Luke’s account of the Acts of the risen Lord Jesus reveals much about the nature of church. Here, we discover how the church is to be joyfully devoted to doctrine, fellowship, and prayer; that it is a miraculous community confirming the truth of the gospel; and how it is built only by King Jesus through […]

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Encouragement for a Weary Church (Acts 20:1-12)

The book of Acts is not just the story of how the risen Lord Jesus built and established his church, but also how he continued to build up and strengthen his church through his Word of grace. We see this especially in Paul’s ministry of encouragement as be would revisit the churches he had planted […]

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A City Impacted by the Gospel (Acts 19:21-41)

In America today, the temptation is to think that if we can just get the right candidate elected, the right justices appointed, and prayer back in school, then we would be “one nation under God.” But how is the church to make a difference in the world for God’s glory? What do we find in […]

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“There Is Another King—Jesus” (Acts 17:1-15)

Christians are those who believe that Jesus is the risen King. He was enthroned on a cross through the suffering of death yet was raised in victory three days later. Now, exalted as Lord and Savior, he grants forgiveness and eternal life to all who call on his name in faith; by grace, he welcomes […]

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The Lord Jesus Reigns at Philippi (Acts 16:11-40)

The kingdom of God, under the saving rule of Jesus Christ, is the reality to which all history is headed—a new heaven and earth, and a redeemed humanity experiencing the blessing of fellowship with God and one another forever. But this kingdom is also a present reality. The saving rule of Jesus is experienced today […]

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Problems and Providence (Acts 15:36-16:10)

Whether in the church, in ministry, or in everyday life, we seem to always encounter problem after problem. We’re often left wondering what God could possibly be doing in all our difficulties and trials. The early church wasn’t without its share of problems either, yet Luke recorded them under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit […]

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United by Saving Grace, part 2 (Acts 15:13-35)

In a world darkened by division and hostility, and while our nation is proving to be anything but “indivisible,” the church of the risen Lord Jesus is to be a radiant light of reconciliation, unity, and love. This is because Christians are a people united by saving grace (see Ephesians 2). However, it is all […]

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United by Saving Grace, part 1 (Acts 15:1-12)

The greatest problem we face, and the most important question anyone can ask, is this: “How can we be saved?” This is the problem that every religion attempts to solve, yet it’s a question many refuse to ask because we don’t want to accept all that it implies. The early church wrestled with this issue […]

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What is grace? Simply put, grace is unmerited favor, and the grace of God is his love for the undeserving. And Scripture is clear that all things—from our election in Christ before the world began to our enjoyment of eternal life—is all to the praise God’s glorious grace. In Acts 13:48-51, Paul concluded his message […]

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