The theme of this week’s sermon on Acts 10 was the Spirit’s desire to reach beyond ‘people like us’ to include outsiders—such as Samaritans, Ethiopian Eunuchs, Romans and Gentiles of all types—as full members of God’s family. As I was sifting through possible ways to highlight that theme, I came across the following illustration. I found it inspiring and important, it just didn’t quite fit the direction the sermon was taking. I thought you might enjoy thinking it over anyway. 

Archived Posts

Prayer Changes Things

Here is a transcript of the prayer I prayed at the end of yesterday’s sermon. 

Optimism, Faith, and Hope:

Practical Steps For Increasing All Three

Here are some practical, spiritual, and relational ways to grow faith, hope and optimism:

Listening Heart

It’s kind of crazy when you think about it.  Wisdom in the Bible is all about listening.  Of course it makes sense that wisdom would start with listening to God, to God’s law and commandments, as well as the promptings and leadings of the Holy Spirit. 

Here are some quotes that
didn’t make it into Sunday’s sermon.

(But it doesn’t mean that they don’t offer real insight into the power of risk over the fear of failure...)

Such A Rich Passage (Luke 19:1-10)

 

            I reflected a lot on the passage about Zacchaeus because it has been written off as “been there, read that, little guy in a tree.”  But it is so rich in getting to the heart of what it means to be saved by grace through faith—to live our lives out of gratitude rather than obligation.