Paul (How Great Is Your Love) Jon Acts 4:23-35 Book of the development of the first church of Christ Chapters 3-5 talk of the first persecution levelled against the church The response was astonishing and positive They die unlike any other Uneducated and socially marginalized took over Thr Roman Empire Something happened to them to make them respond the way they did In Acts 17, these men are causing this upheaval in the greatest empire we’ve ever known Get to a point where empire isn’t shaking you, but you’re shaking empire As we walk through this text we’re going to talk about this Peter and John went back Lord look upon their threats The civil authorities over the church could take possession of vital things If that threat happened to us, how would we respond In v. 29 they say give us boldness The fact that that’s what they asked … Continue reading →

Paul Don’t get bored with the story of this holy week, be amazed, in awe Stephen Keating Support Mercy’s Village by going to Chili’s this Wednesday Mike Workman is forming actuating groups for men Jon Looking at John 4 tonight A wise man once told me, don’t focus on a couple of trees in the Scripture, look at the whole forest Look at His entire redemptive story Sometimes God is predictable and sometimes not Holy Wind – Ruach HaKodesh Don’t know where He’s going to be Earth would shake Also described as a consuming fire All these elements Living water Jesus often referred to Himself as this God shows up to Elijah on the mountain not as any of these elements but as a gentle whisper Revealing Himself in all these different ways I want us to be a community relentless in our pursuit of God Maybe He’ll do the … Continue reading →

Paul (As morning dawns) –Today is the start of Advent We celebrate in advance, we see it coming Janes Family Isaiah 11 Paul A song of longing (How Great Is Your Love) –Don’t want to stop being thankful 2 days after Thanksgiving (waltz) (What could I say?) (You stood before creation) Jon Genesis 1 Colossians Philippians Start out with separating light from darkness Then land/water, vegetation Sequence of order in complexity Tree more advanced than a rock Now we have animal life Woman final creation Amen and it was good More advanced, complex, beautiful to look upon Look upon this progression and the thing that strikes me is that we mean something to somebody, to our Creator Person next to you easy to love, what about the person who cut you off? Family? Realizing that they had dominion over everything, they tried to find an identity other than God Began … Continue reading →

Paul Rob & Jill Isaiah 51 1 Peter 2:4-5 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 Jon The rock from which you were cut Heritage of where we’ve come from Living stones Context of temple of the Holy Spirit Things being cut away that you think you need Next week is spiritual gifts (and 4 more weeks) Based on tonight’s passages, some pictures come to mind Look at the expansion of Christianity in the 1st century Asia Minor, part of the Roman Empire, exploded with Christianity Very pagan culture – like Las Vegas; what happens in Asia Minor, stays in Asia Minor Pagan culture Evangelical Covenant Church Wants to plant 3 churches in Las Vegas that partner with existing churches 8 followers of Jesus Christ transformed Asia Minor Has the message of Jesus Christ changed? No Lots of excavations revealing details about 1st century life Greek city on the coast of the Aegean Sea … Continue reading →

Paul Highlights from Children’s Ministry Resurrection Eggs with the kids 1 – a donkey 2 – silver coins 3 – cup 4 – praying hands 5 – crown of thorns 6 – cross 7 – nail 8 – dice 9 – spear 10 – cloth 11 – stone 12 – EMPTY! Then had them do art – draw something that they were thankful for so we could decorate the walls of the church office (it was all Laura’s idea).