Sunday, December 29: Bound by the Spirit Acts 28:11–31 There we found some brethren and were invited to stay with them for seven days; and thus, we came to Rome. Acts 28:14 There is no way to read that verse with the full emotional weight of Luke’s words. This is the climax of the book. Paul had set […]
Sunday, December 15: Bound by the Spirit Acts 27:1–44 Paul’s journey is getting close to the end, and having been dismissed by King Agrippa and his crew of bad guys, Paul sets sail for an easy cruise over to Rome. Delightful, serene… none of these words describe what Paul encounters. Instead, what should have been a […]
Sunday, December 8: Bound by the Spirit Acts 26:1–32 Paul’s persistence on his missionary journey has gotten him to the place where he can once again deliver his testimony. He’s asked to speak to the manager often enough that folks have given him an audience with King Agrippa himself. And even before he shares the particulars […]
Sunday, December 1: Bound by the Spirit Acts 25:1–27 Every person who wonders about the truth of the Christian faith should answer this question. What was it that transformed a hot-headed, self-righteous, law-keeping, Christian-killing Pharisee named Saul, into a gracious, unselfish, Christian missionary and servant of Christ named the Apostle Paul? What took place to make that happen? The short answer starts with an event recorded in Acts 9. On the […]
Sunday, November 17: Bound by the Spirit Acts 24:1–27 Procrastination. There must be ten thousand websites on it, covering scholarly essays, articles in psychological journals and university studies. There are tests you can take to quantify how bad off you are. Apparently, twenty percent of us can be identified as chronic procrastinators. You can even find […]
Sunday, November 10: Bound by the Spirit Acts 23:12–35 Have you ever been in a situation where things did not turn out the way you had planned? Maybe you scheduled a romantic getaway, only to be foiled by a sick kid. Maybe you planned a huge holiday meal for your family, but the turkey didn’t get […]
Sunday, November 3: Bound by the Spirit Acts 22:30–23:11 I recently heard a speech by Martin Luther King that some say lost him credibility. In this speech he stood for the convictions of moving from a culture that values things, to a culture that values people. At the time, some of his supporters left him. But […]
Sunday, October 27: Bound by the Spirit Acts 22 Paul’s conversion is a pretty dramatic moment, he’s on his way to hunt down some Christians and he’s hit with a light so hard it knocks him off his horse. He hears the voice of Jesus himself, and it turns out the religion that he’s been chasing […]
Sunday, October 20: Bound by the Spirit Acts 21:1–36 Paul’s not the guy to stay in the same place very long, and this week he’s dead-set on making his way to Rome. He’s going to encounter some resistance along the way though, with opposition from the bad guys and from the home team. What do you do […]
Sunday, October 13: Bound by the Spirit Acts 20:17–38 It’s easy to say goodbye to some people at times – like the neighbor who throws his grass clippings over the fence into your yard every week. It’s never easy, however, to say goodbye to people you really love and care about. The tighter the ties the […]
Sunday, October 6: Bound by the Spirit Acts 20:1–12 Sleeper, Awake! Rise from the dead And Christ will shine on you. This week we come to one of the more familiar scenes in the book of Acts. People who forget almost everything else in the book remember the story about a boy named Eutychus. Why is he famous? He […]
Sunday, September 29: Bound by the Spirit Acts 19 Preview Have you ever felt like you were not up to the task God has given you? Maybe God recently called you to move. Maybe it’s a job or career change. Maybe you have a child with a special need. Sometimes, God calls us to things that are […]