As we come to the conclusion of Paul’s ministry training buffet in Acts 20, verse 32 is a kind of prayer of commissioning in which Paul commits the Ephesian elders: “To God and to the word of his grace.” For a Christian to say to other Christians, “I commit you to God,” is fairly expected.Continue reading “Which is better: giving or receiving? – Acts 20, Part 5”
Tag Archives: early church
Two important principles for leaders – Acts 20, Part 4
Leaders, I encourage you to pay special attention to this post. As you’ll see it is specifically about leaders in the church, but I think the principles apply broadly to leadership in any venue. So does that mean you can skip this post if you’re not a leader? Actually, this post is not just forContinue reading “Two important principles for leaders – Acts 20, Part 4”
Three essentials for Christians – Acts 20, Part 2
My family recently spent a week at a state park. Along with our extended family, we rented cabins, and while the cabins had electricity, bedrooms, bathrooms and kitchens, we had to bring pretty much everything else we needed. Pots, pans, utensils, bedding, toiletries, etc. Because our vehicles have only so much room to transport peopleContinue reading “Three essentials for Christians – Acts 20, Part 2”
How your home can be a place of strengthening – Acts 18, Part 5
Do you have a place where you sleep and eat? All over the world these places might look very different, but nearly everyone has a place we call home. Of course there are those struggling with homelessness, and we are called to reach out in love to them. In this final post on Acts 18,Continue reading “How your home can be a place of strengthening – Acts 18, Part 5”
A letter for unity – Acts 15, Part 3
Editor’s Note: This series of posts on Acts 15 is written by guest teacher David Hundert. Thanks, David! The series of five posts begins here. Are you experiencing a disagreement with someone? Brokenness in a relationship? What will it take to reconcile or pursue unity? As we have been seeing in this series of postsContinue reading “A letter for unity – Acts 15, Part 3”
What do we have to do to become followers of Jesus? – Acts 15, Part 2
Editor’s Note: This series of posts on Acts 15 is written by guest teacher David Hundert. Thanks, David! The series of five posts begins here. How do people become disciples of Jesus? What do they need to do? This was a hotly debated question in the early church, as the good news about Jesus expandedContinue reading “What do we have to do to become followers of Jesus? – Acts 15, Part 2”
What disagreement led to the first church council? – Acts 15, Part 1
Editor’s Note: This series of posts on Acts 15 is written by guest teacher David Hundert. Thanks, David! What is doctrine? Is it a hard and fast rule? Is it something that has to be written in Scripture? Did it come off the mountain, written by the finger of God? I’d like to answer allContinue reading “What disagreement led to the first church council? – Acts 15, Part 1”
“Christians must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God.” (Really?) – Acts 14, Part 4
How do you like the quote in the title? Agree? Disagree? Let’s talk about it. In the previous post we looked at the question of whether or not Jesus is okay with various levels of commitment to him. As we study Acts, it seems that a guy like the Apostle Paul was radically committed toContinue reading ““Christians must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God.” (Really?) – Acts 14, Part 4″
How God wants to change the world (& one practice that can help you hear the Spirit speak) – Acts 13, Part 1
Are you a gardener? Maybe you have some potted plants bringing life to your home. Maybe you have a flower bed? A vegetable garden? We have a vegetable garden with a berry patch, and a few weeks ago that berry patch was in serious need of weeding. So a couple weeks ago, I weeded it,Continue reading “How God wants to change the world (& one practice that can help you hear the Spirit speak) – Acts 13, Part 1”
Four practical ways to count your blessings – Acts 12, Part 4
In this series of posts on Acts 12, we have been trying answer the question: “How How do we count our blessings the right way?” I want to suggest some practical ideas that I believe could help you. First, we have to say the right words, flowing from a humble, grateful heart. Not “I didContinue reading “Four practical ways to count your blessings – Acts 12, Part 4”
Engaging Scripture 