GOD ACTS! (Chapter 1) - All That Jesus Began to Do and to Teach...
Release Date: 05/17/2026
The Gospel According to Matthew - Week 25
Awake Us Now
Matthew 17:22-18:20. Topics: children of the Living God; kingdom of the Living God; the miracle of the four drachma coin; greatness is based on humility; childlike vs childish; total dependency on God; spiritual growth and maturity; binding and loosing - by speaking that when one comes to faith he/she is forgiven and saved vs. those deciding against God, that it is a decision with eternal consequences; God desires all to come to know Him; His love is great; the warning of being of the world and following the worldly culture; that of following natural instincts vs following the Holy Spirit.
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GOD ACTS! (Chapter 1) - All That Jesus Began to Do and to Teach...
Awake Us Now
Acts is a book filled with dramatic events, amazing characters and has great application for the Christian life. It is a powerful book showing the acts of God through the Holy Spirit and how He acts in the lives of those He calls! This study will take us through the book of Acts one chapter at a time with a specific look at Then - things that really happened. It’s not a storybook but a history book of what really happened. And Now - it is dramatic application for today. It’s a record of what really happened long ago but these things are still happening today and it shows...
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Daniel: When Kingdoms Collide (5) - In the Fire
Awake Us Now
Salvation in Jesus Christ is free - but there is a cost to discipleship. Jesus said, "If anyone desires to follow me, let that person take up his or her cross and follow me daily." Daniel and his companions remind us the the cost can be huge, but the reward is far greater!
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The Gospel According to Matthew - Week 24
Awake Us Now
Matthew 16:24-17:22. Topics: Discipleship is more than having head knowledge, it is complete surrender to the Lord Jesus Christ and living for Him. Jesus continues to reveal who He is. Jesus’ transfiguration and the words from heaven, out of the cloud from God the Father says, “This is my Son...Listen to Him!” These are words for us today, too!
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The Gospel According to Matthew - Week 23
Awake Us Now
This week’s text is Matthew 16:1-23. Topics: A growing opposition against Jesus and who He says He is; Peter’s confession; a discerning teaching on who/what the “Rock” is on which Christ will build the church; an insightful look at the “gates of Hades;” and Jesus shares predictions of what is to come.
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The Gospel According to Matthew - Week 22
Awake Us Now
This week’s text is Matthew 14:34-15:39. Topics: Jesus heals both Jews and Gentiles; an examination of some of the traditions in light of what God’s Word says; the feeding of the 4,000, and how this event differs from the feeding of the 5,000 that took place earlier.
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Dig Deeper - Week 14_ Better By Far...
Awake Us Now
What happens before the resurrection? What happens to believers who die before Jesus comes back. The Apostle Paul is Rome ca 61 A.D. He is in jail awaiting trial and he writes the following to the Philippians: “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body.” (Philippians 1:21-24) In this...
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The Gospel According to Matthew - Week 21
Awake Us Now
This week’s text is Matthew 14:4-33. A fascinating look at 24 hours in the life of Jesus and His disciples: John the Baptist beheaded, the feeding of the 5,000, and Jesus walks on water.
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The Gospel According to Matthew - Week 20
Awake Us Now
This week’s text is Matthew 13:40 - 14:7. Pastor explores several more parables of Jesus; there will be a judgement and evil will be destroyed, only things of God will remain; the narrative of the entire Bible holds together from beginning to end, the Old and New Covenants, ending with the story of Herod, Herodias and John the Baptist.
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Questions - Week 26: Will Our Bodies Be Resurrected?
Awake Us Now
This is a question Pastor has received over and again throughout the years, “Will our bodies be resurrected?” The answer is “yes!” Even through there is biblical teaching and a recognition of the resurrection by believers throughout the centuries, there are still many questions from believers and non-believers when it comes to the future resurrection. Resurrection: Doubt and Denial existed among the educated elite (Acts 17:32), religious elite especially the Sadducees (Matthew 22:29), and church members (1 Corinthians 15:12) Old Testament does not say a lot about the...
info_outlineActs is a book filled with dramatic events, amazing characters and has great application for the Christian life. It is a powerful book showing the acts of God through the Holy Spirit and how He acts in the lives of those He calls!
This study will take us through the book of Acts one chapter at a time with a specific look at Then - things that really happened. It’s not a storybook but a history book of what really happened. And Now - it is dramatic application for today. It’s a record of what really happened long ago but these things are still happening today and it shows us what God wants in the lives of His followers today.
Chapter 1
In verses 1-2, Luke is identified as the author of the Book of Acts. In volume, Luke wrote 27.5% of the New Testament. He was a physician and accompanied Paul on some of his mission trips.
Then and Now
- Proofs then - verse 3 - the disciples and others saw Jesus after His resurrection.
- Proofs now - historical, archeological, scientific and documentary evidences. What has happened in the last 100 years shows evidence for the biblical message. There have been many pieces showing that early believers really did believe Jesus was alive. They were bold and courageous in sharing that news. More and more confirmation comes through archeology as we are finding the very places where these events took place. And unearthing little things that show that what Luke wrote really is accurate.
- Power then - verse 8 the disciples were to stay in Jerusalem until they received the gift that God the Father had promised to give them - the Holy Spirit - who would give them power.
- Power now - we today receive the Holy Spirit through faith in Christ and the Holy Spirit gives us the power to live the Christian life and to be effective witnesses for God.
- Purpose then - verse 8 - Jesus told them to be His witnesses
- Purpose now - we are to testify by our life example, words and actions that Jesus is alive, risen and the Messiah and Savior. We are to bring Jesus to family, friends, neighbors, and to the ends of the earth - We have the same mission - it is still our purpose today.
- Promise then - verse 11 - Jesus ascended to heaven and then the angels promised His return.
- Promise now - the second coming of Christ is the heart of the New Testament teaching and the heart of a believer’s witness. Jesus is returning!
- Prayer then - the theme of prayer is found throughout the book of Acts. Verse 14 - tells us they were constant in prayer.
- Prayer now - we are to pray for God’s will to be done. We are to put into practice praying as this is what Jesus taught and gave example to.
- Provision then - verses 23 and 26. A disciple was needed for replacing Judas and Matthias was added to eleven apostles.
- Provision now - God never runs out of resources. God provides for His children!
This week’s READING ASSIGNMENT:
Acts chapter 1
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