* Barnabas and Paul had traveled from Syrian Antioch to Cyprus, Pisidian Antioch, Iconium, Derbe, Lystra, Perga and Attalia. On their travels they witnessed God pour out His power through their lives and pour out His grace on the Gentiles through the Gospel. They had also had a foretaste of the hardships that would come along with the spread of the Gospel. * They traveled back to their sending church - Syrian Antioch - to give a report of all that God had done. They stayed in Antioch, providing additional instruction to the church. * But then the dissension which they saw in Pisidia and Pamphylia found them in Antioch. But, this conflict would prove to be used by God to solidify His plan of redemption being extended freely to all nations! * This message was presented on March 26, 2023 by Bob Corbin.

* The Holy Spirit called Barnabas and Paul to begin their first Evangelistic Journey while they teaching the believers of Syrian Antioch. * The Spirit led them to Cyprus where they would meet the Roman Proconsul, Sergius Paulus. After Sergius Paulus believes on Christ, Barnabas and Paul head to Pisidian Antioch in the midst of the Roman Province of Asia - which we refer to as Asia Minor. * Last week, we saw how Paul proclaimed the Gospel message in the Synagogue at Pisidian Antioch and how it was received well by both Jews and Gentiles, until the Jews saw the response of the Gentiles! In prideful jealousy, the Jews began to fight against Barnabas and Saul, and the proclamation of the Gospel. Finally, the messengers were expelled from the region. * Today, we join Barnabas and Paul as they travel to Iconium, Derbe and Lystra in the region of Lycaonia ... and hear their exhortations to the churches which they have visited to continue in the faith and endure hardship. * This message was presented on March 19, 2023 by Bob Corbin.

* Over the past two weeks, we have considered the beginning of Barnabas and Saul's first "Mission Trip." * Two weeks ago, we saw how the Holy Spirit had called for them to be set apart for the work to which He had called them, and then had them sent out by the elders of the church of Antioch. Last week, we saw how God sovereignly oversaw their path - leading them to Paphos, Cyprus to lead Sergius Paulus to a saving knowledge of Christ. * Today, we see how God continues to guide Barnabas and Paul, in fulfilling His plan and revealing of the mystery of the church - the age of the Gentiles, when the Gentiles would become joint-heirs with those of Israel! * This message was presented on March 12, 2023 by Bob Corbin.

* Last week, we considered the movement of the Holy Spirit sending forth Barnabas and Saul from the church of Antioch, while the leaders were serving the Lord and fasting. * Today, we get to look at the beginning of Barnabas and Saul's first "Mission Trip." * Between today and next Sunday's message, we will see how God can direct His work. We may plan; but we always need to remember the admonition of James: "Come now, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit'; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, 'If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.' " (James 4:13-15) * This message was presented on March 5, 2023 by Bob Corbin.

Jesus told the disciples to wait in Jerusalem until they were empowered by the Holy Spirit. As they waited, they prayed. The Holy Spirit then empowered them and they willingly proclaimed the message of Christ to the crowd that gathered. Three thousand people turned to Christ that day! * Prayer then became an integral part of the life of the church. * The early church recognized it's dependence upon YHWH and spent much time in prayer to Him. As a result, the Word and Church of God multiplied! * Today, we return to the church of Antioch with Barnabas and Saul, and see that prayer was at core of what we refer to as: "Missions." * This message was presented on February 26, 2023 by Bob Corbin.

* As the Gospel spread, the Spiritual War continued. * In our study of the book of Acts, we have seen that the Apostles were threatened and persecuted for proclaiming the name of Jesus ... and informed the Sanhedrin that they were to obey God rather than men - to be witnesses of the death, burial and resurrection of the Messiah. * Next, Stephen was stoned to death for proclaiming Christ and Saul of Tarsus spread the persecution even unto Damascus. * However, in each of these situations God reveals His Sovereignty and His faithfulness to those who believe in Him. The Sovereignty of God does not mean that we will not be persecuted but rather that through the persecution or the deliverance God is working His plan. * In our passage today, God reveals that He is the Sovereign King and that He can, and does, over-rule earthly kings at His choosing. * From last week ... Barnabas and Saul had been sent by the church of Antioch with a gift to the church of Jerusalem. These events that we cover today occur while they are in Jerusalem (cf. 12:25). * This message was presented on February 19, 2023 by Bob Corbin.

* April through June of 2022 we considered "The Marks of a Healthy Church." Stemming from that series, we studied the book of Ephesians and then began this current study of the book of Acts. In that series, we consider what I refer to as: The Armada of the Church - the four "ships" of the church: Worship, Discipleship, Fellowship, and Stewardship. * As the church was established and the message of the gospel began to spread, these four areas have been continually seen in the interactions of the church. * Over the past couple of weeks, we have seen the conversion of Saul of Tarsus - who was formerly the persecutor of the church - and the conversion of Cornelius the Centurion. God was beginning His work of sending the Gospel to the end of the earth. * Today, we see that message spread to Antioch - where this fledgling church highlights the marks of a vibrant church. * This message was presented on February 12, 2023 by Bob Corbin.

* Before He ascended, Jesus commanded His disciples to remain in Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit came upon them with power. Jesus also promised them that when the Holy Spirit came upon them that they would become His witnesses in Jerusalem and all Judea, in Samaria, and to the end of the earth. * Over the past month, we have seen how the Good News (gospel) of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus for the payment of sins ... had spread into Samaria. We saw then, and revisited last week, how it was Peter who was chosen to "confirm" that the message was truly believed by the Samaritans. * The message was then believed on by Saul of Tarsus who was told that he would be the Apostle to the Gentiles - taking the message to the ends of the earth! * However, again, as we saw last week, it is Peter - the Apostle to the Jews - whom God would use to begin that process. * Today, we continue to see how Christ is going to expand His ministry through Peter - from Judea to Samaria to the Gentiles! Thus, laying the foundation for the work that Saul, who becomes Paul, will continue. * This message was presented on February 5, 2023 by Bob Corbin.

* 1 Corinthians 12:12 states, "For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ." * In the beginning of our series, the focus of the book of Acts was upon the church as an entity - as a body. Over the past four weeks we have focused upon how God works through individual members - as we considered the martyrdom of Stephen, the ministry of Philip and the conversion of Saul. Over the next couple of weeks, we will be looking at God's continued working through Peter. * Jesus had already declared that Peter would be a pillar that He would use to establish the church. Matthew 16:15-19 15 He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" 16 Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." 17 Jesus answered and said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. 18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. 19 And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." * We have seen that God used Peter at Pentecost to proclaim His message to the Jews who were gathered in Jerusalem. As well, it was Peter - along with John - who continued to the proclaim the message to the crowds and the Sanhedrin when presented the opportunities. It was Peter - along with John again - who went to Samaria to confirm that the Samaritans had received the gospel. And, it was Peter, to whom God gave special knowledge regarding the giving of Ananias and Sapphira ... and the authority and power to take away their lives by his word. * Now we see how Christ is going to expand His ministry through Peter - from Judea to Samaria to the Gentiles! * This message was presented on January 29, 2023 by Bob Corbin.

* Today is the Sanctity of Human Life Sunday. We rejoice in God for His gift of physical life. However, the greater gift is eternal life. God desires for us to have fellowship with Him for all of eternity. That is why Jesus came to the earth to pay the penalty for our sin! * Today, we see that great gift of life - eternal life - being extended to Saul of Tarsus - the persecutor of the church! * This NEW LIFE comes with a transformation ... we become "a new man." We are told in Scripture that our "old man" (evidenced by the works of the flesh) is put off and we are given a new nature (evidenced by the fruit of the Spirit). cf. Romans 6:5-6,20-23; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 5:16-25; Ephesians 4:17-24. * This transformational work of God is evidenced in the conversion of Saul of Tarsus * This message was presented on January 22, 2023 by Bob Corbin.

* Throughout the Book of Acts we have seen the birth and growth of the church. Jesus commissioned the Apostles to be His witnesses and the Holy Spirit empowered them to proclaim the Gospel. The Holy Spirit then convicted men of sin, righteousness and judgment ... and thousands of men and women responded! * Over the past couple of weeks, we have seen how God then used persecution to spread the Gospel message. * Last week, specifically, we saw how Saul of Tarsus began to intensify this persecution, causing the church of Jerusalem to scatter. * We are then told how Philip went to Samaria - which is north of Jerusalem - and began to share the gospel with the Samaritans. They received his message and were baptized. Peter and John were sent from Jerusalem to validate what they had heard, and discovered that indeed the Samaritans were following Christ. On their way back to Jerusalem, Peter and John evangelized in the Samaritan villages which they passed through. * But, God wasn't done using Philip just yet! In Philip, we have the testimony of a man who was committed to the work of the Lord and who had a passion to share the good news of redemption in Christ with those whom he met. * Today, we see that commitment and passion carried into other regions. * This message was presented on January 15, 2023 by Bob Corbin.

* The Series Title for this Study is "Unveiling the Mystery;" that "Mystery" is the church. * Throughout the book which is titled "The Acts of the Apostle" we saw God unveiling His plan which He had Sovereignly determined prior to the creation of the world! After His resurrection, Jesus commissioned and empowered His disciples to be His witnesses. In that commissioning, Jesus told His disciples that they would be His witnesses in Jerusalem and all Judea, in Samaria, and into the uttermost parts of the world. * In the first seven chapters of the book of Acts, we have seen how the first part of that promise came true. God worked through those Apostles to proclaim the gospel and perform great miracles, such that many believed the message. The church became a movement and it grew. Those who believed began proclaiming the message as well and the church multiplied. * As the message was proclaimed and people believed, those who did not believe became actively resistant to the church, and began to persecute the believers. Last week, we surveyed Acts 6:8-7:60 considering the martyrdom of Stephen. * Today, we see how God used that persecution to propel the gospel message ... and "The Mystery" beyond Jerusalem. * This message was presented on January 8, 2023 by Bob Corbin.

* Jesus commissioned the Apostles and then empowered the Apostles to bear witness to His death, burial and resurrection. As they began to perform this calling, thousands of people believed that Jesus was the Messiah and the payment for their sins. The strength of the message and the growth of the church did not excite the religious leaders. As the message spread and the church grew, persecution of the Apostles began to sprout up and grow. * As we saw two weeks ago, a transition happened in the early church when the new disciples began to take ownership of the gospel message as well, and began to boldly proclaim it. The church began to multiply! The growth required the Apostles to institute new leadership and servant roles in order to meet the needs of the assembly. This facilitated even more growth. * As we will see today, that growth in the assembly met with growth in persecution. Today, we will consider the testimony of the first recorded "Martyr" of the church - Stephen. A "martyr" is one who chooses to suffer death, or great suffering, rather than renounce his/her religion, or cause. The word "martyr" is a transliteration of the Greek word martus (a witness) and martureo (to witness). * This message was presented on January 1, 2023 by Bob Corbin.

* In our exegetical study of the Acts of the Apostles we have seen that God has been adding to the church - sometimes dramatically and sometimes daily. At the conclusion of Peter's teaching to the crowd which gathered, as a result of the healing of the lame man, we are told that the church to 5,000 men (not counting the women and children)! Remember, in Acts 1 we saw that after the Ascension of Jesus there were 120 believers meeting in the upper room. Now, after this event with the lame man and the subsequent interactions with the Sanhedrin, the church was growing even more! * With growth ... comes growth pains. The early church did not get a "pass." As James would later write, "My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing." (James 1:2-4) * In Acts 6, we are introduced to the first major "internal" test for the church. The great unity that they had was starting to be tested. How would they respond? What would they do? What would be the results? * This message was presented on December 18, 2022 by Bob Corbin.

* Over the past three weeks, we considered the miraculous healing of the lame man through Peter and John, and their ensuing confrontation with the Sanhedrin. The Sanhedrin warned them to not proclaim the name of Jesus publicly anymore. When they were released, they went directly back to where the believers were meeting to give a report and the church prayed for even more boldness! In the face of political/religious persecution they didn't pray for the demise of their oppressors, they prayed for boldness to proclaim God's truth! * Last week, we saw how God answered that prayer! The greatness of our God was on full display through what He was accomplishing through those who were committed to Him. At the end of the passage which we considered last week we saw that the Apostles, and chiefly Peter, were able to perform mighty wonders and many were bringing those who were physically or demonically oppressed to Peter for healing. * Today, we see that this did not escape the notice of the Sanhedrin. * This message was presented on December 11, 2022 by Bob Corbin.

* The book of Acts begins with Jesus' command to the apostles to wait in Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit comes upon them with power in order that they might be witnesses of His in Jerusalem and Judaea, in Samaria, and into the uttermost parts of the world. The apostles obeyed and were empowered on Pentecost. They witnessed of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus and testified that He was the Messiah (the Christ). Those who believed were immersed in the name of Jesus and began to join together continuing steadfastly in the teaching and camaraderie of the apostles, in a remembrance of the Lord's Supper and in meeting together to pray. They were also voluntarily giving of their resources in order to meet the needs of those within the church who had them. As a result of this unity of the church, we are told that "many signs and wonders were done through the apostles" and that "the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved." * Luke then begins to build upon this introduction to the church by expanding upon the themes of their unity. * Over the past two weeks, we considered the presentation of one of the many "wonders" which were performed by the apostles - the healing of the lame man. Last week, we saw Peter and John's boldness before the Sanhedrin in proclaiming the exclusivity of the name of Jesus Christ for salvation. After they were released, they went directly back to where the believers were meeting to give a report. This resulted in a praise and prayer meeting! The believers prayed for even more boldness! In the face of political/religious persecution they didn't pray for the demise of their oppressors, they prayed for boldness to proclaim God's truth! * Today, we will look at what a true "Mega" church looks like. ("mega" is a Greek word that means "great.") It occurs multiple times in our passage as a superlative adjective, and is demonstrated by some incredible examples. This passage illustrates how the "Greatness of the Church" should truly look. * This message was presented on December 4, 2022 by Bob Corbin.

* The church had grown via the pouring out of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles at Pentecost. The new believers were continuing steadfastly in the teaching and camaraderie of the apostles, in remembrance of the Lord's Supper and in meeting together to prayer. They were also voluntarily giving of their resources in order to meet the needs of those within the church who had them. As a result of this unity of the church, we are told that "many signs and wonders were done through the apostles" and that "the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved." * Last week we looked at the account of one of those wonders performed through Peter and John in Acts 3, where we saw the Holy Spirit work with power through ordinary men in an extraordinary way - the healing of a man who had been lame from his mother's womb. This miracle drew a crowd and gave Peter the opportunity to boldly preach Christ to them … and led to the religious leaders arresting Peter and John. * Today we look at the rest of what happened in Acts 4: the next day's trial of Peter and John, giving Peter yet another opportunity to boldly preach Christ, followed by the prayer of the saints resulting in the Holy Spirit giving them further boldness. Taken together, Acts 3 and 4 demonstrate the power of Jesus to Heal the Infirmed, Save the Lost, and Embolden the Saints. Peter's example shows us what it means to “always be ready to give a defense” (1 Peter 3:15). * This message was presented on November 27, 2022 by David Hayes.

* The church had grown via the pouring out of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles at Pentecost. The new believers were continuing steadfastly in the teaching and camaraderie of the apostles, in a remembrance of the Lord's Supper and in meeting together to prayer. They were also voluntarily giving of their resources in order to meet the needs of those within the church who had them. As a result of this unity of the church, we are told that "many signs and wonders were done through the apostles" and that "the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved." * Today, we begin to consider an account which is provided regarding one of those wonders performed through Peter and John. We get to behold the wonder of the Holy Spirit working with power through ordinary men in an extra-ordinary way! * Throughout chapters 3 and 4, we witness Peter utilizing a series of events to proclaim the name of Jesus, pointing people to the Messiah. Through this account, we see the Power of Jesus to Heal the Infirmed, Save the Lost, and Embolden the Saints. * The key verse for our Kids Club is 1 Peter 3:15 "But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear." Peter will be demonstrating what that looks like. * This message was presented on November 20, 2022 by Bob Corbin.

* The Day of Pentecost ... The Holy Spirit was poured out with power. The Apostles spoke with other languages giving testimony to the Jews and proselytes the validity of the message of Christ's resurrection. * As a result, three thousand souls were saved. * What characterized those early believers? How did the fist converts react? How did the church commune with one another? What affect did the church have upon it's community? * Today, we will examine those things. * This message was presented on November 13, 2022 by Bob Corbin.

* Submitting to the commandment of Christ, the disciples had WAITED in Jerusalem and the Holy Spirit had come upon them with power as Jesus had promised. Now was their opportunity to fulfill the rest of the promise ... that they WOULD BE witnesses! * Over the past two weeks we considered the Scriptural Testimony regarding the indwelling and empowering of the Holy Spirit, and the use of signs as a means to authenticate the Gospel Message ... and especially, the Sign Gift of Languages to confirm it to unbelieving Jews. * Today, we have the opportunity to consider the witness of Peter as he presented truth to the Jews (and proselytes to Judaism) who had gathered in Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of In-Gathering (Pentecost). The crowd was brought together by the miraculous sign of the coming of the Holy Spirit with power upon them. * This message was presented on November 6, 2022 by Bob Corbin.