Sometimes when we experience growing pains in the church, we think growth is the problem. If only we could go back to the way things were! But that's not God's solution. God designed the church to thrive as a result of growing pains. In Acts 6, we see a growing church with growing needs! As those needs are met, the church multiplies powerfully!
In utter respect for God's presence among them, the early church proclaims the gospel boldly, despite persecution! As we grow in our reverence for God, our fear of people shrinks and we find joy in serving Him. Proclaim salvation in Jesus' name by the powerful presence of God's Spirit.
Listen to consider how we respect the presence of God's Spirit in the church from Acts 4 and 5, and the grave consequences when we don't.
Lesson Nine Handout
When it's scary to share God's Word, it is important that we turn to God in prayer. Join us as we study this beautiful prayer of the early church and learn how we can pray in times of fear.
As Peter and John share the powerful good news of Jesus as Savior, some repent and others resist. Through this intense resistance, Peter and John make it clear that they must keep proclaiming the power of Jesus' name, because His name alone provides salvation.
In Acts 3, Peter and John display some power. They heal a lame man and a crowd gathers to see more! Peter explains that the power is God's, and it's at work through faith in the name of Jesus. Come and see that God is working powerfully through faith in Jesus Christ, and learn with us exactly what that means for our lives today.
In Acts 2, we see the explosive growth of the church in its infancy! As we consider the account of this early growth, we will see clearly that God uses the message of Jesus and His Spirit to grow a vibrant church, and we'll understand how God wants us to participate in that growth.
God has made one fact - one truth - more obvious than any other: that Jesus is God and Messiah. He's the Savior. And yet, many can be blind to that truth and its implication. The sneaky thing about blindness is that we are often blind to it. We aren't aware of what we aren't aware of. This blindness is exactly what Peter seeks to fix in his sermon in Acts 2.