The Living One - Week 1: Did He Really Live?
Awake Us Now
This teaching compares non-Christian writings of Tacitus, Josephus, Suetonius and Pliny from the first and second centuries to the New Testament writings. The evidence is clear and calls us to recognize we are sinners in need of a Savior, The Living One!
info_outline
Big Questions - Power... When the Holy Spirit Comes
Awake Us Now
Pentecost, the gift of the Holy Spirit to believers, is all about the power of God -- the power to live a new life, the power to give glory to the Living God, the power of faith that transforms us and that beckons to others to come to God as well!
info_outline
Big Questions - My Witnesses... To the Ends of the Earth
Awake Us Now
It is easy to get distracted by other things — some of them perhaps important things — but Jesus makes it clear to His followers that our primary task is make disciples. To that end, we are to be His witnesses, "even to the ends of the earth."
info_outline
Dig Deeper - Week 2: The "Submission" Passage
Awake Us Now
Today’s class is a study of Ephesians 5:21-33. A group of verses that are controversial, often attacked and many times misunderstood. Ephesians 5:21-22 “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives, [submit] yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord.” In the original Greek text the second [submit] word is not there. There is not a verb in this sentence and so in traditional Greek practice, you take the verb from the previous sentence and insert it into the next sentence. Please note that this is really important - because what this is saying is,...
info_outline
Big Questions - Obey... Everything I Have Commanded
Awake Us Now
Obedience is not optional - it is command from Jesus Himself. But we are not saved because we obey; rather, we obey the Lord because He has saved us!
info_outline
Big Questions - All Authority... in Heaven and on Earth
Awake Us Now
God has chosen you and me not simply to be religious, but to be disciples. We are to follow Jesus faithfully, grow in the knowledge and love of Him, and share with others the powerful things He has done so that they become disciples too!
info_outline
Questions - Week 13: Is Marriage Outdated?
Awake Us Now
In this message we will look at what the Scriptures have to say about marriage, analyze concerns and questions raised in our day, overview the cultural changes that have led to many questioning the value and benefit of marriage, and do so from a Christian worldview. We will also take a look at some secular contemporary research and what it indicates. Common Reactions: 1. The culture has changed: - Married Couples comprised: 1950 — 78% of all US households 2020 — 47%...
info_outline
Kings & Prophets: From Solomon to Jeremiah - Week 4
Awake Us Now
Our study opens with a look at Civil War between Rehoboam and Judah vs. Jeroboam and Israel (931-910 BC). 1 Kings 12:1 We read that Rehoboam went to Shechem, “for all Israel had gone there to make him king.” Shechem was an historic site for the nation from about 500 years early when Levitical priests recited the blessings and the curses from Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim. Shechem is the city near these two mountains. In verses 3 and 4 we read that Jeroboam challenges Rehoboam. Reheboam goes to 2 advisory boards. One was the elders that had served under his father, Solomon. They...
info_outline
Big Questions - Lord and God! Jesus' Amazing Claims
Awake Us Now
Lord and God? A great moral teacher? A very good man? What claims did Jesus actually make about His identity?
info_outline
Big Questions - Stop Doubting and... Believe!
Awake Us Now
Faith is essential ... but in what do place our faith? The scriptures make it clear that we are to place our faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God, the Savior of all the nations, and the Hope of all the earth!
info_outlineScripture: Acts 2:41-42.
What we see in today’s Scripture is that believers “practiced” living out their faith by doing. Not with head knowledge of “HOW to do things,” but by simply “DOING things.” Today’s verses tell us they devoted themselves NOT to the “How,” but rather to the “Doing.”
Today verses say:
Acts 2:41-42 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
They not only DID these things, they “devoted” themselves to doing them. They practiced them.
Practice definition - noun:
1. The actual application of use of an idea, belief, or method as opposed to theories relating to it.
2. The customary, habitual or expected procedure of way of doing of something.
Pastor shares a great basketball example to help us understand the difference between “how to do things” and “doing things.” And in his example we will see that doing requires practice!
Let’s examine verse 42.
1. Devoted themselves to the apostles teaching - the Greek word used for “devoting” actually is more accurately translated as “continually devoting” themselves to what they had been taught about the Gospel message of Jesus. We are to hold onto the right teachings and truth and practice living them. The application for us for “being devoted to the apostles teaching” is through:
⁃ Regular study of God’s Word
⁃ Solid biblical teaching
⁃ Christ-centered, Spirit-lead
2. Devoted themselves to fellowship - time with others that believed. Fellowship has several meanings, all which apply. It can mean communion both in having communion with the Holy Spirit and communion with the body and blood of Jesus. It can also refer to participation in sharing with others, being generous. The application for us for “being devoted to fellowship” is through:
⁃ Large and small groups
⁃ Christian friends and mentors
⁃ Generous life style
3. Devoted themselves to the breaking of bread which is they had meals together for sharing their faith both privately and publicly. They went to temple (large groups) and to small home groups along with doing the Lord’s Supper together. The application for us for “being devoted to breaking of bread” is by:
⁃ Christian fellowship at mealtime
⁃ Faith talk at meals
⁃ Lord’s Supper
4. Devoted themselves to prayer by following the morning and evening prayer times, formal times of prayer, but also informal prayer times in home gatherings and other places both public and private. The application for us for “being devoted to prayer” is by:
5. Having a personal prayer life - God desires we talk to Him
6. Prayer partners - people we pray with
7. Public prayer and worship
We too are called to practice, not just understand what the Bible says about the Christian faith but DOING what the Bible says about the Christian faith
Questions - Am I aware of what God is saying? Am I growing in the apostles teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread and prayer? Am I putting these into practice? Do I understand AND apply this verse? Do I understand what I am to do and do I do it?
God is calling us to act on - to practice - the application of what we saw in today’s verse.
Now What? Learn about God at https://www.awakeusnow.com EVERYTHING we offer is FREE.
Check out this video series from our website:
https://www.awakeusnow.com/40-10
Join us Sundays
https://www.awakeusnow.com/sunday-service
Watch via our app. Text HELLO to 888-364-4483 to download our app.