The Living One - Week 21: First Christians
Awake Us Now
As pastor takes a look at the word “Christian,” its definition, what it means for us and for the world today, we will see a blueprint God has laid out for believers not just in Antioch long ago but also for us today! The word “Christian” came about from non-believers in the city of Antioch. As persecution caused the Jewish believers in Jerusalem to seek other cities in which to live, many chose to move to Antioch. It was a welcoming city without persecution and the message of Jesus exploded. It was then that Barnabus was sent to encourage these new believers. Barnabus, led by the Holy...
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The Living One - Week 20: Set Free!
Awake Us Now
Scripture: Acts 12, John 14:27, 1 Peter 5:7, 1 Peter 5:10, 2 Peter 1:11 Even in darkness and apparent defeat, Scripture assures us of this truth: We win because God wins, and He will bring that victory to its final fulfillment on the day our Lord Jesus returns. This teaching is taken from Acts 12. It is a story of Peter being set free from prison chains by an angel, but also set free from the destructive thoughts and emotions and feelings that can rise up inside us during challenging times. Peter shows us how to hold on tight to what we know about God and let Him carry us through difficult...
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The Living One - Week 19: Renewed Minds
Awake Us Now
This teaching is taken from the Acts 10, the story of Peter and Cornelius the Centurion. Both Peter and Cornelius experienced divine encounters through visions. Cornelius sees an angel with a message, Cornelius obeys and has Peter brought to his home. Peter receives a vision in which God gives Peter eyes to see beyond his cultural rules of clean and unclean. Peter was a prisoner of his culture until God gave him a vision of truth and that breakthrough brings Peter to a Gentile’s home, Cornelius’ home, and Peter, going against the culture, obeys God and enters the house of a Gentile....
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Dig Deeper - Week 4: Is the Holy Spirit an "it"?
Awake Us Now
Pastor starts with a deeper exploration of John 16:13 “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears and he will tell you what is yet to come.” People have used this verse to argue that the word Spirit is not about a personal being but about an impersonal force because in the original Greek text “spirit” (pneuma) is a neuter noun. Yes, this is true, and so they determine that neuter means the Holy Spirit is an IT. Yet the verse goes on by saying, “…He will guide you…, He will speak…....
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The Living One - Week 18: Conversion
Awake Us Now
Today’s teaching show us the significance of the Conversion of Paul. Not only is it a remarkable event, it brings forward remarkable truths. New archeological discoveries of Paul’s tomb help emphasize these verses are not just a story. This is an actual account of an actual event, that happened to an actual person, and it changed the world! This account of Paul’s conversion calls us to a deep relationship with God and demonstrates how God desires to be at work in our lives not just back then, but today in the 21st century as well. God took Paul from being a bulldog for the enemy’s use...
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The Living One - Week 17: Divine Direction
Awake Us Now
Today’s teaching shows us what happens when we follow where God leads and when we share the Good News of our Savior Jesus. Philip used “Isaiah’s Prophecy” to teach the man in today’s story, all about Jesus. Scripture text: Acts 8:26-40, Isaiah 52:13-52:12 awakeusnow.com
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Questions - Week 15: What is the Holy Spirit?
Awake Us Now
This question is often asked this way: ⁃ Is the Holy Spirit an impersonal force? ⁃ What does the Bible say about this? ⁃ What does the Holy Spirit do? ⁃ Why are some afraid of the Holy Spirit? Let us consider: Is the Holy Spirit a “Force” or a “Person” Marks of Personality: ⁃ Intellect ⁃ Emotion ⁃ Will Are these evident in the Holy Spirit? Let’s look in the Bible and see what we...
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Kings & Prophets: From Solomon to Jeremiah - Week 8
Awake Us Now
Pastor opens today’s class with the words from Psalm 135:15-18 “The idols of the nations are silver and gold, made by human hands. They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but cannot see. They have ears, but cannot hear, nor is there breath in their mouths. Those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them.” We will see the truth of these words in today’s study. Elijah’ Days: Most of this prophet’s ministry was during the height of King Ahab in the north in Israel and King Jehoshaphat in the south in Judah. His name, Elijah, is even prophetic. In...
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The Living One - Week 16: Facing Opposition
Awake Us Now
A study on how God uses opposition, and how to handle it. Pastor teaches us to deal with opposition through the applied truths found in the Bible. These words of God will encourage, build up, and carry us through our times of opposition!
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The Living One - Week 15: Crown of Life
Awake Us Now
A study of the story of Stephen, a man who understood the truth of Jesus and experienced the consequences of speaking the wisdom the Holy Spirit gave him. God is calling us today to have the faith of Stephen, to follow the Lord Jesus, to be faithful, to love our enemies, to pray for those who persecute us, and to speak God’s truth in love.
info_outlineScripture: Acts 2;1-21, Acts 2:17, Hebrews 1:1-2, 2 Timothy 3:1-4, 2 Peter 3.
Pentecost is the birthday of the Christian church, but it’s even more than that. Join us as we explore the story of the first Pentecost and specifically focus in on Acts 2;17 “‘In the LAST DAYS,’ God says, ‘I will pour out my Spirit on all people.’”
The New Testament makes it clear that these are the last days - with the coming of Jesus in the flesh, His ministry, His death and resurrection, His ascension and Pentecost a new era has begun. Beginning then we have entered into the Last Days of what we know of planet earth. Hebrews 1:1-2 tells us “In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe.” 2 Timothy 3:1 says, “But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God“ 2 Peter 3:3 “Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires.”
The “last days” are also in the Old Testament and they were:
Israel’s Hope (The day they were longing for)
Numbers 11:23
Ezekiel 36:26
Hosea 3;5
Micah 4:1
Jeremiah 31:31-34
What the Old Testament pointed to is now being fulfilled in the New Testament. God’s intent and plan has been there all along!
Applications
⁃ These are the Last Days! God is fulfilling his plan - not a cause of panic - God is faithful - we are to take Him seriously - these are exciting times - dangerous many times - difficult, yes - these last days are days that change our world view.
⁃ Holy Spirit is outpoured and that outpouring continues. Holy Spirit yearns to fill us to overflowing so that we walk and pray in the Spirit - Holy Spirit points us to Jesus, the Spirit convicts, guides, leads and directs our lives.
⁃ The New Covenant is here. The law shows us God’s will but it doesn’t save because we are all sinners. The New Covenant is about the grace of God in Jesus Christ - God paid the price of the penalty for our sin at the cross.
⁃ Heed God’s Holy Spirit. Seek the Holy Spirit - do what He says - Keep on being filled with the Holy Spirit - we need the Holy Spirit to live the Christian life and to grow in faith.
⁃ Be Prepared - Be Awake! We are to be ready, on guard and awake!
⁃ Awake to:
⁃ What God has done
⁃ What God’s word has declared
⁃ The truth that the Last Days are here
⁃ The reality of the Holy Spirit’s indwelling
⁃ Awake and prepared for what is ahead.
We need what only God can provide:
⁃ Divine Wisdom
⁃ Divine understanding
⁃ His truth
⁃ Strength for today
⁃ Power for tomorrow
⁃ Assurance of life forever through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ
Everything we do is to revolve around the goodness, grace, mercy, presence, love and forgiveness of God because He changes everything!
Pentecost is not just the birth day of the Christian church it is the culmination of all God had promised His Old Covenant people for centuries and that is fulfilled in Christ Jesus and His return.
We are in the Last Days - but THE Last Day is coming - as is the age to come that is forever with Him!
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