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Group Guide Use this guide to help your group discussion as you meet this week. Acts 1:1-5 Spencer Carey Download TranscriptGood morning. My name is Spencer. I am one of the pastors here. We did it you guys. We made it through 2 Samuel. 1 and 2 Samuel.And now we're in the book of Acts. So if you're new to our church, we typically, not exclusively, but the majority of what we do is we walk through books of the Bible. And we're gonna go verse by verse, passage by passage. And we're in Acts chapter 1 today. As we begin the book of Acts, we'll be in this for the next season. We're in the first five verses of the book of Acts.That is on page 1053, 1053 in your black Bibles. The main text will be coming from the Bible. So we will hold a Bible and read that with this. There'll be other texts. They'll be on the screen. But we're gonna introduce the book of Acts because it is wise when you jump into a book to have some context for what you're actually studying.So I want to point out three things as we begin to introduce us, I think, well to understanding the book of Acts. If you grab a study Bible, like the ESV study Bible, you open it up before we start reading a book. If you're gonna study it, you're gonna see different introductory elements. And I'm gonna give you three that kind of help us frame our time together in the book of Acts. Genre, author, and purpose. So let me hit those very quickly.It's important to first know the genre because not all scripture is the same. You don't read Proverbs like you read the Psalms, like you read Genesis, like you read the Gospels, like you read the epistles, the letters in the New Testament. They are all, they come from different genres. So it's important to understand what you're reading before you jump in. The book of Acts is historical narrative. Functions like the Gospels in that way.It's historical narrative. It's a bunch of stories that tell the story of how the church began starting in the first three decades of the church is what the book of Acts and 28 chapters covers. So from around 33 AD to around 60 to 65 AD, we're gonna read a bunch of stories and teachings that shaped the church early on and that we get to be shaped by as well. So it's one of the longest books in the New Testament. The Gospel of Luke is the only book that's longer and we'll be in it for a bit. So the second thing that is helpful to know is the author.And the author is Luke. So Luke was inspired by God to write this. So let's introduce ourselves to Luke. We don't know a ton. Here's what we do know. Luke was likely Greek.Okay. He may have been Jewish, it's debated, but if he's Jewish, he's very what you would call Hellenistic, meaning he's very Greek influenced. So he's Greek. What we also can see from the letters of the New Testament is he's likely a doctor. So likely a physician like Mike Goble who was just standing here leading us in prayer.He's a doctor. It's also clear that he's an historian. He was tasked with the job of both telling an orderly account of the Gospel in Luke of Jesus Christ and his life, his ministry, his death, his resurrection and the book of Acts, which tells the story of the early church. So some will say that Paul wrote most of the New Testament. It's actually not true. When you go by word count, Luke actually was inspired to write most of the New Testament because Luke and Acts is longer than all Paul's 13 letters combined.Fun fact. Three, purpose. Okay. Why is the book of Acts and our Bibles? Why did God inspire it? Why was it so important that it became an essential part of what's called the New Testament canon?What is the official books of the New Testament? Why do we have this? That's what we get to look at today. One of the things that's clear when you read the book of Luke is that there's this foreshadowing of the inclusion of the Gentiles. So that's basically, I would assume everybody in this room that comes from a non-Jewish background.There's this foreshadowing that the Gospel is going to go to the nations and that we're going to be included. And the book of Acts is going to show us how. How we are brought into the household of faith. So we're going to see this. We're going to look at the values and the witness and the Gospel that spread all that comes out of this. We're going to look at key figures like Philip and Peter and James, the brother of Jesus Christ, and Paul.We're going to look at all of this. And when you actually, if you look at a Bible and you go to Acts, oftentimes they're going to have the subscript that we have from the earliest manuscripts that says Acts of the Apostles. And if you read that, it may lead you to believe that this book is primarily about the work of the apostles. But what we're going to see is this book is primarily about a God rescuing his people and his rescue plan for the nations. And then even more of the point, one of the things that makes Acts so unique and so essential is it gives us the most comprehensive window into the third member of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit.We're going to read a lot about the Holy Spirit. No book in the Bible mentions the Holy Spirit more than the book of Acts. It would be wrong to say that this book is only about the work of the Holy Spirit, because God the Father and Jesus Christ the Son are both present and loom large in this book. But there's no other book in the Bible that gives us a more upfront window to the work of the Holy Spirit than the book of Acts, which makes this very helpful for us as we want to be a Spirit empowered people and the season that we're in trying to be missional and planting a church. So we're very excited to be able to walk this book together.And what we're going to see today and these first few verses and what we're going to see throughout this series can be summarized in this sentence, the Holy Spirit in God's church taking Jesus to the world. That what we're going to see is the Holy Spirit in God's church taking Jesus to the world. So let me pray and then we'll walk through this introduction together. Heavenly Father, we thank you for the good news of the gospel that we just sang about, that we just prayed for, that we just recited from the Scriptures. God, I pray that you would help us be, have open eyes to see how you started your church and what it's built upon.And we ask this in Jesus' name. Amen. All right, go to verse one. In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach. So let's pause there.Out the gate, there should be some questions that jump off the page. Who's Theophilus? When did you do all this, where you dealt with all the things that Jesus began and taught? And that is why understanding Acts, it's very helpful to have a working general knowledge of the book of Luke. The gospel of Luke helps us understand the book of Acts. Luke functions very much like a part one and Acts functions very much like a part two.So what I want to do a little bit today is to go to the book of Luke and to help us see a little bit of how this helps us understand Acts. I want to go to Luke chapter one. This will be on the screen. You can look up here and hold that place in Acts because we'll come back to it. Luke chapter one says, many have undertaken to draw up an account of these things that have been fulfilled among us just as they were handed down to us by those who were, who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the Word. With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you most excellent Theophilus so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.So this is very similar to the introduction to the book of Acts. Who is Theophilus? We don't know for sure. We know that his name means lover of God. Theo and Phyllis, those are two different Greek words to come together, lover of God. It is very likely that he was a wealthy Christian who put the money forward for Luke to do the work of gathering all these reports.It takes time and energy and effort and money to go and travel throughout all of the New Testament world and to put together what is the gospel of Luke? What is these stories that tell us about the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ? And we should be familiar with that concept because we know today they are investigative reporters, that they make their living, they get paid to go out and do investigative work and put together reports from Bob Woodward and his work all the way to reporters like Christopher Rufo today. They are all types of different people that get paid to put together reports.And that is what Luke was. He was an historian who got paid and traveled to go and put together this gospel of Luke that tells us about Jesus Christ. And what I appreciate about Luke is that he's not only just giving us a bunch of facts about Jesus, he does the work of organizing it into a story. So when you read it, like the other gospels, it has story arc. So most stories, the gospels, stories in the Bible and stories that you go and you watch in the movie theaters, most stories have a general story arc.There's an introduction, there's rising tension, so there's going to be some different plot things that happen. There's rising tension, there's a climax, and then there's resolution. That's the majority of stories. And when you read the gospel of Luke, there's an introduction to who Jesus Christ is. He was born. And then all of a sudden, very early, you see the rising tension as he's ministering and establishing and teaching the kingdom of God.He's got the tension with the Pharisees and the religious leaders. And there's this tension that builds all the way towards Jerusalem where Jesus Christ is crucified, where he is resurrected. And then there's this resulting action, which is the commissioning of the church. And I appreciate that because it makes reading the gospels a lot of fun. It helps us see that he's a good storyteller in pulling all these stories together for us to see. But buried in the end of the gospel of Luke, in what we just read a few minutes ago, is a bit of a cliffhanger.And I also appreciate the art of a cliffhanger. My oldest recently has gotten really into books. She loves reading. And what happens sometimes is that she'll come down tired. And she's like, I'm so frustrated because I just want to go to sleep. But every chapter, there's just this cliffhanger.And I just have to keep reading. And it's like, I love that you love reading. We're going to have to learn to live with a cliffhanger for a bit because you actually need to go to sleep. But cliffhangers do that. They kind of leave something lingering that draw you into the next part. And that's what's the genius of the end of the gospel of Luke.And I want to go back to what we read just a few minutes ago so that we can see that. You get the very end of Luke, chapter 24, verses 44 through 49. This is how the gospel of Luke ends. Then he said to them, this is on the screen, these are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled. Okay. That's what we call biblical theology.That's the reality that the entire Old Testament, all of it points to Jesus Christ. And he sang it. Listen, law, the prophets, Psalms, all of it points to me. Verse 45. Then he opened their minds to the scriptures, which is Jesus Christ, opening their minds to understand.46, And said to them, thus it is written that the Christ should suffer, and on the third day rise from the dead. 47, and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed and is named to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things, and behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you, but stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high. So Jesus points to the climactic work, his death, his resurrection. And then he tells them in verse 47, really a preview of what is ahead. He nods to, you're going to go and preach.It's going to be the message of this gospel of his life, death, and resurrection. You go preach that there's going to be a call for repentance of sins. They're going to experience forgiveness that washes and covers us. This is what you're going to proclaim, and that message is going to the nations. You are going to be witnesses of this. But first, you're going to go to Jerusalem, and you're going to wait, because power is going to come from on high.Wait for the promise of the Father. It's coming, but you go into Jerusalem first, and that's like the cliff thing. Oh, wait, what? And it's like, oh, I want to know more about that. And here's the good news. You don't have to wait a year for part two of the movie to come out.You can just flip over the book of Acts, which is what we're in. So go back to verse one. Now, we have a good working knowledge of what Luke is doing in the gospel of Luke. Pick up in verse one, the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, verse two, until the day when he was taken up after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. Which just for a moment, I appreciate that what is clear is that when Jesus is teaching his disciples throughout his ministry, the Holy Spirit is present with him, teaching his followers.Verse three, he presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during 40 days and speaking about the kingdom of God. Okay, so there's a period of time between Christ's resurrection and his ascension, which is what we're going to look at next week is when he ascended to the right hand of God the Father. That period of time is 40 days. So in that 40 days, when you look and read the end of the gospels and you pick up in this part of the book of Acts, we don't get all likely of what Jesus did during that period. We can tell that he appears to them at various times.He's not with them every second, but he appears to them and what he's doing is he's preparing them. He's teaching them the kingdom of God and he's preparing them for what awaits them. He appears to them in Jerusalem. He appears to them on a mountain in Galilee. He appears to them on a lake in Galilee and he's doing the work of preparing them for what's next for the unfolding plan to reach the nation. So he's preparing them, but also what I like in this passage is it points out that he's also establishing that he is alive, that there are witnesses who have seen Christ.That's why Paul in 1 Corinthians, he points out that there are 500 people at one point that saw Jesus in the flesh. So Jesus is both preparing his church for what is ahead and establishing I am alive through all types of eyewitness accounts that we read in the scriptures. So he's in the period of preparation preparing them for what's next over that 40 days and now he's here verse 4. And while staying with them, he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which he said, you heard from me for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.So Jesus is getting ready to ascend, but he tells them you're going to wait. You're going to wait in Jerusalem. You're gonna wait for the promise of the Father and that's foreshadowing what we're going to see the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the church. You're gonna wait for the Holy Spirit to come upon you. Now at this point, it's very likely Jesus has taught them all about water baptism from the moment that he's baptized until now.And they should have the understanding at this point that baptism is the new covenant sign that you belong to God. But what they're going to learn is that faith does not begin with water baptism. It doesn't begin with water that faith begins with fire. That faith begins with fire that comes upon you when the Holy Spirit changes you into a new creation in Christ Jesus. When you believe the gospel of Jesus Christ, the baptism of the Holy Spirit overtakes you and changes you into someone who is new that you belong to Jesus Christ. And then you enter the waters of baptism to declare that you belong to him, which is why we as good Baptists baptize after someone is converted to Jesus Christ.That's what he's giving a nod to here at the end of this verse five. So he's telling them they need to wait. You're gonna go to Jerusalem and you're gonna wait for the Spirit to come upon you. And then you're going to begin to see this wonderful redemption plan that's going to unfold. And the rest of the book of Acts is how that plan unfolds. God in his people with them, bringing them into his mission to reach the nations.And I personally am very thankful that God brings us out of the stands and into the game so that we get to participate with our God in doing the most important eternal work there is. Around this time every year, I get excited because football is not far away. Okay. I love football. It's my favorite sport. I like other sports.Football is my favorite. I like how in August as the first game approaches, how delusional I get into thinking I will convince myself by the end of August that Lenora Sellers may be a Heisman candidate for the University of South Carolina. It's going to happen. I can convince myself of that delusion while also know I can't wait for the disappointment. It's going to be so exciting. I hold those two intention simultaneously and I get excited because I love watching the Gamecocks.I love watching us take on like blue blooded SEC programs like Kentucky and Mississippi State on the SEC Plus Network where we usually play. I just I look forward to it. I like pro football. I like watching. I'm a huge Indianapolis Colts fan. I love watching every season.I was like one time we won the Super Bowl in my entire life and I enjoy doing it. I love watching it. But let me tell you something. When I play football, I had way more fun. When I got to play football growing up, I mean Friday nights were way better than Saturday mornings in the stands. Friday nights in the field were far superior to ever watching something on TV or being there in person to watch it.No, it was a lot more rewarding, a lot more fun to be in the game playing. And what I appreciate about our God is that this wonderful redemption plan that He has given us, that He's unfolding for us, we get to participate in. That we get to wait for the power of God to come upon us and we get to be obedient to where He calls us to go. We get to see the spirit change people's lives. Guys, there's nothing more wonderful in this world than declaring the good news of Jesus Christ to someone who does not believe. And then God goes to work in their heart, brings them to faith in Jesus Christ.And then 10,000 years from now, you are standing in the presence of Christ with that brother's sister because you leveraged your life now for eternity. There is nothing more important. There's nothing more glorious. There's nothing more wonderful. And none of that happens unless the Holy Spirit is present. None of that happens unless the Spirit goes to work.We're like little kids that just want to get in the game and we're like three feet tall and we want to dunk a basketball and we can jump two inches off the ground and we're dreaming up just I want to dunk it and then we get picked up and we get to participate. And that's what the spirit does in us. He works in us in a way where we get to be a part of this, the Holy Spirit in God's church taking Jesus to the world. That's what all of this is about. And that's what we're gonna see throughout the book of Acts. The Holy Spirit in God's church taking Jesus to the world.I just want to give you a preview of what's ahead. I want us to see how this this theme of the Holy Spirit and God's church taking Jesus to the world, how it shows up all over the place. Because we'll work through Acts 1, then we'll get to Acts 2. And in Acts 2 we're gonna see at the festival of Pentecost where all the Jews are coming in to celebrate that at the right time the Holy Spirit will descend upon the church. And then Peter who, think about this, just six weeks before that was denying Jesus Christ repeatedly, stands up what we'll see at Pentecost and preaches a sermon where 3,000 plus people, their eternity has changed and the church begins.And then we're gonna watch from Acts 3 to Acts 6 as the church explodes in Jerusalem. The Spirit working in profoundly wonderful ways as people are being changed. And with that comes what Jesus promised. That if you declare the good news of Jesus Christ, you will be persecuted. You will suffer and they do. And as the church begins to declare the good news of Jesus Christ and powerful, wonderful things begin to happen, the church begins to be persecuted.And that comes to the head in Acts 7 when Stephen, a servant of Jesus Christ, is declaring the gospel and he's murdered and martyred for his faith. And then we'll see how the Spirit uses that. Because the Spirit uses that to expand the church further. When we get to Acts 8 we'll see how this plan is unfolding because they're gonna spread when they're being persecuted into Samaria, into Syria. And now the gospel is spreading. And then we'll follow this as Acts 10 to Acts 12 we'll see the finally how the Gentiles are included and how God works in that.We'll see in Acts 13 at Antioch when the church is commissioned and Paul and Barnabas are sent to go and take the gospel to Asia Minor into Europe and the gospel begins to spread from Acts 13 to Acts 20 all over from Turkey to Greece. The gospel begins to go everywhere. And then as we finish the book of Acts we're gonna see in Acts 21 to 26 when Paul is giving a defense for the gospel as being persecuted, being imprisoned, and that he uses his imprisonment for the gospel to go forward. He uses imprisonment to get the gospel to Rome. He's like I want to get to Rome. So I'm gonna be in prison and that's where I'm going.And then Acts 27 there's a shipwreck and then Acts 28 he finally gets there. And what I love about Acts 28 is when he gets there guess what there are any Christians there. That's what God does. He keeps working in lots of different people. But you keep reading this the Holy Spirit and God's church taking Jesus to the world.You keep following chapter after chapter after chapter and then all of a sudden you get to 28 you get done reading it and it just ends. It's like Luke just dropped the pen and said I'm done. It's the wildest thing. Go read through the book of Acts. I encourage you guys as we start this series go read through the whole book. And you get to the end and it's just like this isn't complete.And we know that Luke knows how to write a story because you can read the gospel of Luke and you can see such compelling story arc and how it and it just that's not we just have this rising tension and it just stops. He just quits writing and it's clearly so incomplete. It's not like any other book in the Bible just stops. And the question that should linger is why. Why? Why is it just that?And the answer is because the story isn't finished. Acts continues. The story isn't finished. The gospel is still trying. We're still taking the gospel to every tribe nation and tongue. The story isn't over.The church keeps going. Years ago there were some clever Christians that came up with a church network name called Acts 29. Which was brilliant. But it was a statement on it keeps going. That we are living and Acts continues. That the story continues.And it does. It continued in the first century as the gospel spread from North Africa to as far as Spain over to India and to Asia. The gospel spread as of the next few centuries as the church began to be further established as they were once a persecuted minority. Faith becomes a majority faith in the Roman empire. And the church begins to grow and to expand and that eventually you follow the centuries and centuries later that there were some Christians who were being persecuted for their faith by the established church of England. And they say we want to go to this new place called America.And they travel to America and that kind of starts a big wave of Christians moving and pastors moving and missionaries moving to America. And eventually you saw land in this state where they start churches from the coast up to the upstate. And eventually at around the early 1900s people came to this part of the river and they began a new church. First Baptist Church of Casey. And this church ministered for a century and then all of a sudden another church started up in the area of Mill City Church. And then a few years later we merged together as one church, Mill City Church.And the spirit is still at work taking Jesus to the world. And what I love is that if you've ever read a book, you ever watched a movie that leaves the ending ambiguous? That leaves a cliffhanger? Instead of getting frustrated, what I like to do is I like to dream a bit. I like to imagine what actually is going on and what could be. Like if you watch the movie Inception, you get to imagine does the top fall or does it keep spinning?And you get to dream a bit about what that can be. If you read a book like The Giver, you get to imagine does he make it? Did he die in the snow or did he make it to experience reality? Whatever story has this ambiguous ending that is unclear, you get to dream a little bit about what that gets to be. And when you read the book of Acts, what I want us to do is I want us to dream a little bit. When we walk through this series, I want to dream about what can be.That if the Holy Spirit is at work in the church to take Jesus to the world, then let's dream a little bit. Because I'll tell you something, we dreamed for years about doing what we just prayed about earlier. For years we dreamed about planting a church. We want to multiply this church. We want to expand to a different part of the city. And then finally God put the pieces together.And if you've been here the last six months, you remember to hear this story. And I'm excited about sending out Oak Ridge. I'm excited about our little small version of Acts continued that we get to do. I'm excited that Mike who is just standing up here and that Isaac get to head out with right now it seems like 60 of y'all counting to go and take the gospel to a very strategic place on exit 51 to reach that part of Lexington that expands all the way into Gilbert and as far as Leesville. Like I'm pumped about that. But if we do that and we go, yes, we did it.We nailed it. We accomplished it. Then we missed it. If we think we've arrived at this, if we think that Jesus Christ's blood was poured out and wrath came upon him, that he conquered death at the resurrection, that he ascended to the right hand of God the Father to be king over all of creation, that the Holy Spirit descended upon the church for just Mill City in Oak Ridge. We missed it. So we need to dream a little bit.We need to dream about what can be. Dream about how God can continue to work because we got work to do. I'm gonna put up a timeline that'll hopefully help visualize this. You can go to that slide. Christ ascended almost 2,000 years ago. Like literally we're getting close to almost literally 2,000 years ago.Okay. At some point he's promised he's going to come back. He's going to return. Now you go to the next slide. I don't know where we are in this timeline. Don't get hung up on this.If you were in the book of Revelation, it's clear that you know we don't know where we are in this timeline, but we're somewhere in the middle of this. Now this expands for thousands of years. We've got a small place in that timeline where we have work to do until he comes back. And we should dream about what that gets to be. Because here's the deal. We've talked about this and we'll keep saying this, that once we set out Oak Ridge, everyone has work to do.There's no neutrality in how this is going down in January. Oak Ridge is going out and they've got work to do. And everyone who's staying here, we have work to do. So I want you to dream. How are we going to be obedient to the call to go and make disciples? How are we going to do that in our version of the Acts-continued story?What are we going to do? I want to give you some considerations for how you should think of this. Some of you need to start taking your faith more seriously. Some of you come on Sundays and you go to a group and or hopefully both. But what it has largely been is a time for you to be filled up.And don't miss something. We want we want you to be filled up. We want you to grow in maturity. But maturity in Christ is not just consuming and being filled up. It's pouring out. That God fills us so that we might multiply ourselves into others.That we might make disciples. The great commission is to make disciples. And some of you need to press into maturity. You get the wonderful opportunity to do that. You get to go deeper into the Bible, deeper into the discipline of prayer. You get to help you have a zeal for evangelizing, for sharing the gospel with your friends, your neighbors, your co-workers.And then I hope you get people that are coming around that don't know Jesus or just new to Jesus and you get to sit with them and point them to who Jesus Christ is and say, come follow me as I follow Christ. There's no better way to use your life than for the sake of helping others know Christ. And you get to. And this next season, you get to be a disciple maker. Some of you will have the opportunity to become a leader in training in your group. And you should take it and you should want this because community groups are the means by which we advance the mission in our city.Okay. Our groups are how we reach our city and our group leaders, you can talk to them. Leading a group is wonderful, but it's also quite difficult at times because the good work that God calls us to do is difficult. That's told to us. And what you get to be as a leader in training is not only grow in knowing more of Christ and maturity, but you get to be a helpful and healthy part of your group. You get to breathe life into your group that when everyone just opts out last minute and the person who was supposed to bring the meat just says, I got the sniffles and I'm out.But you're just like, I'm okay. Well, I'm jumping in. What do you need? That you're going to be a helpful part of your group. And some of you should aspire to them. You should want that.You should want to be a leader. You should want to say, hey, come follow me as I follow Christ. And I want to follow you as you're following Christ. We should want that. There's another thing I want to point out. And when I say this, this is autobiographical.When I led a group, it's reality in my group. Now, I already told my group leader, I'm like, this isn't, this is, this is not just us. This is widespread, but I want to put up group content for a moment. All right. This is last week's group content. This is second Samuel.We have five different versions of group content that show up. It's typically this format. If you're not in a group, you should be in a group and you'll see this and it's pretty great, but there's a gospel centered section. There's a community section. There's on mission section. Something that I've noticed that happens in not just my group, but in a lot of groups is that we will love discussing the Bible.We will love getting deep. We'll get the community and everyone has updates and we'll share and we'll talk. And then all of a sudden it's like time to leave and kids are going crazy and someone hurt themselves. And, and, and, you know, because they ran into the wall or something downstairs, not a, not an adult, but a child. And then it's on mission and it's like, ah, we should do it, right? Yeah.Cool. All right. Let's go home. I'm not going to ask you to show your hands, but how many times does that get buried? That's an afterthought. And it's like that, that needs to come to the foreground.There might be weeks where it's just like, ah, you know what? I love, but let's, we're eating a meal. Let's, let's, let's share some life updates. Let's, let's have some time for this. Let's not miss this because we have friends and neighbors and coworkers who we need to understand the eternal situation that right now they are journeying towards an eternity under the wrath of God because of their sin.And the church is plan a for advancing. You are the person that God has put in their life to tell them Jesus is better, that, that eternity is real and God wants you and is for you and desires you. And it's you. And we need to remember that because what could happen when you get to a church of our size is that you can get comfortable and you can think there isn't a need, but there is. And we can't miss that for a moment. So some of you, some of us need to regain our missional hustle in this season as we dream about what we could be in this Acts continued story.Some of us, some of you need to step up and serve. We've run some Numbers that are out of retreat. We kind of looked at all this stuff. There are 58 members of our church who currently do not serve in any capacity. Now there are some folks who have very, very real legitimate excuses, members of our church who have legitimate excuses for why that cannot happen.But there's a lot that don't. And here's the problem. There's 58 members of our church right now who've set in their commitment. They're committed to serving the church, but they're not serving in any capacity. When we send out Oak Ridge, there's going to be that number drops to 54. Now that tells us a couple things.First Oak Ridge is about to go out with a bunch of people who've served for years. And what Mike and Isaac are going to tell you is guess what? There's more where that came from. You got more work to do there. But what that means for us is that we're losing a big part of our church that has served for years.Like if I put up a chart right now, which I don't have, but if I put up a chart of all the different areas that people serve in our church and I just put in bright colors all the different people who've committed to go to the Oak Ridge church plan and the next slide, after they're gone, it just gets real dark. And it's because we will have opportunities for everyone to pick up a shovel and go. And I'm excited about that. I think you should be too excited about the opportunity to step into Kid City and breathe life into it, to our kids excited to step into hospitality and into groups and a bunch of different ways and to serve and to hustle and to grind because Jesus Christ is worth it.He's worthy of our worship and our service that is worthy of the gospel going forward. We're going to have a variety of ways that we get to dream. And I want you to dream. I want you to have personal dreams where you pray about this. I hope the series of Acts opens that up for you. I've got some.I want to share one of just one that's personal to me. That I feel called to this land and in this area. All right. That wasn't always the case. At one point when I went to seminary, I was like, I'm never coming back. I said it out loud.I'm never coming back. And I came back. Let me tell you something. I love this people. I love this place. Okay.My family history, they came over like 300 years ago to Pelion and they like never left. Like Pillion, West Columbia, Casey Lexington, you draw a triangle and my people have posted up in that area for 300 years. And I personally, I want this part of the Midlands, I want the Midlands to see scores and hundreds and thousands of people come to Christ. Because there's so, I know you think there's, there's lots of people that are, there's lots of churches that there are thousands of people in and around you that do not know and are not following Jesus Christ. And what I'm also seeing is that there are a lot of churches in our area that are dying as a statistical fact.There are a lot of churches in our area that are running in the red financially, that if they lose a few members, they're losing a big part of their church. They're physically dying. They are like a roof replacement away from just, it just have to shut the doors. My personal dream right now is that I want to see men in this church aspire to the office of overseer elder pastor. I want to see men in this church who want to step up and become pastors and pastor churches in this area over the next 10 years that need to be replanted, that need to be revitalized, that need life again. And right now there's a massive pastor shortage across the country.There's a massive pastor shortage. There's a bunch of boomers who are retiring, who are dying, and it's not being filled with younger generations. So what I want to see is men in this church. I want you to pray some dangerous prayers and I want you to ask, do I need to be the kind of man of character that says, follow me as I follow Christ as I shepherd the people of God here or somewhere else? And that's my personal part of the dream. And for the next 10 years, I want to see that happen all over the city.I want 50 years from now the Midlands to look dramatically different in churches because for the next 10 years, we leveraged our time, our energy, our money, and our people to send out pastors and teams of people to go and make more disciples in this city. And I want it to go further because it's been a few years since we have sent a missionary to the foreign mission field. It's been a few years and there are unreached peoples that get the smallest amount of resources and people. And some of you need to go and you don't need to be here in five years. And some of you need to have a conversation with Ben Johnson at 1040 Hub with Tim.Where's he at? Tim Rice over there, who works with IMB. We got missions, opportunities, good Lord. I'd love to see someone go to the nations, but we're going to have to pray and we're going to have to dream and we're going to have to own our part of the Acts-continued story. So in this next season, let's dream a little bit.Let's pray some dangerous prayers. Let's let the Holy Spirit work in a way that gets us in the game. Let's be obedient even when it feels risky, even when it feels uncomfortable. Let's own our part of our very small part, but important part of the story of the Holy Spirit and His Church taking Jesus to this city and the world. Let's pray.Heavenly Father, I pray that You might work in us in this season to stir us towards faith and trusting You. And the fruit of that would show up in beautiful, eternal ways. God, that first means that in this season there are people that do not know You that need to. There are people in this room who do not know You, have not surrendered their life to You, do not see You as Lord, and they need to. And I pray that You open their eyes to who You are and a baptism of the Holy Spirit would take over their lives. God, there are folks in this room that are going, that are going with Oak Ridge, and I am so thankful for their obedience to go, to be uncomfortable, to take risks.Lord, may You bless their labor, and may there be people in the kingdom of God a thousand years from now because they were obedient to go. And God, may You stir in us. May You give us a hustle. May You empower us for the good work that You have right here and beyond for years to come. In Jesus' name, amen.Transcript

The Saturday Edition of the Good Morning Football Podcast looks back at Super Bowl Champ and Hall of Famer Michael Strahan discussing how the Giants can get back to winning in New York. All NFL training camps are underway and the Breakfast Table asks which player needs to have a bully mentality in 2026. Plus, Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell gives inside on the QB room in Minnesota and expectations for the team this season. The Good Morning Football Podcast is part of the NFL Podcast NetworkSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the first hour of Nuanez Now, Colter Nuanez broadcasts live from Cash 1 Pawn and continues his NFL season preview by breaking down his expectations for the Arizona Cardinals, Minnesota Vikings, and Indianapolis Colts, discussing each team's outlook heading into the 2026 season.Next, Colter shares an interview from last weekend's Big Sky Kickoff in Spokane with Montana running back Eli Gillman, who discusses his upcoming senior season, the transition to new head coach Bobby Kennedy, and his expectations for the Grizzlies this fall.Lastly, with Montana officially opening fall camp, Colter takes a closer look at some of the changes Bobby Kennedy is implementing, including adjustments to practice structure, the program's new philosophy, and what Griz fans can expect under the first-year head coach.

As the high school football season is just around the corner, this episode of Network Indiana's Indiana Sports Talk is packed with exciting discussions and updates. The show's host, Eddie Garrison, is joined by a talented lineup of guests, including Kyle Neddenriep of the Indianapolis Star, who shares his insights on the upcoming season and the top players to watch. This episode covers a wide range of topics, from the latest news on the Indianapolis Colts to the upcoming high school football season. The hosts dive into the world of college football, discussing the Big Ten conference and the potential implications of the SEC's decision to consider leaving the NCAA. They also talk to Kyle Neddenriep about the Mister Football Award and the top candidates for this prestigious honor. The conversation with Kyle Neddenriep is a highlight of the episode, as he shares his expertise on the top players to watch in the state of Indiana. He discusses the growth of high school football in the state and the impressive talent that's emerging from the 2024 class. The hosts also chat with other guests, including James Boyd, who provides updates on the Colts' training camp, and Mike Niziolek, who shares his thoughts on the Big Ten conference. If you're a fan of high school football or just looking for some exciting sports talk, this episode of Network Indiana's Indiana Sports Talk is a must-listen. Join Eddie Garrison as he discusses the latest news and updates from the world of sports, and get ready to be informed and entertained.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hour One of the Good Morning Football Podcast begins with the Bucs and Baker Mayfield still negotiating. Hosts Jamie Erdahl, Kyle Brandt, Manti Te'o, and Seth Rollins discuss the impact on the start of the Bucs season. 3x Super Bowl Champ LeGarrette Blount joins in for the rest of the hour! Caleb Williams talks about getting criticism from Ben Johnson. Plus, Deebo Samuel is headed back to the Bay! Stay tuned for Aaron Jones and Chad Ochocinco coming up in Hour 2 of the GMFB Podcast! The Good Morning Football Podcast is part of the NFL Podcast NetworkSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hour Two of the Good Morning Football Podcast begins with the Dak Prescott's Super Bowl shirt. Hosts Jamie Erdahl, Kyle Brandt, Manti Te'o, and Seth Rollins discuss the possibility of Prescott trying to manifest the team's future success. LeGarrette Blount rejoins the Breakfast Table. Vikings RB Aaron Jones talks about his new deal and the changes coming to Minnesota this season. Fmr NFL WR Chad Ochocinco gives his thoughts on the Bengals, the latest Madden player ratings, and Summer Slam! The Good Morning Football Podcast is part of the NFL Podcast NetworkSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hour One of the Good Morning Football Podcast begins with a look at QB battles across the NFL. Hosts Jamie Erdahl, Kyle Brandt, Manti Te’o and LeGarrette Blount discuss the most interesting QB competitions and the situation in Tampa with Baker Mayfield and Vita Vea. What’s one word you would use to describe the Rams potentially adding Aaron Donald and the Buffalo Bills excitement level with Joe Brady.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hour Two of the Good Morning Football Podcast begins with a look the Vikings QB competition between Kyler Murray and JJ McCarthy. Hosts Jamie Erdahl, Kyle Brandt, Manti Te’o and LeGarrette Blount are joined by Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell to hear his perspective on the Vikings quarterback battle. Will Saquon Barkley and Eagles offense return to their 2024 form?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Indianapolis Colts kicked off training camp at Westfield's Grand Park Sports Campus.Dave Griffiths, Mike Chappell and Matt Adams discuss top news from camp, including observations on Daniel Jones, Jonathan Taylor and DeForest Buckner.

Football season is getting closer, and Thursday's edition of *Indiana Sports Beat Radio* has you covered from every angle! *

Bobby Bones and Matt Cassel talk about throwback uniforms and which uniform Matt thinks he looks best in. Bobby asks about career moments that changed the course of your life along with opportunities you didn't take. What are players doing now that it's almost August 1st? Matt ranks his Top 3 QBs in the NFL right now. Plus, Bobby and Matt both reveal how they handle ticket requests from friends and acquaintances. Lots to Say with Bobby Bones and Matt Cassel is part of the NFL Podcast Network See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Matt Jones and Drew Franklin open the NFL Cover Zero mail bag to answer listener questions. What are the best/worst uniforms in the league? Matt gives his thoughts on playing fantasy football and a change he'd like to see in the NFL. Plus, Drew reveals the best food he's ever eaten at a sporting event. Onto NFL news, how will the 49ers adjust through camp after Kyle Shanahan's accident. Tyreek Hlil updates the league on his injury. The Chiefs have cleared Patrick Mahomes to play.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hour One of the Good Morning Football Podcast begins with Year 3 expectations for Caleb Williams. Hosts Jamie Erdahl, Kyle Brandt and Manti Te'o discuss the Bears chances of being a contender in the NFC. Whiteboard Wednesday asks which player will be the biggest bully on the field this season. How does Micah Parsons on the PUP list affect the Packers defense? Plus, a look at the Steelers offense and the connection between DK Metcalf and Aaron Rodgers. Stay tuned for Hour 2 of the GMFB Podcast! The Good Morning Football Podcast is part of the NFL Podcast NetworkSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hour Two of the Good Morning Football Podcast begins with having confidence in the Eagles. Hosts Jamie Erdahl, Kyle Brandt and Manti Te'o discuss what the biggest difference maker will be for the Cowboys to find success in 2026. Can Lamar Jackson rediscover his MVP form? We hear Brock Purdy on throwing to Mike Evans. Plus, what do you expect to see from the QB room of the Vikings? The Good Morning Football Podcast is part of the NFL Podcast NetworkSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today’s Best of Features: (00:00-18:30) – Indianapolis Colts third-round rookie A.J. Haulcy joins Jake Query at Colts Training Camp to recap his first NFL practice. They also dive into which defensive players he loved watching the most, what differences he’s been able to notice so far in the NFL compared to college football, and answers some get to know you questions. (18:30-50:40) – Joel Erickson from the IndyStar joins Jake Query at Grand Park to recap his observations from the first practice for the Indianapolis Colts. Joel provides an update on where things are in the Jonathan Taylor contract negotiations, admits that Daniel Jones looked really good and more fluid than he did at any point during mandatory minicamp, evaluates the Colts wide receiver room, and then identifies which NFL team could struggle this season after having a good year last year and a team that could surprise some people.Support the show: https://1075thefan.com/query-and-company/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Indianapolis Colts third-round rookie A.J. Haulcy joins Jake Query at Colts Training Camp to recap his first NFL practice. They also dive into which defensive players he loved watching the most, what differences he’s been able to notice so far in the NFL compared to college football, and answers some get to know you questions.Support the show: https://1075thefan.com/query-and-company/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

(00:00-30:22) – Query & Company opens a Hump Day Wednesday with Jake Query live from Grand Park and producer Eddie Garrison back in the studio on day one of Indianapolis Colts Training Camp. They open the show by discussing the news about where we could be watching the Indiana Pacers this season as they search for their next TV partner. Jake also shares some things that he has seen from practice so far. (30:22-44:17) – The Indiana Fever picked up their fourth consecutive win last night against the Seattle Storm. Jake and Eddie discuss if the defense for the Fever is improving, or if they’re just relying on their offense every night to go out there and outscore the other team. (44:17-49:05) – Jake Query concludes the first hour of the show by mentioning Big Ten Media Day because there is a lot of talk happening that Jake doesn’t understand. (49:05-1:25:13) – Is Curt Cignetti already pinning headlines to his bulletin board? If so, Jake believes then the college football world is poking the bear. Indianapolis Colts third-round rookie A.J. Haulcy joins Jake Query at Colts Training Camp to recap his first NFL practice. They also dive into which defensive players he loved watching the most, what differences he’s been able to notice so far in the NFL compared to college football, and answers some get to know you questions. (1:25:13-1:28:50) – Jake’s best friend raids Eddie’s studio and surprises Jake with an appearance on the live stream. Jake also welcomes Joel Erickson to the table. (1:28:50-1:36:35) – Hour number two of Query & Company concludes with Joel Erickson and Jake Query discussing about some things that Jake has mentioned recently on the show that Joel brought up off air. (1:36:35-2:09:23) – Joel Erickson from the IndyStar joins Jake Query at Grand Park to recap his observations from the first practice for the Indianapolis Colts. Joel provides an update on where things are in the Jonathan Taylor contract negotiations, admits that Daniel Jones looked really good and more fluid than he did at any point during mandatory minicamp, evaluates the Colts wide receiver room, and then identifies which NFL team could struggle this season after having a good year last year and a team that could surprise some people. (2:09:23-2:16:41) – Jake and Eddie go back to last night’s win for the Indiana Fever over the Seattle Storm. What is the status of Aliyah Boston’s knee injury that sidelined her for two and a half quarters? Where do they need to improve before the playoffs? (2:16:41-2:24:50) – The show closes out with JMV joining the show to preview his show!Support the show: https://1075thefan.com/query-and-company/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this week's show (times approximate): (0:00) BOOK CLUB for the new Netflix doc "A Toxic Love Story" about a truly insane California love triangle (41:00) The Orioles got their best win of the year-does it change anything about how they approach the MLB Trade Deadline? (56:00) AS SEEN ON TWITTER: Jason Bonetti had a great call of the squirrel in Detroit, the Ravens had some fun with new PA announcer JP Stevenson, John Kurk is dark and Plaxico Burress is funny (1:08:00) Training Camp is underway for the Ravens. What can we learn before they face the Indianapolis Colts in Week 1? (1:21:00) SPIN THE WHEEL to discuss LeBron James going to Philadelphia (sorta), a man hiking ten miles in Montana while impaled by a pole, Tony Romo & Kyle Shanahan's driving issues and even Josh Allen struggling to defend the Bills' Nickel City unis (1:42:00) I'M INTO IT-how do we feel about the new Fritos Spicy Dill Pickle, Crumbl's Flamin' Lime Crunch cookie and the Snickers Dipped Cheesecake Bites

Jeff Ratcliffe previews the Houston Texans and Indianapolis Colts for fantasy football purposes in 2026. He begins with the Texans and why he thinks people are crazy for liking David Montgomery, the outlooks for Nico Collins and Jayden Higgins, and how he's approaching CJ Stroud this year. Jeff then heads to Indianapolis to talk the latest on Alec Pierce's recovery from offseason surgery, why he won't get any shares of Tyler Warren in redraft, Daniel Jones' fantasy outlook, and why Jonathan Taylor remains an elite fantasy option. Get Jeff's content: FTN Fantasy Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Intro – 0:00 Colts Injury Updates – 3:56 Chris Ballard Thoughts – 13:15 Josh Downs – 26:10 Twitter Questions – 38:16Support the show: https://1075thefan.com/kevin-bowen/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hour One of the Good Morning Football Podcast begins with reaction to Buccaneers DT Vita Vea requesting a trade. Hosts Jamie Erdahl, Kyle Brandt and Manti Te'o discuss the interesting comments made by Sean McVay and Matthew Stafford. Then they answer: What will the Drake Maye to AJ Brown connection look like?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hour Two of the Good Morning Football Podcast begins with a look at NFC North storylines. Hosts Jamie Erdahl, Kyle Brandt and Manti Te'o react to the "99 CLUB" on Madden. Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive end Michael Strahan wakes up with "GMFB" to discuss his USAA partnership and his upbringing in a military family.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this hour of Money Moves, hosts Stormy Buonantony and Jonathan Von Tobel chat MLB headlines and MVP odds before storylines from Big Ten Media Days. Also on the show, VSiN managing editor Adam Burke drops by from his un-air conditioned home to break down his favorite college football thoughts and MLB plays for today. And, expectations for the Indianapolis Colts. Get instant access to expert picks, public betting splits data, and pro betting tools when you join VSiN pro. You can take 17% off an annual subscription when you use promo code: POD26. Click Here to get started. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Today’s Best of Features: (00:00-15:43) – Scott Agness from Fieldhouse Files makes his weekly appearance on Query & Company to preview the start of the “second half” of the season for the Indiana Fever and recap All-Star weekend. Their conversation starts by highlighting all of the noise that occurred in Chicago surrounding Caitlin Clark and debating whether she needs to come out and directly address some of the narratives about her. Jake also asks Scott for his thoughts on the video of Tyrese Haliburton dunking between his legs. (15:43-33:09) – Matt Verderame from Sports Illustrated joins Query & Company to give his thoughts on the upcoming season for the Indianapolis Colts and some of the NFL storylines that he’s monitoring on report day. Matt is curious to see how the Colts will replace Michael Pittman Jr.’s production and really likes the Colts secondary and envisions a breakout season from Laiatu Latu. Jake asks him who he believes are the worst teams in the NFL right now and states that the AFC West has three of the best teams in the league.Support the show: https://1075thefan.com/query-and-company/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

(00:00-28:03) – Query & Company opens a Tuesday with Jake Query and producer Eddie Garrison noting some of the early comments from Grand Park on report day for the Indianapolis Colts. CJ Allen and Alec Pierce will start training camp on the sideline but DeForest Buckner won’t. (28:03-44:32) – Scott Agness from Fieldhouse Files makes his weekly appearance on Query & Company to preview the start of the “second half” of the season for the Indiana Fever and recap All-Star weekend. Their conversation starts by highlighting all of the noise that occurred in Chicago surrounding Caitlin Clark and debating whether she needs to come out and directly address some of the narratives about her. Jake also asks Scott for his thoughts on the video of Tyrese Haliburton dunking between his legs. (44:32-50:48) – Jake Query concludes the first hour of the show by asking Eddie for fashion advice for his class reunion. (50:48-1:18:03) – Big Ten Network host Dave Revsine joins Query & Company to preview Big Ten Media Days and preview the 2026 College Football season. What teams are going to be more improved compared to last season? How will Curt Cignetti follow up a historic season for Indiana filled with a lot of doubters? Can Barry Odum lead Purdue to more wins in year two? (1:18:03-1:33:34) – Some quotes are starting to come out from Chris Ballard’s media availability and one of them is what he had to say about an extension. Jake, flippantly, congratulates Ballard on stating the obvious. (1:33:34-1:40:06) – Hour number two of Query & Company concludes with Jake Query reacting to what Chris Ballard had to say earlier today about the quarterback room for the Indianapolis Colts. (1:40:06-2:05:41) – Jake Query and producer Eddie Garrison kick off the final hour of the show by highlighting some of the things that were said from Grand Park today from Chris Ballard, Tyler Warren, and Josh Downs. He states that DeForest Buckner and Chris Ballard are in the same boat with this season. (2:05:41-2:24:24) – Matt Verderame from Sports Illustrated joins Query & Company to give his thoughts on the upcoming season for the Indianapolis Colts and some of the NFL storylines that he’s monitoring on report day. Matt is curious to see how the Colts will replace Michael Pittman Jr.’s production and really likes the Colts secondary and envisions a breakout season from Laiatu Latu. Jake asks him who he believes are the worst teams in the NFL right now and states that the AFC West has three of the best teams in the league. (2:25:37-2:29:34) – The show closes out with JMV joining the show to preview his show and recap his conversation with Gene Simmons from yesterday!Support the show: https://1075thefan.com/query-and-company/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On today's show, Pat, Darius Butler, AJ Hawk, and the boys chat about Connor getting married over the weekend, the Flag Football Championships that were in Indy over the weekend, a few more teams reporting for training camp, as all remaining teams will report tomorrow, as well as everything else happening around the sports world. They are also joined by several great guests including the starting Quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts, Daniel Jones; ESPN Senior NFL Insider, Adam Schefter; 5 star edge, the #1 player in the state of Illinois in the 2028 class, Darieon Prescott makes his college commitment; Notre Dame Head Football Coach, Marcus Freeman; and lastly, the WWE Superstar formerly known as The Miz, The Mike joins to break down Summerslam and chat about Jacob Misiorowski, aka The Miz. Make sure to subscribe to ⁠youtube.com/thepatmcafeeshow⁠ or watch on ESPN (12-2 EDT), ESPN's Youtube (12-3 EDT), or ESPN+. We appreciate the hell out of all of you, we'll see you tomorrow. Cheers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hour Two of the Good Morning Football Podcast begins with high expectations for the Rams. Hosts Jamie Erdahl and Manti Te'o discuss how LA holds up to the hype around the team. What are the Jets and Giants biggest questions headed into training camp? Plus, 5x Pro Bowl center Kyan Kalil offers up advice for young centers in the NFL and talks about working on a documentary about football in Mexico! The Good Morning Football Podcast is part of the NFL Podcast NetworkSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.