This sermon considers sacramental theology and how Holy Communion not only sustains the life of the church, but is the fuel for the mission of the church to proclaim Jesus in word and deed.
The central function of the church is to proclaim the gospel, by both deed and word. The book of Acts adds to that statement that the good news must be proclaimed with boldness, as there will be enemies to the proclamation of the message of freedom...
the work continues…as does the opposition (Acts 6:8–15) There are two kinds of conflict in the church: (1) internal (Acts 6:1–7) and (2) external (Acts 6:8–15). Sin is the root cause of both. While internal sin occasionally pops up, it is external...
How do you know if someone is a true Christian? In the old covenant, adherence to the 613 commands of the Torah marked the people of God. In the new covenant in Christ, self-giving love (i.e., holiness; Christ-like love) empowered by the Holy Spirit...
Text: ACTS 4:1–31 The Promise of Persecution (Acts 4:1–4) As the apostles are faithful to their calling and function in the Holy Spirit, more and more people are being saved. Their faithfulness and the transformation of hearts and lives will create...
The whole story of the cross is about the mission of God. “Mission” means to send or be sent. God the Father sent God the Son (advent), and God the Son sends God the Holy Spirit (Pentecost), and God the Holy Spirit sends the Church into the world...
Over the past several posts, we’ve explored the beauty, mystery, and meaning of the sacraments—baptism and the Eucharist—as visible signs of God’s invisible grace. We’ve seen how baptism marks the beginning of the Christian life, and how the...
Few topics spark more debate in the church than who should be baptized. Should it only be professing believers who are old enough to understand and choose faith for themselves? Or should the children of believers also be baptized as part of God’s...
In the last post, we explored how baptism unites us with Christ in His death and resurrection—how it marks the beginning of the Christian life and our new identity in Him. Now, we turn to another vital dimension of baptism: its connection to the...
Baptism is one of the most visible and meaningful moments in the Christian life. Water is poured, words are spoken, and a person is marked as someone who belongs to Jesus. But what exactly is happening in baptism? Is it just a symbol, or is...