. They joined together asking for an appointment with Herod requesting for peace as they depended on Herod for their food supply.    From writings from Flavius Josephus "Antiquities of the Jews, Book 19" (Translator: Paul L. Maier) Josephus tells us that Herod met with the representatives of Tyre and Sidon in the theater at Caesarea. (Pastor shares pictures of the restored theater today.)     Josephus goes on to share that as Herod entered the theater, "dressed in a garment of woven silver, … his flatterers at once started addressing him as a god." This is just what the Luke (author of Acts) tells us in verses 21-22. "… Herod, wearing his royal robes, sat on his throne …. They shouted, 'This is the voice of a god, not of a man.'" Josephus also adds the following: "The king did not censure them nor reject their flattery as impious." (Josephus, Antiquities 19:343)   Continuing with Luke's narrative in Acts 12:23-24 we read, "Immediately, because Herod did not give praise to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died. But the word of God continued to spread and flourish."   Josephus tells us that Herod, "died after five days of unremitting pain. He was 54 years old."   What do we learn? The word of God endures forever His word is faithful and true Even when His people suffer greatly, in the end God wins and so will we. This account gives a vivid reminder of the power of the Gospel of Jesus, the power of the Living God to comfort and strengthen His own, and the power of God to bring a new and just creation, a new heaven and a new earth. And that is what we await as we continue to walk with Him.     Now What? Learn about God at https://www.awakeusnow.com EVERYTHING we offer is FREE.   View live or on demand: https://www.awakeusnow.com/tuesday-bible-class   For the full list of videos in this series, Dig Deeper, https://www.awakeusnow.com/dig-deeper   For more check out our Sunday series, God ACTS! https://www.awakeusnow.com/god-acts-then-now   Join us Sundays  https://www.awakeusnow.com/sunday-service   Or watch from our Youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/@AwakeUsNow/videos   Watch via our app. Text HELLO to 888-364-4483 to download our app.

In this broadcast of For Zion's Sake, Shelley and June Volk discuss the profound theme of living "for His sake." Building on Jesus' teaching in John 15:13 on laying down one's life, they explore how God consistently acts throughout Scripture—from the Exodus to the prayers of Daniel—to uphold and glorify His own name. The Volks remind believers that carrying God's name is both a privilege and a high calling, urging listeners to live in a way that reflects His character, brings honor to Messiah, and intercedes faithfully for others. Key Takeaways Living for Jesus First: Laying down one's life for others is only possible when believers live primary for Jesus, letting His grace and life flow through them. God Acts for His Name's Sake: Scriptural accounts in Daniel and Ezekiel show that God's mercy, forgiveness, and deliverance are grounded in His desire to uphold His own holy character. Bearing the Stamp of God: Believers are identified with God's name; daily choices, speech, and conduct either bring glory or reproach to Him. Persistent Intercession: Followers of Christ are encouraged to pray faithfully for family, friends, and adversaries, asking God to reveal His righteousness and salvation. Bible Passages Referenced John 15:13 – Greater love has no man than to lay down his life for his friends. 1 Samuel 12:19–22 – The Lord's commitment to His people for His great name's sake. Psalm 103:10–11 – God's immense lovingkindness and mercy toward those who fear Him. Daniel 9:16–19 – Daniel's prayer appealing to God's compassion and the honor of His name. Ezekiel 20:7–9 – God delivering His people out of Egypt so His name would not be profaned. Support the show: https://shellyandjunevolk.com/product/partner-with-us-psalm-127-fund/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

God's word brings light into our lives, gives us direction and points us to Jesus showing us where our hope and strength are found. Today's story demonstrates this truth. Join us!   Chapter 12 is about some of the persecution Peter experienced and we will look at Peter's writings in 1 Peter in conjunction with this story in Acts chapter 12 for additional insights.   THEN + NOW Persecution - Acts 12:1-4; 1 Peter 4:12-13 Herod Agrippa the First, encouraged by approval after arresting believers and putting the Apostle James to death, decides to arrest and imprison Peter. He has Peter under guard by four squads of four soldiers each. He is planning a public trial of Peter after the Passover.     1 Peter 4:12-13 - Peter tells us not to be surprised at persecution and to instead rejoice that we can participate in the sufferings of Christ.    There is a cost to following Jesus. The enemy desires to stifle our witness and to destroy the plans and purposes of God.   Prayer - Acts 12:5; 1 Peter 3:12 (Psalm 34:15) While Peter is imprisoned the believers are praying for him.   1 Peter 3:12 Peter quotes Psalm 34:15 sharing that prayer is answered by God.    We are called to be faithful in prayer.   Peace  - Acts 12:6; 1 Peter 3:14, 1 Peter 5:7 The night before his trial we see Peter peacefully sleeping while under heavy guard.   1 Peter 3:14 Peter tells us not to fear threats because God is in control.   1 Peter 5::7 Peter tells us to cast all our anxiety on Jesus because He cares for us.   Provision - Acts 12:7; 1 Peter 3:21b-22 An angel appears in the jail and the chains fall off of Peter.    1 Peter 3:21b-22 Peter tells us that Christ who is at God's right hand, has everything in submission to Him.     God is in charge and even when an evil ruler seeks to destroy God's people, God knows and it is His plans that will succeed.   Praise -  Acts 12:8-11; 1 Peter 1:3, 1 Peter 5:10-11 Peter gets dressed and follows the angel out of the prison. Peter thinks he is seeing a vision. He and the angel walk past the guards, out the gate and the angel leaves him. Then he realizes that it was all real and that the Lord rescued him from Herod's clutches! We learn that our response to God's deliverance is to be one of praise.   1 Peter 1:3 Peter tells us to praise the Lord for our new birth in the resurrected Christ. This gift is our motivation to praise Him.   1 Peter 5:10-11 tells us we are to praise God for His provision.    We are to praise Him in all circumstances.   Prepared - Acts 12:12—19; 1 Peter 3:15 Peter goes to the house where the believers are praying for him. He tells them how the Lord brought him out of the prison and then he leaves for another place.    The next morning there is chaos at the prison as they try to figure out what happened to Peter. Herod holds a thorough search, cross-examines the guards and orders them executed.    But what can we trust Peter shared with these guards as he was imprisoned? What do we know about Peter's heart for sharing the Gospel message of Christ's love for all including the soldiers holding him prisoner. Peter was prepared to answer all their questions and to give them the Good News of Christ.   1 Peter 3:15 Peter tells us to always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks us to give the reason for the hope that we have.    These guards died not through their own fault but simply because they were connected to Peter.    How did what Peter would have taught them about Jesus affect their last moments here on this earth?   How did what Peter would have shared about Jesus affect where they spend eternity?   Am I prepared with answers about who Jesus is?    Am I prepared to be used by God to affect where those I meet spend eternity?   In this life we will have persecution. How will we respond?  -With prayer, knowing God hears and answers.  -With peace, because God cares for us.  -With the assurance of His provision because He is in control of all. -With praise, because He is our Deliverer. -And we will be prepared to be used by God to share the Gospel message even to our persecutors.   This week's READING ASSIGNMENT: Acts chapter 12-13.    Now What? Learn about God at https://www.awakeusnow.com EVERYTHING we offer is FREE.   Check out this video series from our website: https://www.awakeusnow.com/god-acts-then-now   Or watch from our Youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/@AwakeUsNow/videos   Join us Sundays live or on demand from our website  https://www.awakeusnow.com/sunday-service

Verse by verse study through the book of Acts Chapter Twelve and Verse Twenty Four

Verse by verse study through the book of Acts Chapter Twelve and Verse Twenty Two

In Acts 11:26 we read that the disciples were called Christians first at Antioch. "Disciple" is the most used word in the New Testament to describe followers of Jesus. It is used 261 times. The word "Christian" is used only 3 times in the New Testament. Brothers and sisters, believers, followers are also used but "disciples" is Jesus' favorite word to describe His followers.   Matthew 29:19-20 - the Great Commission - Jesus says, "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."   The other 2 uses of Christian: Acts 26:28 Then Agrippa said to Paul, "Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?" 1 Peter 4:16 However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name.   The New Testament word appears to be invented by the opposition, a derisive term patterned after the names of Roman political parties; Example those following Herod = Herodians, or followers of Pompe = Pompeians.   Christian = Christ followers. Or "Christ-ers."   Followers of Jesus accepted and reveled in the name.  In the writings of non-Christian people we see them embracing that term. "And the tribe of the Christians so called after him, has still to this day not disappeared." - Josephus, Antiquities, Book 18 (ca. 93A.D.)    Another example from an adamant unbeliever: "Consequently, to get rid of the reports, Nero fastened the guilt and inflicted the most exquisite tortures on a class hated for their abominations, called Christians by the populace. Christus, from whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilat…" Tacitus, The Annals, Book 15 (ca.118 A.D.)   Christian is all about the Messiah, the Christ of God, the Lord Jesus our Savior and the world's Savior.  It's also about our mission to bring others to Christ where there is healing, forgiveness, and hope of eternal life.     We are called to bear His Name with joy, confidence and power!!     Now What? Learn about God at https://www.awakeusnow.com EVERYTHING we offer is FREE.   View live or on demand: https://www.awakeusnow.com/tuesday-bible-class   For the full list of videos in this series, Dig Deeper, https://www.awakeusnow.com/dig-deeper   For more check out our Sunday series, God ACTS! https://www.awakeusnow.com/god-acts-then-now   Join us Sundays  https://www.awakeusnow.com/sunday-service   Or watch from our Youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/@AwakeUsNow/videos     Watch via our app. Text HELLO to 888-364-4483 to download our app.

God's Gospel Goes Global   After Peter told the story of his vision and going to Joppa to the home of Cornelius, we read in Acts 11:18 that "… the believers in Jerusalem had no further objections and praised God saying, 'So even to Gentiles God has granted repentance that leads to life.'" And now the barriers that had existed between the Jewish world and the non-Jewish world are down in a single moment. The believers in Jerusalem that had grown up as devout Jewish people had their eyes opened to understand the new age that God promised had arrived. AND God's Gospel Goes Global!!!   Then + Now  GOD's Plan - His plan and intent have always been to win the entire world to Himself. God's plan is coming to fruition. Romans 10:12-13 we see that there is no difference between Jew and Gentile because the Lord saves all who call on Him.   In verse 19 and 20 we read that those scattered by the persecution following Stephen's martyrdom are spreading into Cyprus, Phoenicia and Antioch sharing the gospel message to Jews and Greeks. Peter's ministry to Cornelius opened the flood gates!!  Verse 21 tells us that the Lord was with them and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.   We see the gospel exploding in Antioch, a place with many from multiple backgrounds and cultures, a wealthy city and an incredibly immoral city and this is where the Gospel explodes!!  Unbelievers discover what they are living for has no lasting value, leaving them empty.  Does this sound like the world today?  It is there that God desires to bring the Good News that changes people lives, transforming them from the inside out, that brings an eternal destiny, and great joy and He does that through His people then and NOW!   God's People - God uses His people to do mighty things. He desires to use us to touch our families, neighbors, and even our enemies with His word and his love. In verse 22 the news of the spread of the Gospel got back to the church in Jerusalem, so they send Barnabas to Antioch. Barnabas was from Cypress and was known as an encourager and once he saw what the grace of God was doing there, he encouraged the new believers to persevere in their faith with all their hearts, just as we need to do TODAY!   God's Grace - God's breaks into our lives because He is good, not because of anything we have done, but because He is gracious. It is all based on what Jesus did at the cross. We all need to encounter that grace and know that God cares for us. His grace is powerful and changes lives, families, marriages, communities and the world both then and NOW!.   God's Leaders - Through Barnabas a great number of people are brought to the Lord. And Barnabas goes to Tarsus to bring Saul to Antioch. God assembles a great group of leaders, an amazing team uniquely qualified to carry out God's plan. In verse 26 we read that great numbers of people in Antioch were taught for an entire year by this leadership team, equipping God's people to know God, His Word, His guidance, His direction, and His Holy Spirit. These leaders were specially needed in a corrupt age, in a corrupt city, because if God's people are not equipped they will fall prey to the enemy. Today we see God continuing to raise up leaders to do His work, in His strength and with His guidance and Holy Spirit.    God's Teaching - we need to be instructed in the Truth.  It is a matter of connecting what the Bible says to the life of a believer.  Orthodoxy - right opinion - Beliefs - essential to be grounded in God's truth - the message of Christ's forgiveness. Orthopraxy - right practice - Conduct - knowing how to live our lives in a fallen world.  It's not just head knowledge, it is about heartfelt, Spirit-guided living - conduct that becomes a follower of Jesus.   Titus 2:11-14 - the grace of God offers salvation to ALL people and teaches us to live self-controlled, godly lives as we await Christ's return.    God's Mercy - In verses 28-30 we read that Agabus, a prophet, predicts a famine, so the disciples decide to support the believers living in Judea. In the mercy of God they reached out to those in the midst of famine, then. Today, God's mercy shows in us as we walk by faith and follow the Holy Spirit's leading.   … and God's Gospel continues to Go Global!   This week's READING ASSIGNMENT: Acts chapter 11-12.    Now What? Learn about God at https://www.awakeusnow.com EVERYTHING we offer is FREE.   Check out this video series from our website: https://www.awakeusnow.com/god-acts-then-now   Or watch from our Youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/@AwakeUsNow/videos   Join us Sundays live or on demand from our website  https://www.awakeusnow.com/sunday-service

A @Christadelphians Video: # YouTube Summary/Description**[Actual, provable Bible Truth]** In a world that celebrates what Scripture clearly defines as sin, we must stand firm on God's Word. This thought-provoking and insightful presentation tackles the difficult subject of LGBTQ+ issues from a thoroughly biblical perspective, examining what the Old and New Testaments actually say about homosexuality, identity, and God's design for humanity.Join us for this outstanding expositional study as we blow the trumpet and sound the warning that our community desperately needs to hear. Drawing from the Law, the Prophets, and the Apostles, we present a clear, compassionate, and uncompromising look at what God thinks about these matters—not what the world thinks, not what we think, but what the Father has revealed in His Word.This wonderful presentation offers hope through the powerful truth that **such were some of you**—but you were washed, sanctified, and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Change is possible. Overcomers are made through faith.##

Using the Bible and Roman sources, Pastor teaches us about Centurions.   In Sunday's message we met the Centurion, Cornelius. (See teaching here https://youtu.be/yjK_CB20Fk0) Acts 10:1-2 Cornelius was a centurion in the Italian Regiment.    What we know about Centurions Backbone of the Roman Army Tested and dependable leaders Commanded 80-100 soldiers - 6 Centurions to a Cohort (600) and 10 Cohorts to a Legion (6000) Mentioned more that 20 times in the New Testament - Luke 7:1-10, Matthew 8:5-13, Matthew 27:54, Mark 15:39, Luke 23:47, Acts 10:1-7, Acts 21:32, Acts 22:25-29, Acts 23:17, Acts 23:23, Acts 24:23, Acts 27:1ff Viewed in very positive terms in the New Testament -    Pastor speculates that these centurions shared their stories with each other and that knowing the stories influenced their actions toward believers   Pastor closes with the proclamation of the centurion at the foot of Jesus' cross who said as Jesus died, "Surely he was the Son of God!"     Now What? Learn about God at https://www.awakeusnow.com EVERYTHING we offer is FREE.   View live or on demand: https://www.awakeusnow.com/tuesday-bible-class   For the full list of videos in this series, Dig Deeper, https://www.awakeusnow.com/dig-deeper   For more check out our Sunday series, God ACTS! https://www.awakeusnow.com/god-acts-then-now   Join us Sundays  https://www.awakeusnow.com/sunday-service   Or watch from our Youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/@AwakeUsNow/videos   Watch via our app. Text HELLO to 888-364-4483 to download our app.

https://cdn.enduringword.com/audio/devotional/Devotional08032026.mp3 The post The Work That Pleases God – Acts 6:2, 4 – August 3, 2026 appeared first on Enduring Word.

Although it's common today to think of Jesus as God, he's the human mediator between God and mankind (1 Tim 2:5). God never feels the pull of sin. Like eating liver and onions, sin holds no temptation for God (Jam 1:13). Jesus, however, faced temptations to sin throughout his life, but he overcame each one (Heb 4:15). Scripture reveals that although Jesus had a miraculous conception (Luke 1:35), he was genuine human being. He was born in the usual manner (Luke 2:7), grew up and became strong (Luke 2:40), and increased in wisdom over time (Luke 2:52). Peter recognized that Jesus was a man attested by God (Acts 2:22-23). Paul saw him as the man who righted Adam's wrongs (Rom 5:12-21). Even when Jesus returns as judge, he will still be a man appointed by God (Acts 17:31). To be human is to be in the image of God (Gen 1:26-27) and to have dominion over creation (Psalm 8:3-8). Jesus, though initially lower than the angels, has received glory and honor as the ultimate man who served God faithfully (Heb 2:5-18). The secret to Jesus's success of living righteously was his dependence on the Father (John 4:34; 5:19, 30; 7:16, 28; 8:26, 28-29; 10:25, 37; 12:49-50; 14:10, 24, 31; 15:10, 15; 17:4, 7-8). The greatest demonstration of his humble obedience was when he faced Satan's temptations in the wilderness (Mat 4:1-11). Jesus is the perfect man, our ultimate example in whose steps we can follow (1 Pet 2:18-25).The post The Gospel 4: Jesus, the Perfect Man first appeared on Living Hope.

Day 1 of our story Today's story takes place in Caesarea - Acts 10:1-8. Cornelius, a Roman soldier, a Centurion, lives there. (Pastor shares pictures of this city, still visible today!) Cornelius was one who worshiped the God of Israel but was not a full convert. He and his family were devout and God-fearing.  Then he receives a vision of an angel. The angel tells him to bring a man from Joppa named Simon known as Peter. We see Cornelius respond immediately to what the angel told him to do.    Day 2  Story moves location to Joppa where Cornelius' servant and one of his soldiers are headed - Acts 10:9-23a. Meanwhile, Peter goes up on the roof of the house he is at and goes into a trance and sees the heavens open and a sheet with all kinds of 4-footed animals, reptiles and birds. (Unclean animals according to the Torah) Then a voice tells him to eat them, but Peter says, I've never eaten anything impure or unclean.  I've obeyed the Torah!  The response from heaven, three times was, "Do not call anything pure that God has made clean." And the sheet was taken back into heaven. While Peter was wondering about the meaning of the vision, the men Cornelius sent found him. The Spirit tells Peter to go downstairs to the men that were sent.  They tell Peter about the vision Cornelius had seen and Peter invites them in.   Day 3 Now our story goes on the road- Act 10:23b.  Peter and some witness head, with Cornelius' servant and soldier, to Caesarea.   Day 4 They arrive in Caesarea - Acts 10:24-48. (Pastor shares more pics of the area) Cornelius has a crowd of people gathered at his home to hear Peter when he arrives. Peter knows he's on God's mission: "You are aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with or visit a Gentile. But God has shown me I should not call anyone impure or unclean." Cornelius retells his vision and says now they are in the presence of God to hear everything Peter has to tell them. Peter responds that he now realizes how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts from every nation those who know the Good News of Jesus Christ, Lord of ALL. He recounts the Gospel story of Jesus, He tells of the Savior's Good News and all that believe in Him receive forgiveness of sins through His name. Then suddenly the Holy Spirit fell on all of them, including the Gentiles. They were baptized in Jesus' name and ask Peter to say for a few more days.   What do we learn from this story?   Then + Now God's Agenda - God sets the agenda for His people, for individuals and for human history. God is fulfilling the New Covenant - That the day would come when the NATIONS would come to God. These are new covenant times! God Shows No Partiality - it is easy to be in our own groups and only see people like us and avoid people who don't fit our mold. But Jesus died for ALL. We are called to reach the world - therefore no partiality - God wants them all. Jesus is LORD - He is the New Covenant. Will we acknowledge His Lordship? He is the judge of the living and the dead. He is the Messiah, the Savior of the Nations, the Anointed Son of God who gave His life for all, rose, ascended and is coming back. Spirit Guided Life - God is not in a box, He sets the agenda, not us. Everything needs to be the way He deems it!   Pastor closes with the questions: Are you listening to God's Agenda for your life? Do Jesus and the Scriptures inform your daily living and actions? Do you sense and heed the Holy Spirit's promptings?   This week's READING ASSIGNMENT: Acts chapter 10 - 11.    Now What? Learn about God at https://www.awakeusnow.com EVERYTHING we offer is FREE.   Check out this video series from our website: https://www.awakeusnow.com/god-acts-then-now   Or watch from our Youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/@AwakeUsNow/videos   Join us Sundays live or on demand from our website  https://www.awakeusnow.com/sunday-service

Have you ever wondered why life sometimes gets harder when you're trying to obey God? You decide to read your Bible, and suddenly everything goes wrong. You commit to serving Christ, and unexpected opposition appears. Is that just coincidence... or is there something deeper going on?In Acts 16, Paul wasn't looking for a fight with the devil. He was simply on his way to a prayer meeting. Yet within hours he confronted a demon, was beaten by an angry mob, thrown into prison, and chained in the darkness. But what looked like Satan's triumph was actually one more of God's victories..Today in Acts 16:16-40 we'll discover what this passage teaches us about spiritual warfare, persecution, and how to rejoice in the face of unfair treatment.Acts 16:16-40 Bible study guide with companion discussion questions on our website: https://studyandobey.com/inductive-bible-study/acts/acts-16-16-40/Study and Obey's Bible study guides on Amazon -https://amzn.to/48SgPEN(As an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.)Study and Obey Free Weekly Podcast on Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/study-and-obey/id1571266150Our website of 1000+ practical and free Bible studies - https://studyandobey.comSupport this ministry -https://studyandobey.com/support/25+ Bible study guides for individual or group study on many different books of the Bible - https://studyandobey.com/shop/Sign up for a weekly Bible study to your inbox. 20+ studies to choose from - https://studyandobey.com/weekly-bible-study/Support the show

Read with us: Acts 9:32-35 Check out our website: https://faithcommunityma.com/