April 28, 2013 – Listen here—> An Everybody Church • Acts 6:1-7 The Big Idea: “The growing pain remedy is _________________ ministry.” A Listening Guide: Growth problems are _________________ problems. Many hands make any load _________________. A “church plant” provides a unique opportunity for _________________ to get in the game. The result of team/every member…
Month: April 2013
A Letter to Parents of Children at Creekstone
Dear Parents, These are exciting days at Creekstone, especially in our Children’s Ministry. As the church continues to grow, so do the number of young ones who are being entrusted to our care each Sunday. Recently, we had forty children under nine-years-old playing in the nursery and attending GraceKids. This is a wonderful blessing! However,…
A $300 Million Splurge
What would you purchase for $300 million? Whatever it is, that expense would be quite a splurge! If anyone knows how to splurge, it is the Royal Family of Qatar (a small, but super-wealthy country bordering Saudi Arabia and the Persian Gulf). In April 2011, the Royal Family bought an original oil painting by the…
The Urge to Splurge • Acts 4:32-5:11 (sermon)
April 21, 2013 • Listen here: The Urge to Splurge • Acts 4:32-5:11 How does the use of money reveal my true God? How does changing my view from owner to steward change the way I see money and possessions? How can money be deceptive and dangerous? Why is giving miracle grow for spiritual growth?…
This is Next
Check out the next wave of technology that we’ll all wonder how we lived without: Google Glass (see the photo below). How are they beating Apple to the punch on this?
Does My Checking Account Contradict My Profession of Faith?
This Sunday we continue The Revolution series in Acts by looking at chapter 4:32-5:11, a passage that teaches us how my view of and use of money and possessions is a primary indicator of what I love the most. Or as Jesus said, “Where your treasure is, there your heart is also.” What we are…
I Pledge Allegiance • Acts 4:1-31 (Sermon)
April 14, 2013 • Listen here: I Pledge Allegiance (Acts 4:1-31) How does the idea of pledging allegiance to Jesus alter my concept of “being a Christian?” What key factors presented in this passage enable me to maintain allegiance to Jesus when that allegiance is tested? Is it possible to have an uncompromising faith without…
Preventing Volunteer Burnout
“People should love it rather than leave it.” That is what Casey Graham of The Rocket Company says about the attitudes ministry volunteers should have as they serve. However, that attitude may be largely dependent upon the team leader. We want people to thrive in ministry, not to burn out! So, how can we prevent…
How Far Would You Go?
This Sunday we are going to study Acts 4:1-31, a passage that reveals in dramatic fashion what it looks like to pledge one’s allegiance to Jesus. Two men, Peter and John (along with a man who had been miraculously healed) are prepared to die for the testimony about Jesus as the crucified and risen Messiah….
Text Notes for This Sunday’s Message in Acts 4:1-31
Below are the notes on Acts 4:1-31 from the ESV Study Bible. I hope this will give you a head start in preparing for this Sunday’s message: Acts 4:1 The captain of the temple was second in rank to the high priest. The Sadducees may have accepted only the Pentateuch as Scripture; they also denied…
Doesn’t Grace Promote Sin?
This week on the blog, we welcome a special guest, Dr. Bryan Chapell, former President of Covenant Seminary, who now serves as Senior Pastor for Grace Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Peoria, Illinois, and recently was appointed as Distinguished Professor of Preaching at Knox Theological Seminary. He has written a modern day classic on the doctrine…
