Special Guest, Pastor Art Fleming, explains how Peters visit to Cornelius’s house is a great example of evangelism. Cornelius, being a Gentile, would normally have been considered an enemy of the Jews, but Peter shows us that it’s easier to win a friend to Christ than it is an enemy.
Special Guest from Spokane and Kenyan native Michael Bushebi encourages us to trust in God to guide us to our calling in life; that we may confidently walk in that calling, reflecting the light of Christ and in so doing, giving hope to the nations.
The end times world is trying to bring people into one faith, all inclusive… believe in “god” and be a “good” person and we’ll all be okay. The story of Cornelius tells us otherwise. A good man, very devout, believed in God, and prayed always, yet it wasn’t enough. He was missing something… so God sent an angel to connect Cornelius and Peter… Peter, a Jew, who didn’t think Gentiles were “good’ enough. God straightened them both out… when the story of Jesus was told and the Gentiles believed… they were instantly baptized in the Spirit. You ain’t good enough, but Jesus’ death on the cross is… welcome to the Kingdom of God!
As Peter traveled he witnessed God do some amazing miracles through him and in the midst of God’s miracles many people came to receive Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior. At the end of acts chapter 9 we are able to learn some valuable lessons about evangelism through looking at the importance of praying for others, being involved in practical ministry, and the GOODNESS of our God. Be the Ultimate Witness!
Saul was a prominent person. He was also a new believer. Those 2 things usually add up to someone being treated with a little extra love and care in the church… not so in the early church. When Saul gets saved Jesus tells Ananias to go and pray Saul because he is a chosen vessel and He will show Saul how much he must ‘suffer’ for His name sake. Suffering seems to go against American Christianity, but it’s a part of life. In this sermon we look at 3 types of suffering to help us gain a fresh perspective on what it means to suffer.
Pastor Percy takes us into Saul’s initial experience with Jesus and how in that experience we quickly see the ‘Fear of the Lord’ taking shape in Saul’s life. Saul asks 2 simple questions… Who are You? -and- What do You want me to do? Are we willing to ask those same questions? If we are, it might just be life transforming!
The experience on the road to Damascus that led to Saul being radically transformed into Paul is one of the greatest transformations in Christian history. As we look at fasting and praying for 2012, we are challenging people to fast and pray, just as Saul was fasting and praying to see God’s will come to pass in his life. We want to see radical transformation in our lives and in the lives of people around us.
God is saying to the Church it is time to ‘Get Up and Go!’ Will we be obedient? Obedience can sometimes be risky, but obedience plus risk equals true faith. It is faith that pleases God. Like Phillip and the Ethiopian eunuch does our faith reflect us being committed with all of our heart?
This Christmas sermon special is not your traditional Christmas sermon. The baby Jesus came, but not so that mankind would focus on His birth, but so that many great things would be accomplished beyond His birth… the greatest being Jesus’ death on a cross for our salvation. It’s nice to enjoy the peace, love, and joy that is spread during the holiday season, but the most important time of year for Christians shouldn’t be Christmas. Jesus isn’t the reason for THE season, He is the reason for ALL seasons… so we need to make sure we’re spreading peace ,love, and joy… BEYOND THE SEASON!
Pastor Percy challenges us to pray and prepare for our upcoming fast at the beginning of 2012. Will we cry out for the same presence of God, for the same boldness, for the same results as the early church had? Or will we settle for what we’ve always had? Will we be willing to make the changes in our personal lives to see God’s glory reflected in a greater way? Or will we settle for who we’ve always been? Will you accept the challenge?
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