As we come to Christ, we (the church) are like living stones being built in various ways into a spiritual house, with Christ as the cornerstone. Peter invites all to reflect on our identities in the eyes of God, and to respond with praise and witness.
At the end of Acts, the gospel’s message reaches the imagined ends of the earth, the city of Rome. Here Paul prepares to plant the future of the church, a community built on the extreme hope of Christ’s message for all people in all times.
When the winds shift and the inevitable storms of life come our way, how can we navigate them in ways that bring beauty and hope instead of darkness and despair?
The Apostle Paul’s conversion story appears three times in Acts. Why would Luke devote so much space to one life-changing moment? Here we’ll explore what this story reveals about life, faith, transformation, and the kind of church we want to be.
Suffering often creates crisis, but crisis can be an invitation to clarify the sources of our hope. Isn’t life about more than survival? How do we find a life rich with purpose, even and especially in the face of suffering?
It seems so easy to let our differences divide us. We feel comfort in surrounding ourselves with similar opinons, looks, backgrounds, and abilities to ours. This passage is just one of many examples that displays the deep unity the early church held, across differences, as the people clung to their commitment to the message of Jesus.
Do you find it hard to “be present?” The early church practiced presence by honestly situating their past and prayerfully entrusting their future to God. In so doing, they were able to find newfound availability for both God and one another.
Worship is in our nature, and idolatry was especially rampant in Ephesus. But Jesus frees us from the life-draining worship of idols, and into the life-giving presence of God.
The story of the ancient church in Corinth gives us a robust and compelling vision for what a modern urban church can be—engaging, resilient, and hopeful in the midst of a diverse, dynamic, and pluralistic culture.