Acts | Following The Work Of The Spirit | March 20

Sermon by Jake Blair on March 20, 2022.

In Acts 8:26-40, we see Philip prompted by the Spirit to witness to the Ethiopian eunuch. This is coming shortly after the death of Stephen, the church is scattered and yet we see the Gospel continue to go forth, this time to Samaria, just like Jesus said it would in Acts 1:8.

Guided Prayer

Father, give me opportunities this week to speak up and love those you call me to love.

Jesus, thank you for calling me to be a witness for you and your Kingdom.

Spirit, give me eyes to see You at work in the people around me. Give me ears to be receptive to Your will moment-by-moment.

Amen.

Acts | Condemned on Earth, Applauded in Heaven | March 13

Sermon by Jake Blair on March 13, 2022.

At this point in the early church, we’ve seen some persecution and hostility, but the story of Stephen in Acts 6-7 marks the first martyr of the Jesus movement. So what can we learn from his sermon and his story?

Acts | You’re Only as Healthy as Your Secrets | March 6

Sermon by Allen Tipping on March 6, 2022.

In Acts 4:34-5:15, we have two contrasting stories. For Barnabas, the gospel had loosened his grip on his stuff and tightened his grip on others. But in Chapter 5, we are introduced to a couple who are not filled with the Spirit like Barnabas but instead are filled with Satan.

Acts | The Spirit and the Flesh | February 27

Sermon by Adam Gibson on February 27, 2022.

Historians and scholars are fascinated by the fact that a small sect of Jewish men and women, without clout, power, prestige, education, money, or influence, somehow began a movement that has swept the globe. Here in Acts 4, we get insight into the people who were the early Christians.

Acts | Spirit-filled Witnesses | February 20

Sermon by Jake Blair on February 20, 2022.

In Acts 4 we see Peter’s confidence as he shares Jesus with the religious rulers. And yet, in the Gospels, this is not the Peter we see - he’s brash and even denies Jesus. So what happened to Peter to go from denying Jesus to proclaiming him?

Additional Resources:

• Why I'm A Christian | Midtown Fellowship

• Why I'm A Christian | Jesus | Midtown Downtown

Acts | The Meaning of the Miracles | February 13

Sermon by Jake Blair on February 13, 2022.

Acts 3 is the first post-Jesus miracle in the book of Acts. Some scholars say that if you understand this miracle, in a way, you understand them all. This miracle shows you how God feels about suffering in the world, what he’s doing about it, and what he’s saying to us in that suffering; and it shows us, as the church, what our mission is in the world.

Acts | The First Fruit of the Spirit | February 6

Sermon by Adam Gibson on February 6, 2022.

The first fruit we see of the Spirit’s work after salvation may not be what you think. When it comes to the early part of Acts and what the Spirit does, some immediately think about the more “miraculous” works of the Spirit. However, in Acts 2, we first see the Spirit make a family. Where love for the family of God is not present, neither is the Spirit of God.

Acts | How to Start a Fire | January 30

Sermon by Adam Gibson on January 30, 2022.

What took place at Pentecost tells us about what the Spirit does and will do in the church. Namely, works - and specifically words (i.e. the message of the gospel) - that bring life and freedom.

This Spirit has been poured out on “all flesh.” And, if you are in Christ, this same Spirit lives in you and empowers this same ministry through you.

Acts | The Spirit of Acts | January 23

Sermon by Jake Blair on January 23, 2022.

In Jesus’ parting words to His disciples, He doesn’t tell them to get out there, He tells them to wait… to wait on the Spirit. It’s as though the Spirit is the essential ingredient to everything He’s sending them out to do and be.

And the truth is, that it is still true today. In this sermon, we’ll learn that the church has not moved beyond the need for the Holy Spirit.

Work | You Need a Sabbath | January 16

Just because we aren't gathering together this week doesn't mean we can't continue to discover the unlimited power of the Holy Spirit that dwells with us. In this sermon from our Work series, we inspect how the act of Sabbathing helps us to look more like Jesus and have a healthy view of our work.

Sermon by Brandon Clements on May 12, 2019.

Acts | The Mission of Acts | January 9

Sermon by Adam Gibson on January 9, 2022.

The Holy Spirit is God within us and the one who empowers our mission. He is the secret sauce, for lack of a better way of saying it, for everything that we want to see happen in our city. If He doesn’t do it, it doesn’t happen. We want to see people saved, healed, brought from death to life… if that’s going to be a thing, we need him.

Advent | Joy to the World | December 19

Sermon by Ryan Rike on December 19, 2021.

For our Advent series this year we’re taking one popular Christmas song each week and unpacking what this teaches us about Jesus’ birth.

This week we’re looking at a hymn authored by the 18th century hymnist Isaac Watts, “Joy to the World.”

Advent | Hark! The Herald Angels Sing | December 12

Sermon by Jake Blair on December 12, 2021.

For our Advent series this year we’ll be taking one popular Christmas song each week and unpack what this teaches us about Jesus’ birth.

This week we’re looking at another hymn authored by the 18th century hymnist Charles Wesley, “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing.”

Advent | Silent Night | December 5

Sermon by Ant Frederick on December 5, 2021.

For our Advent series this year we’ll be taking one popular Christmas song each week and unpack what this teaches us about Jesus’ birth.

This week we’re looking at the 19th century carol penned by Joseph Mohr, “Silent Night.”

Advent | Come Thou Long Expected Jesus | November 28

Sermon by Allen Tipping on November 28, 2021.

For our Advent series this year, we’ll be taking one popular Christmas song and unpacking what it teaches us about Jesus’ birth. In this sermon, we’re looking at the 18th century hymn penned by Charles Wesley, “Come Thou Long Expected Jesus."

Stand-Alone | Psalms 42 and 43 | November 21

Sermon by Ryan Rike on November 21, 2021.

This week we’re doing what some of what you might call house-keeping. We are handling some family business together. On our annual member check-up reports, we noticed that 1/3 of our church family struggles with anxiety depression. So this morning we’re going to look at how the Psalmist deals with depression in Psalms 42-43.

For Our Good Always | You Shall Not Covet | November 14

Sermon by Jake Blair on November 14, 2021.

As we wrap up our series on the Ten Commandments, the final command says, “Do not covet.” According to this command, coveting is ultimately rooted in misplaced desire. The call was to therefore curb your desires in such a way to find your provision in God alone. But as you will see, in our culture we don’t really have a category for this. Desires are to be celebrated not tamed. So what do we do with this?

For Our Good Always | You Shall Not Bear False Witness Against Your Neighbor | November 7

Sermon by Jake Blair on November 7, 2021.

In this week’s teaching, we explore the 9th commandment, “You shall not bear false witness.” “Bearing false witness” means to tell a story about someone that isn’t true; you act as a witness to their behavior or character and do it in a way that doesn’t line up with reality. This subject is more complicated than you might think. It’s possible to bear false witness knowingly or even unknowingly.

For Our Good Always | You Shall Not Steal | October 31

Sermon by Jake Blair on October 31, 2021.

In the eighth commandment, we see the call to not steal is also a call towards generosity. Because God has given abundantly to us, we in turn can give abundantly to others.

For Our Good Always | You Shall Not Commit Adultery | October 24

Sermon by Adam Gibson on October 24, 2021.

In the seventh commandment, we see that Jesus is ultimately after our hearts. He commands us to not commit adultery, but also to not do anything that might distort God’s covenant love towards us. Our call then is to love our spouse because it says something about God’s character.