Rejection can be deeply painful, triggering a range of negative emotions like sadness, hurt, and anger. If you have ever been denied a job, snubbed by a friend, told your ideas are no good, or turned down by a date, you know what I’m talking about. So how do you deal with rejection? When it seems like nobody in the world wants you, how do you cope with it? How have you learned to deal with rejection gracefully? Saul is an example of someone who nobody wanted and still made a great contribution to the world! [view]

God doesn’t make mistakes. God does have a master plan. God can be trusted. And although I may be completely in the dark about the answers to my questions, I know one thing for sure: I can trust His wisdom. And I will. [view]

In today’s message we consider some of the presumptions that people can carry with them from day-to-day. Presumption means to pre-assume something without verifying it with facts. We will also look at how hard is the journey from sinner to saint for the one who does not know he is a sinner, in need of a Savior? The answer: Impossible!! [view]

It is imperative that Christians learn how to hear God’s voice for themselves. Every believer must learn to recognize God’s voice and understand what he is saying. Christians who impact their world understand that their first calling is not to be successful in the business world, or the sports world, or the medical or legal professions, but to be a success in the kingdom of God. Identifying and following God’s agenda is our purpose in life. [view]

As we come to ask chapter 8, we meet the most interesting character, Simon, the magician! Simon the great! A sorcerer without equal! The talk of Samaria! History is marked with famous men and women who make much of themselves by their own power. But when Simon saw the true power of God, he saw something greater than himself, and sought to join the church. Claiming faith in Jesus, he was baptized and tried to join the church. But sadly, as we will see, he tried to join the church for all the wrong reasons. The church today still has men and women like this. People who have proclaimed their religion, gone through the motions, without ever establishing a relationship with Christ Jesus. People who are more interested in how religion might serve them, rather than now they might serve God. In today’s sermon, we are going to learn from Philip a useful model for sharing the gospel and hear a valuable lesson about those who seek religion for all the wrong reasons. [view]

People of the world are always looking for a scheme to get ahead so that they can fulfill the American Dream. If there is one thing we fear, it’s that our dreams will burn to a crisp. When the storms of life blow the Christian off our comfortable course... we’ve got to realize that Jesus is the master of the winds and the waves. God makes the waves and currents to carry the Christian along to an appointed destination so that we can do his will. So when life hands you lemons… get the blender out and make lemonade. [view]

Today in scripture we will see the sad culmination of contempt the Jewish leaders held for everything to do with their own deliverer, Jesus of Nazareth. [view]

Some of us just don’t seem to learn from our mistakes. So how can we keep from repeating the same old mistakes over and over again? That is Stephen’s question to the nation of Israel. It was his argument that the nation of Israel persistently refused to learn the lessons of history. They lived in perpetual disobedience. They made the mistake of allowing a relationship with God to degrade into ritual, ceremony, sacrifice, duty and legalism. God is much more concerned with the state of our heart than the rituals and trappings of religion. [view]

If you were put on the spot, would you be able to give an adequate defense for what you believe or would you crumble like a wet noodle? In our text today, Stephen, is gifted and expert at defending and proving the truth of Christianity. Stephen, Stephen, full of faith is our example of the power and perils of apologetics. [view]

What do you do when you have a problem with somebody else in church? How should a Christian address problems in church? There are no perfect churches, and there are no churches without problems. If there are people attending your church, you have problems, guaranteed! Even the early church had serious troubles. [view]

Today we pick up where we left off last week – The church was growing – and both the religious and the political leaders of the day took notice – and were NOT happy. They had already arrested Peter and John once – threatened them – and commanded them to speak and teach no more in the name of Jesus of Nazareth. [view]

As we have been studying the Book of Acts – we are looking at the birth and the foundation of the “Church age” or the “Dispensation of Grace.” Dispensations are periods of time, chapters throughout history, that divide the manner in which God has worked to accomplish His purposes in regard to mankind. [view]

What's so bad about a lie? Our society has been teaching that the end justifies the means; That lying is ok as long as you do not get caught; That truth is appropriate if it is convenient to your advantage, otherwise a little white lie is just as good; I am concerned that we are producing a generation of pretty little liars. Our crumbling foundation is riddled with the termites of hundreds of lies, and the whole edifice is ready to fall. [view]