Who needs Jesus? Today we are going to drive home one singular point: People need Jesus. When you get right down to the truth of it, all of us have weakness, cracks in the armor, blemishes and faults. Jesus is the only hope of Eternal Life. Without Jesus, every man and every woman is lost. This is the tale of two very different hearts. It is the tale of two women. One was upper class, the other lower class. One was a wealthy merchant, the other a filthy slave. One was a worshiper of God, the other a pawn of a demon. Yet we’ll discover that the Good News is for people of every class, stripe and creed. [view]

So what do you do when you are walking through the maze of life and you run into a dead end? You’ve climbed the ladder of success to the top only to discover it’s leaning against the wrong wall. The fact is, it’s all a matter of perspective. From one point of view it’s a diabolical Dead-end; A plot by the devil himself to get you tangled in his web and lost in the dark alleys of the labyrinth. Yet from another angle it’s really Divine Guidance in disguise, plain and simple [view]

Reputations are complicated things. It can take years to build up – and a moment to fall. What would you say is your Christian reputation? That is, what do others say of your faith and walk with Jesus Christ? In this message from Acts 16:1-5 we are going to meet a man named Timothy who had a reputation around town. He was known as being of mixed heritage, with a Jewish mother and a Greek father. In a very short time, he had become known to many as faithful believer in Jesus. We can assume then that his faith was manifest and known by his words and his works. His faith was well spoken of. We will also look at the considerable willingness and intentional attitude Timothy possessed to reach the lost with the message of the Gospel. Such that he was willing to remove any obstacle that might be considered an offense to prevent him the opportunity to share the gospel. It is a lesson for us as well, to remove any unnecessary offenses we might put forth. Finally, we will see the effectiveness of Timothy’s faith and ask ourselves if we are effectively sharing the gospel with the lost. To ensure our faith is well spoken of. I pray you find this message both challenging and encouraging! [view]

In today’s sermon we are going to look at two powerful lessons every member of the church needs to master. The first is honoring Christ in our conflicts – and the second is upholding unity in the church. We find the setting for this lesson from scripture in Acts 15:36-41 as Paul and Barnabas prepared to head out on the Second Missionary Journey. PAUL was a passionate, zealous, defender of the Righteousness of God. A bold speaker, being well-schooled in matters of The Law of Moses from his time as a Pharisee. PAUL was a passionate, zealous, defender of the Righteousness of God. A bold speaker, being well-schooled in matters of The Law of Moses from his time as a Pharisee. In this passage we find two men who had a lot in common when it came to their desire to honor and serve Christ. But they were very different in their Personalities, Convictions and Methods. How are we the church to respond when conflict arises? I hope you find this message helpful in answering that question. In all things, to God be the Glory!! [view]

Some things are worth fighting for. Some things are so precious you can’t afford to lose them. Sometimes you absolutely must stand up and be counted or there will be a terrible price to pay. Grace is one of those things. Luke wrote an entire chapter in the book of Acts dedicated to The Great Grace Debate. It must be important. It must be worth fighting over. But why? Why should we care about grace? [view]

Do you want to make the world a better place? A large majority of people express the desire that they would like to see significant change in this troubled world, but don’t know how to accomplish it. “How can I possibly change the world for the better? I’m just one insignificant person; what can I possibly do that would have a world changing ripple effect?” The world has always been changed by single individuals, passionately driven. [view]

Quitting is the easiest thing in the world to do. In fact, all you need to do, to quit, is nothing. There is an old quote that declares, “The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.” Friends, what we know is that evil has been in the world, and in the hearts of mankind, since The Fall in the Garden. And let’s face it, times have only gotten worse! But God, who is the very definition of “Good”, did something about it. He sent His Son, Jesus, to die on the cross for the sins of mankind. Through Jesus, the sins of mankind can be forgiven through faith. Those who believe, are washed clean of their sin, connected by the Holy Spirit, and made able to do good for the glory of God. In today’s message, taken from Acts 14:1-20, we will follow Barnabas and the Apostle Paul as their faith and their commitment to do good is challenged by the most extreme measures. And yet, we are encouraged by the testimony of their faith, that refused to quit! [view]

Question? How does a preacher know when his sermon was effective? Answer: By the effect and the influence it has on those who hear it. In Acts 13:26-41, the Apostle Paul presented a powerful proclamation direct from the history and prophecies of the word of God. In today's message taken from Acts 13:42-52, we are going to look at the Effect and the Influence that sermon had on those who heard it. My challenge to you is to consider THREE things - (1) What affect, and influence is the preaching of the word of God having on you? (2) Are you effectively proclaiming God's message to others? (3) How do you respond to the response of others? Join us and I pray you are influenced to the glory of God by this message. God bless you! [view]

Our message today is about THE message! The message that we preach, the message that Paul preached, the message that Jesus gave his followers. [view]

Authentic ministry is not for the fainthearted. If you are following God’s leading, press on no matter whether you face good times or bad. Whether the skies are blue or stormy black. [view]

There is a lot of talk these days about conflicts going on between the nations of the earth. Those nation's ambassadors are certainly busy! It is an interesting job, the role of an ambassador. First a person is identified as having the necessary skills by the leader of that country who then personally appoints the person to the task. The ambassador is then sent from their homeland into a foreign land to represent the interests of their homeland to that foreign place. The job can be dangerous. The job can entail long and hard hours. The job can even seem futile and to be failing at times. But through all of this, the ambassador is to maintain a proper attitude and commitment to the one who appointed and sent them out. There is a job to be done, and lives are on the line! Friends, you and I, if you are a faithful follower of Jesus Christ, have been appointed by Him, sent out from the Kingdom of God to represent His interests in the kingdom of men. 2 Corinthians 5:20 tells us "Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God." Join us today in a message from Acts 12:25 - 13:3 where we will see the first group calling of Ambassadors for Christ as the message of the Gospel continues to Go and to Grow!! [view]

Have you ever looked at the evil that has plagued mankind, the wickedness that has been brought against the church, and thought, "Why do wicked, evil people get away with that?" The anser is, "They do not." Just after "In the beginning," Satan entered the garden and confronted eve with the truth that God had declared. God had been clear that on the day mankind disobeyed God, eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they would die. Not only a physical death, that would come later, but an immediate spiritual death to the relationship between mankind and God. Satan proposed to mankind that God would not in fact punish them, but that they would become "like" God. This is the lie that mankind belived then, and clings to until this very day- That there is no consequence for sin. Today in ACTS 12:18-24, we will look at a graphic reminder that the lie of Satan is just that, a lie, and that the judgment of God is very real. Join us as we look at this important message to mankind! [view]

Have you ever asked yourself why bad things happen to Christians? Why do those who have rejected the world, and been saved by Christ, not only continue to suffer the same aches, pains and ailments as everyone else, but at times bear additional suffering for no other reason than proclaiming the name of Jesus as our Lord and Savior? To top it off, when Christian’s suffer, why does God heal, seem to spare and rescue some – but not others? How in light of these things how can we have a faith that is strong, yet flexible, and trustworthy under trial? How can we forge a faith that never fails? These are questions we are going to consider as we study through these passages in Acts 12:1-17 [view]

I have a question for you this morning...What does it mean to be a “Christian?” – While it would seem the answer to that is apparent, trust me, it is not. Especially in our day and age. And if we can conclude what it means to be a Christian, the next question becomes, “How does being a Christian impact my life? • What is the Affect and Effect of Christianity to me? (Yes, there is a difference!) I am sure these same questions were asked in the First Century as the Church was finding its foundations. And God provided both instruction and example to equip His saints for the task. Join me in Acts 11:19-30 on June 1, 2025 as we seek to define and find application for Practical Christianity. [view]

The Revelation of the Gospel and Mystery regarding the will of God had now been fully revealed! By God's grace, through His mercy, and long-suffering with the ways of mankind, Salvation had come to ALL people. Jew, Samaritan and Gentile were all invited to glorious salvation found in Christ Jesus alone. How amazing in our day as the Gospel continues to go out to people from every Nation, Tribe and Tongue. ALL who call on the name of the Lord SHALL be saved!! Still, there is some confusion regarding Peter and the role God used him in while revealing these mysteries. In this sermon we will look at the conclusion of the revelation and take a biblical look at the meaning of the Keys to the Kingdom. Join us in Acts 11:1-18!! [view]

Everyone loves a good mystery! First the conundrum is presented and then the investigation begins to track down the clues to discover the answers and reveal the thing previously unknown. In this week's sermon we are continuing to follow the Apostle Peter through the book of Acts and the beginnings of the Church. It was an AMAZING and unique time in history! Christ Jesus had come as foretold by the Jewish prophets to save His people Israel. BUT, that wasn't the whole story. Because it was not to the Jew alone that a Messiah, Christ, Deliverer and King was given. Nor was salvation from the judgement of God for the sins of man for the Jews alone. IN FACT, God had a whole other people group in mind as well as He laid the foundations of the church which would become known as the Body of Christ and the Family of God. WHO??? well, we are about to see that mystery revealed... so join us in this exciting study! [view]

Question, is it really possible to go from Gross to Godly? In this week’s study we see how God illustrates to Peter the incredible reality that Christ Jesus came, died, and rose again to be Savior to ALL who will call on His name in faith. Many of us have read the verses that say, “All who call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” But how often do we dwell on what that fully means? Does this really mean that anyone can be saved? YES! Even people who once denied Jesus or mocked Christians? YES! And that is the beauty of the Good News! We are also going to look at some common misunderstandings regarding the Law of Moses and the church age that that not only Peter struggled with but some Christians today, which can lead to legalism and division in our congregations. I hope you are blessed by this study and are encouraged to live as an Ambassador for Jesus Christ! Join us in in Acts 10:1-23 [view]

Pastor’s Blog The apostles Peter and Paul were very different men on a very similar path. Both had to overcome struggles along the way, and both had to learn to live for Jesus by FAITH, in COMMITMENT, and with PASSION. In today’s message we begin a series of passages in ACTS 9-13 that will outline Peter’s continued journey along that path. But the message is for you and I as well! Join in as we take another look at the Wonder Working Power of God! [view]

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]