Acts 11:19-30
In this passage we see the formation of the first multi-ethnic church. It's in this context that Barnabas brings Saul alongside for a foundational year of ministry.
Podcast
In this passage we see the formation of the first multi-ethnic church. It's in this context that Barnabas brings Saul alongside for a foundational year of ministry.
In Peter’s confrontation with his critics, he strikes the humble tone of a witness, not a teacher, yet in these few verses he has much to teach us about living as authentic Christians in today’s world.
Peter announces a certain kind of gospel message to a certain kind of audience. Attending to those details helps us to be better followers of the Gospel.
In Acts 10, God throws open the doors to anyone who would come and meet Him. From working through an appointed people, to an anointing available to all people.
Whether in times of violent opposition, or times of peaceful security, Peter gets on with the job of imitating Jesus, in the power of the Holy Spirit.
The story of Saul after his conversion tells us of the importance of coming to God as we are, of allowing His Spirit to transform us and of the power that is in community.
Paul's conversion shows us something about the power of the Spirit for personal change, and about how God prepares us for abundant life in His service.
The story of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch invites us to look back at the choice Jesus gives us. Will we surrender to Him?
Simon the Magician shows the dangers of seeking the phenomena of the Holy Spirit without allowing Him to do his work of inner change. The Vineyard has a legacy of trying to navigate the tension between the outward physical signs of the Holy Spirit's work and the inner fruit of changed lives whilst basing it all on the strong and sure foundations of Scripture.
At this stage in the book of Acts, we have opposition yet the scattering of the Early Church. What does this look like for us today?