Sermons on Acts (Page 5)
The Way of Jesus | Acts 6:8-15 (Stephen)
What does it mean to follow Jesus? The early Christians in the book of Acts identifies themselves as “the way” (Acts 9:2). It sounds kind of mystical—“the way…” They were following “the way” of Jesus, who identified himself as the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6). Jesus tells us what his way is like: Luke 9:23 (NIV) Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily…
Teamwork Makes the Dream Work | Acts 6:1-7
Monica and I have a saying in our home, “Teamwork makes the dream work.” This isn’t a saying we created, but it’s something we like to say. So like when Monica is cooking dinner and I am playing with Elijah we’ll say, “Teamwork makes the dream work.” Or when I’m doing dishes and Monica is getting Elijah ready for bed, “Teamwork makes the dream work.” Or when Monica is scrubbing the floor and I’m playing video games, “Teamwork makes the…
Joy in Adversity | Acts 5:17-42
How can we have joy in adversity? How can we experience happiness when we’re also experiencing setbacks or even suffering? I want to read you the last words in our passage. Acts 5:40b (NIV) …They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. The apostles, who are the twelve disciples including Peter and John and all the rest, are arrested by those in power…
Holiness | Acts 5:1-11 (Ananias & Sapphira)
Today we’re going back to our series in Acts. I actually wrote this sermon before the Coronavirus landed. Today I want us to start to get back into a rhythm. So today I’m preaching the story of Ananias and Sapphira and how their story tells us about the holiness of God. When you think of holiness, what do you think of? Maybe you think of a big beautiful cathedral. There’s something sacred and awe-inspiring about a beautiful church or cathedral.…
Life in the Shadow | Acts 5:12-16
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) put out a graph that’s been going around the internet. It’s called “flattening the curve” and it shows two trajectories. The first trajectory shows what will happen when people don’t take protective measures seriously—when we don’t practice social distancing and hand washing and self-quarantine. It shows a high number of cases overloading our healthcare system, which can lead to high loss of life. This curve is steep and sharp. It looks like a looming…
A Culture of Encouragement | Acts 4:32-37
Every church has a culture, no matter how big or how small. Our culture is who we are and how we do things. Some might call it our “ethos”—the character of our church community. Some churches have a culture of excellence. They have great preachers and their worship teams are cutting edge. Some churches have a culture of evangelism. They’re constantly getting out into their towns and communities and sharing the love of Jesus with others. Some churches have a…
Knowing God | Acts 4:23-31
I want to read you a quote from one pastor’s last sermon. He said… Well, I don’t know what will happen now. We’ve got some difficult days ahead. But it really doesn’t matter with me now. Because I’ve been to the mountaintop. And I don’t mind. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I’m not concerned about that now. I just want to do God’s will. And He has allowed me to…
Outward Courage | Acts 4:1-22
John and David are out back working on the AC Unit. John is a believer and begins to ask David, “Do you go to church?” David explains that he used to go to mass but hasn’t been in years. They talk a little bit about the differences between Catholicism and John’s church, but the details stay high-level. Catholics have priests. Protestants have pastors. Catholics baptize babies. John’s church doesn’t. They don’t talk about any real theological differences. They don’t speak…
Our True Need | Acts 3:1-26
As I was thinking about you this week, imagining you sitting in these chairs, I was thinking that we all have a need. Your need is that thing or issue that’s on your mind, and that’s weighing on you but you don’t know how to solve. If we were to each stop and publicly identify our need, we’d be here a while. Some of us would identify money as our need. We need a job, or a raise, or help…
Church Together | Acts 2:42-47
Cornerstone is a church plant. Sometimes when you tell others you’re starting a new church it’s like, “Wow! That’s amazing! You can do whatever you want!” It’s almost like people think you’re playing a game of Sim Church, kind of like Sim City or The Sims. Except instead of building a city or a neighborhood I’m putting up some stained-glass windows here, a nice cross there; I’m starting VBS and Awana and now it’s time for the baptisms. But here’s…
A Gospel Witness | Acts 2:14-41
We talk a lot about sharing our faith with others here at Cornerstone. But have you ever gotten into a situation where you had the chance to share the gospel and you froze because you felt like you didn’t know what to do? Can you think back to the last time a friend or family member brought up something about Christianity or the Bible and you thought, “What a great opportunity!” as it sailed right past you? Today, I want…
A History of Fire, Wind, and Smoke | Acts 2:1-13
What would you do if all of a sudden I yelled, “Fire!” Would you stop and look around to see what I was talking about? Would you just get up and run out of the building? Would you try to locate the fire-extinguishers? Or maybe you’d grab a pack of marshmallows, graham crackers, and chocolate for s’mores. What would you do if one Sunday you walked into this room and it was full of fire, wind, and smoke? Would you…