Gathering Recap - 02/01/2026 - Acts 22:30-23:35 - The Second Speech

Call to worship:

20 Our soul waits for the Lord;
    he is our help and our shield.
21 For our heart is glad in him,
    because we trust in his holy name.
22 Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us,
    even as we hope in you.

Psalm 33:20-22

Gathering Video

Questions for reflection:

Where am I learning? Have I been cloistered in comfort?

Am I looking for ways around what Jesus is taking me through?

What mundane repetition is adding up to something significant?

Corporate Prayer:

Our Father in heaven,

We are in awe of Your work. We see how the gospel of Jesus brings life, beauty, grace and freedom. May Your glorious truth be the center of our lives. Empower us by Your Spirit to remain connected to You and one another in everything we say and do.

In the name of Christ we pray,

Amen

Notes//Quotes//Slides:

Acts 22:30-23:35 - Jack

Title: The Second Speech

“[God] upholds heaven and earth with all creatures and so governs them that herbs and grass, rain and drought, fruitful and barren years, meat and drink, health and sickness, riches and poverty, indeed, all things come not by chance, but by his fatherly hand.”

- Heidelberg Catechism

“The doctrine of providence teaches Christians that they are never in the grip of blind forces (fortune, chance, luck, fate); all that happens to them is divinely planned, and each event comes as a new summons to trust, obey, and rejoice, knowing that all is for one’s spiritual and eternal good.”

- J. I. Packer

“And yet I decide, every day, to set aside what I can do best and attempt what I do very clumsily--open myself to the frustrations and failures of loving, daring to believe that failing in love is better than succeeding in pride….“Hoping does not mean doing nothing. It is not fatalistic resignation. It means going about our assigned tasks, confident that God will provide the meaning and the conclusions. It is not compelled to work away at keeping up appearances with a bogus spirituality. It is the opposite of desperate and panicky manipulations, of scurrying and worrying. And hoping is not dreaming. It is not spinning an illusion or fantasy to protect us from our boredom or our pain. It means a confident, alert expectation that God will do what he said he will do. It is imagination put in the harness of faith. It is a willingness to let God do it his way and in his time. It is the opposite of making plans that we demand that God put into effect, telling him both how and when to do it. That is not hoping in God but bullying God.”

― Eugene H. Peterson

Gathering Recap - 01/25/2026 - Acts 21:37-22:29 - The First Speech

Call to worship:

10 The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing;
    he frustrates the plans of the peoples.
11 The counsel of the Lord stands forever,
    the plans of his heart to all generations.
12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,
    the people whom he has chosen as his heritage!

13 The Lord looks down from heaven;
    he sees all the children of man;
14 from where he sits enthroned he looks out
    on all the inhabitants of the earth,
15 he who fashions the hearts of them all
    and observes all their deeds.

Psalm 33:10-15

Gathering Video

Questions for reflection:

What does this account show us about the true history of the gospel?

How is Paul’s defense shaped by Christ’s love?

Where are you being called to release contempt and resentment?

Are the results of Paul’s first speech surprising to you?

Corporate Prayer:

Our Father in heaven,

We are in awe of Your work. We see how the gospel of Jesus brings life, beauty, grace and freedom. May Your glorious truth be the center of our lives. Empower us by Your Spirit to remain connected to You and one another in everything we say and do.

In the name of Christ we pray,

Amen

Notes//Quotes//Slides:

Acts 21:37-22:29

Matthew 5:9-11, 5:43-46

”Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. Hate multiplies hate, violence multiplies violence, and toughness multiplies toughness in a descending spiral of destruction. So when Jesus says “Love your enemies,” he is setting forth a profound and ultimately inescapable admonition. Have we not come to such an impasse in the modern world that we must love our enemies– or else? The chain reaction of evil–hate begetting hate, wars producing wars–must be broken, or we shall be plunged into the dark abyss of annihilation.” Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Romans 9:1-5

1 Peter 3:8-17

Gathering Recap - 01/18/2026 - Acts 21:1-36 - Travels, Tensions, and the End of the Beginning

Call to worship:

6 By the word of the Lord the heavens were made,
    and by the breath of his mouth all their host.
7 He gathers the waters of the sea as a heap;
    he puts the deeps in storehouses.

8 Let all the earth fear the Lord;
    let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him!
9 For he spoke, and it came to be;
    he commanded, and it stood firm.

Psalm 33:6-9

Gathering Video

Questions for reflection:

What do you see in Paul’s travels and the companionship of early Christians?

How does Christ gift humility and unity to his people?

In what ways can congregations today be a “counter culture” society?

Corporate Prayer:

Our Father in heaven,

We are in awe of Your work. We see how the gospel of Jesus brings life, beauty, grace and freedom. May Your glorious truth be the center of our lives. Empower us by Your Spirit to remain connected to You and one another in everything we say and do.

In the name of Christ we pray,

Amen

Notes//Quotes//Slides:

Acts 21:1-36

The same forebodings marked Jesus’ journey—the same strong resolve on Jesus’ part, the same misgivings on the part of his disciples. In the Gospels Jesus’ predictions of his coming passion provide the ominous tone. In Luke’s Gospel, Jesus’ journey is particularly marked by sayings regarding Jerusalem as the place of rejection for God’s messengers. In Jerusalem Jesus was arrested and executed. In Jerusalem Paul also was arrested and his life put in extreme jeopardy - John Polhill

Map

“The primary reality of which we have to take account in seeking for a Christian impact on public life is the Christian congregation. How is it possible that the gospel should be credible that people should come to believe that the power which has the last word in human affairs is represented by a man hanging on a cross? . . . The only answer, the only hermeneutic of the gospel, is a congregation of men and women who believe it and live by it.” Leslie Newbigin

It will be a community of praise in a world of doubt and skepticism.

It will be a community of truth in a pluralist society that overwhelms and produces relativism.

It will be a selfless community that does not live for itself but is deeply involved in the concerns of its neighborhood in a selfish world.

It will be a community prepared to live out the gospel in public life in a world that privatizes all religious claims.

It will be a community of mutual responsibility in a world of individualism.

It will be a community of hope in a world of pessimism and despair about the future.

“Are we to blame Paul for his obstinacy or admire him for his unshakeable resolve?” John Stott

1 Cor 9:19-23

“We can only thank God for the generosity of spirit displayed by both James and Paul. They were already agreed doctrinally (that salvation was by grace in Christ through faith) and ethically (that Christians must obey the moral law). The issue between them concerned culture, ceremony and tradition. The solution to which they came was not a compromise, in the sense of sacrificing a doctrinal or moral principle, but a concession in the area of practice.” - John Stott

The church is beautiful because the lens through which Christ regards her is his cross – the focal point of blood, righteousness, forgiveness, union, justification, regeneration, and grace. God could have chosen to make his beauty known exclusively through breathtaking landscapes, undulating oceans, and sublime sunsets. Instead, he has decided to display his radiance within the hearts of the crown of his creation, humanity. - Dustin Benge

Gathering Recap - 01/11/2026 - Acts 20:17-38 - Apostolic Goodbyes

Call to worship:

1 Shout for joy in the Lord, O you righteous!
    Praise befits the upright.
2 Give thanks to the Lord with the lyre;
    make melody to him with the harp of ten strings!
3 Sing to him a new song;
    play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts.

4 For the word of the Lord is upright,
    and all his work is done in faithfulness.
5 He loves righteousness and justice;
    the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord.

Psalm 33:1-6

Gathering Video

Questions for reflection:

What strikes you in Paul’s speech?

How does the call to humility, community and urgency apply to both elders and all Christians?

How do we see Christ gift all of this to His people?

Corporate Prayer:

Our Father in heaven,

We are in awe of Your work. We see how the gospel of Jesus brings life, beauty, grace and freedom. May Your glorious truth be the center of our lives. Empower us by Your Spirit to remain connected to You and one another in everything we say and do.

In the name of Christ we pray,

Amen

Notes//Quotes//Slides:

Text: Acts 20:17-38 - Jack reading

Title: Apostolic Goodbyes

Slide 1:

“The ancient world considered humility a weakness. Whether you were rich or poor, what you prized instead was honour—having your merits recognized and your name praised. Boasting about your achievements was expected in the Greco-Roman world, and one never humbled themselves to others as that would sacrifice your well-earned status. Humility was something for children and slaves, not honourable men and women…All this changed in AD33 when an innocent man believed to be the Son of God submitted to the most humiliating act the Romans could concoct—crucifixion. Jesus relinquished his divine status, Christians believed, dying not for himself but for us—which left onlookers with a dilemma: either Jesus wasn’t worthy of honour, or their definition of humility had to change. The definition changed and today you and I see humility not as a weakness but as a virtue.”

—John Dickson

Slide 2:

“But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God's word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone's conscience in the sight of God.”

(2 Cor. 4:2)

Slide 3:

“Christian brotherhood is not an ideal which we must realize; it is rather a reality created by God in Christ in which we may participate. The more clearly we learn to recognize that the ground and strength and promise of all our fellowship is in Jesus Christ alone, the more serenely shall we think of our fellowship and pray and hope for it.”

― Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together

Slide 4:

“We may have said to someone even this week, “Well, as long as you’ve got your health, that’s all that matters,” or “As long as you get your feet over the bed, that’s what counts,” or “As long as you’re vertical, you know, it’s a great day.” Well, of course, we know what we mean by that. But that is not all that matters. For our very frame is a dying frame. We’re crumbling even as we go. And unless we’re able to say with Paul, “To me, to live is Christ,” we cannot legitimately affirm with Paul, “and to die is gain.” The only way that death can be gain is if Christ is everything. And if Christ is everything, as Paul says it is, then he’s able to say, “The ultimate issue is not my life.”

—Alistair Begg

Slide 5:

“God promised and, in his sacraments, he gave me a sure sign of his grace that Christ’s life overcame my death in his death, that his obedience blotted out my sin in his suffering, that his love destroyed my hell in his forsakenness. This sign and promise of my salvation will not lie to me or deceive me. It is God who has promised it, and he cannot lie either in words or in deeds.” He who thus insists and relies on the sacraments will find that his election and predestination will turn out well without his worry and effort.”

—Martin Luther, Fourteen Consolations

Gathering Recap - 01/04/2026 - Acts 20:1-16 - Long Sermons Kill

Call to worship:

1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2     He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
3     He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
    for his name's sake.

4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
    I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
    your rod and your staff,
    they comfort me.

5 You prepare a table before me
    in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
    my cup overflows.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
    all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
    forever.

Psalm 23:1-6

Gathering Video

Questions for reflection:

What surprises you about the uniting effect of the gospel on people/places?

Why is the season of passover significant in the Eutycus story? Do you have any “long sermon” stories?

How is Christ compelling you in this season to display His name in life?

Corporate Prayer:

Our Father in Heaven,

We thank you for this year with its celebrations and sorrows. We are grateful that you have been with us for every moment. For the wounds we’ve encountered, we ask you to heal us. For the wounds we’ve inflicted, we ask you to forgive us. As we embark into a new year we pray for your guidance and direction. Grant us a hunger for your word, a passion for prayer, and a love for people. Let us reflect you well in all that we say and do.

For the glory of Christ we pray, amen.

Notes//Quotes//Slides:

Acts 20:1-16

2 Cor 1:3-11

Galatians 3:26-29

I see no cause why some interpreters should so sharply condemn the drowsiness of the young man, that they should say that he was punished for his sluggishness by death. - John Calvin

Romans 15:25-29

Gathering Recap - 12/28/2025 - Proverbs 1:20-23 - Where's Wisdom?

Call to worship:

8 Bless our God, O peoples;
    let the sound of his praise be heard,
9 who has kept our soul among the living
    and has not let our feet slip.
10 For you, O God, have tested us;
    you have tried us as silver is tried.
  

Psalm 66:8-10

Gathering Video

Questions for reflection:

How does the scripture describe wisdom? How is it found?

Where has life felt like the metaphor of mining? What was God able to produce through the refining?

In what was do you see the wisdom of God through the presence of Christ?

Corporate Prayer:

Our Father in Heaven,

We thank you for this year with its celebrations and sorrows. We are grateful that you have been with us for every moment. For the wounds we’ve encountered, we ask you to heal us. For the wounds we’ve inflicted, we ask you to forgive us. As we embark into a new year we pray for your guidance and direction. Grant us a hunger for your word, a passion for prayer, and a love for people. Let us reflect you well in all that we say and do.

For the glory of Christ we pray, amen.

Notes//Quotes//Slides:

Mike reading - Prov 1:20-23

Title: Where's Wisdom

Slide 1

“That excuse is implicitly rejected here. Wisdom is not some hidden treasure that has to be dug from the depths of the earth (compare Job 28) or the sole possession of the lonely sage sitting atop a mountain. To the contrary, Wisdom roams the streets looking for someone to instruct. The ways of right and wrong, as presented in this word of God, are open for all to read and follow. At the same time, this section is a true appeal from the Spirit for whoever has ears to turn and listen.”

- Duane A. Garrett

Slide 2

Proverbs 13:20: "Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm" (ESV). 

Slide 3

Psalm 1:1-2: "Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers" (ESV). 

Slide 4

Proverbs 12:26: "The righteous should choose his friends carefully, For the way of the wicked leads them astray" (NIV/NKJV).

Slide 5

Hebrews 12:1: “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,” (ESV)

Slide 6

Proverbs 17:3, “The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold, and the Lord tests hearts.” (ESV)

Slide 7

1 Corinthians 9:27: “It is my own body I fight to make it do what I want. I do this so that I won’t miss getting the prize myself after telling others about it.” (ESV)

Slide 8

Colossians 1:28-29: “Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.”

Slide 9

Well, I'm coming to the edge of the widest canyon

My companions dear

I'm starting to question my manifest destiny

My claim to this frontier

And I'm coming to the brink of a great disaster

The end just has to be near

The Earth spins faster, whistles right past you

Whispers death in your ear

Oh, don't pretend you can't hear

Don't pretend you can’t

— Manifest, by Andrew Bird

Gathering Recap - 12/21/2025 - Luke 2:8-20 - Be Still: Out in the Sticks

Call to worship:

1 God is our refuge and strength,
    a very present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear though the earth give way,
    though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
3 though its waters roar and foam,
    though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah

4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
    the holy habitation of the Most High.
5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved;
    God will help her when morning dawns.
6 The nations rage, the kingdoms totter;
    he utters his voice, the earth melts.
7 The Lord of hosts is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

8 Come, behold the works of the Lord,
    how he has brought desolations on the earth.
9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
    he breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
    he burns the chariots with fire.
10 “Be still, and know that I am God.
    I will be exalted among the nations,
    I will be exalted in the earth!”
11 The Lord of hosts is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Psalm 46:1-11

Gathering Video

Questions for reflection:

What pattern do you see with shepherds throughout the story?

As you reflect on the arrival of Jesus, where do you see good news, great joy, and global implications?

How is God able to use pain to carve out a greater capacity in our lives?

Corporate Prayer:

Our Father in heaven,

Thank you for this Advent season where we remember the arrival of Jesus and His promised return, where He will make all things new. Would you help us to regularly reflect on Your faithfulness, and place Your truth into the areas where we struggle to trust. Holy Spirit, help us to reflect the light of Christ to those around us.

In the name of Jesus we pray,

Amen.

Notes//Quotes//Slides:

Luke 2:8-20 - Josh Reading

“I put on my hard hat, I grab a chisel and I imagine going into the very back corners of that cave and just digging into the work, each time I go in the cave, it’s getting bigger for the next visit.” - Courtney Dauwalter

“God never hurries. There are no deadlines against which He must work. Only to know this is to quiet our spirits and relax our nerves.” A.W. Tozer

One should not romanticize the occupation of shepherds. In general shepherds were dishonest and unclean according to the standards of the law. They represent the outcasts and sinners for whom Jesus came. Such outcasts were the first recipients of the good news - Robert Stein

Ps 39:7

Matthew 5:3-12

Christianity teaches the infinite worth of that which is seemingly worthless and the infinite worthlessness of that which is seemingly so valued. - Bonhoeffer

Growth equals change; change equals loss; loss equals pain; so inevitably, growth equals pain. Pain is a part of progress. Anything that grows experiences some pain. If I avoid all pain, I’m avoiding growth. - Samuel Chand

Gathering Recap - 12/14/2025 - Luke 1:26-38 - Be Still: Cosmic Cure

Call to worship:

1 God is our refuge and strength,
    a very present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear though the earth give way,
    though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
3 though its waters roar and foam,
    though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah

4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
    the holy habitation of the Most High.
5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved;
    God will help her when morning dawns.
6 The nations rage, the kingdoms totter;
    he utters his voice, the earth melts.
7 The Lord of hosts is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

8 Come, behold the works of the Lord,
    how he has brought desolations on the earth.
9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
    he breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
    he burns the chariots with fire.
10 “Be still, and know that I am God.
    I will be exalted among the nations,
    I will be exalted in the earth!”
11 The Lord of hosts is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Psalm 46:1-11

Gathering Video

Questions for reflection:

What path has God place in front of you How do you see surrender?

Why do you think we tend to lack malleability to the plan and purpose of God?

How is the “cosmic cure” applied today?

Corporate Prayer:

Our Father in heaven,

Thank you for this Advent season where we remember the arrival of Jesus and His promised return, where He will make all things new.. Would you help us to regularly reflect on Your faithfulness, and place Your truth into the areas where we struggle to trust. Holy Spirit, help us to reflect the light of Christ to those around us.

In the name of Jesus we pray,

Amen.

Notes//Quotes//Slides:

Jack Reading Luke 1:26-38 & Matthew 1:18-25

Slide: 1

https://pin.it/5m6BRIZrS

Slide : 2

“Embrace or reject, believe or doubt. Either we abandon ourselves to God’s path, the steps of which are only revealed as each foot is lifted in obedience, or we cling to our own path with its illusion of certainty.”

— Miriam Dixon

Slide:3

“I see Mary at the Annunciation — her hands open, her whole body softened by consent, receiving the Word who desires to become flesh in her. The posture is not passive but brave: an active surrender, a courageous hospitality to God’s own life.

— Kaysie Strickland

Slide: 4

“A carpenter is trained to make plans and follow plans. Details matter to a woodworker. Joseph’s work reflects his life: structured and well-ordered. A person’s name and family line mean everything in this culture, and there is no greater line than that of King David. Joseph represents it well. Just as he would craft a beautiful table, Joseph is crafting a well-built life. Then a massive splinter pierces his heart.”

—Miriam Dixon

Slide: 5

“Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.” —Mike Tyson

Slide: 6

For whatever reason, God chose to make man as he is—limited and suffering and subject to sorrows and death—he [God] had the honesty and the courage to take his own medicine. Whatever game he is playing with his creation, he has kept his own rules and played fair. He can exact nothing from man that he has not exacted from himself. He has himself gone through the whole of human experience, from the trivial irritations of family life and the cramping restrictions of hard work and lack of money to the worst horrors of pain and humiliation, defeat, despair, and death.

When he was a man, he played the man. He was born in poverty and died in disgrace, and thought it was worthwhile.

—Dorthy Sayers

Gathering Recap - 12/07/2025 - Matthew 2:1-12 - Be Still Nations, The Magi Were Invited

Call to worship:

1 God is our refuge and strength,
    a very present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear though the earth give way,
    though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
3 though its waters roar and foam,
    though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah

4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
    the holy habitation of the Most High.
5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved;
    God will help her when morning dawns.
6 The nations rage, the kingdoms totter;
    he utters his voice, the earth melts.
7 The Lord of hosts is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

8 Come, behold the works of the Lord,
    how he has brought desolations on the earth.
9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
    he breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
    he burns the chariots with fire.
10 “Be still, and know that I am God.
    I will be exalted among the nations,
    I will be exalted in the earth!”
11 The Lord of hosts is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Psalm 46:1-11

Gathering Video

Questions for reflection:

What is the significance of the magi being invited?

How does God go about fulfilling His promises to the nations?

Where is God calling you to wait?

Corporate Prayer:

Our Father in heaven,

Thank you for this Advent season where we remember the arrival of Jesus and His promised return, where He will make all things new.. Would you help us to regularly reflect on Your faithfulness, and place Your truth into the areas where we struggle to trust. Holy Spirit, help us to reflect the light of Christ to those around us.

In the name of Jesus we pray,

Amen.

Notes//Quotes//Slides:

Matthew 2:1-12 - Faith Reading

Slide 1

The Big Idea

The Magi prove that God keeps His promise to bless all the nations of the earth

Slide 2

Who was Herod the King?

Slide 3

“There are lots of Herods in the New Testament—this one is the first Herod, Herod the Great, the King of the Jews. But the thing about Herod the Great, the King of the Jews, is that he wasn’t a Jew and shouldn’t have been king. He wasn’t from the tribe of Judah, or the house of David. He wasn’t actually a Jew—he was an Idumean, an Edomite, technically, one of Israel’s historical enemies.

He ruled by terror and murder. He was paranoid and at times seems legit crazy. At one point when he was literally on his death bed, he thought his own sons were trying to assassinate him. He’s literally on his death bed actually dying—so he had his own sons executed. By the last few years of his life it seems like he was completely out of his tree.”

Craig Hamilton

Slide 4

Who were the wise men?

Slide 5

“Then Pharaoh summoned the wise men and the sorcerers, and they, the magicians of Egypt, also did the same by their secret arts. For each man cast down his staff, and they became serpents. But Aaron’s staff swallowed up their staffs.”

Exodus 7:11-12

Slide 6

“Then the king gave Daniel high honors and many great gifts, and made him ruler of the whole province of Babylon and chief prefect over all the wise men of Babylon.”

Daniel 2:48

Slide 7

““The group of Magi in question came “from the East.” They might have been Zoroastrians, Medes, Persians, Arabs, or even Jews. They probably served as court advisors, making forecasts and predictions for their royal patrons based on their study of the stars, about which they were quite knowledgeable. Magi often wandered from court to court, and it was not unusual for them to cover great distances in order to attend the birth or crowning of a king, paying their respects and offering gifts. It is not surprising, therefore, that Matthew would mention them as validation of Jesus’ kingship, or that Herod would regard their arrival as a very serious matter.”

Craig Chester

Slide 8

What was the star?

Slide 9

“And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there.”

Revelation 21:23-25

Slide 10

What do the gifts mean?

Slide 11

The ultimate question: What’s the point?

Slide 12

“I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse., and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

Genesis 12:3

Slide 13

“For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.”

Habakkuk 2:14

Slide 14

“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.

Psalm 46:10

Slide 15

“Matthew plainly says that, though Jesus was the Messiah, born in David’s line and certain to be Shepherd and Ruler of Israel, it was the Gentiles who came to worship him.”

D.A. Carson

Slide 16

“And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.”

Ephesians 2:17-19

Slide 17

The Big Idea

The Magi prove that God keeps His promise to bless all the nations of the earth

Gathering Recap - 11/30/2025 - Luke 1:5-25 - Advent: Be Still

Call to worship:

1 God is our refuge and strength,
    a very present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear though the earth give way,
    though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
3 though its waters roar and foam,
    though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah

4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
    the holy habitation of the Most High.
5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved;
    God will help her when morning dawns.
6 The nations rage, the kingdoms totter;
    he utters his voice, the earth melts.
7 The Lord of hosts is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

8 Come, behold the works of the Lord,
    how he has brought desolations on the earth.
9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
    he breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
    he burns the chariots with fire.
10 “Be still, and know that I am God.
    I will be exalted among the nations,
    I will be exalted in the earth!”
11 The Lord of hosts is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Psalm 46:1-11

Gathering Video

Questions for reflection:

How does recognizing the season of Advent help our following of Jesus?

What does faithfulness look like with unmet expectations?

If we’re called to recall truth, practice wonder, and trust daily, how can you map that out this season?

Corporate Prayer:

Our Father in heaven,

Thank you for this Advent season where we remember the arrival of Jesus and His promised return, where He will make all things new.. Would you help us to regularly reflect on Your faithfulness, and place Your truth into the areas where we struggle to trust. Holy Spirit, help us to reflect the light of Christ to those around us.

In the name of Jesus we pray,

Amen.

Notes//Quotes//Slides:

Luke 1:5-25

Advent is the season that, when properly understood, does not flinch from the darkness that stalks us all in this world. Advent begins in the dark and moves toward the light—but the season should not move too quickly or too glibly, lest we fail to acknowledge the depth of the darkness. Advent bids us take a fearless inventory of the darkness: the darkness without and the darkness within. Fleming Rutledge

“This prayer will be answered but in a richer sense than Zechariah and Elizabeth ever dreamed. No doubt Zechariah and Elizabeth, as devout Israelites, also prayed for the coming of the redemption of Israel. Both these prayers were to be answered in the same event because their son would prepare the way for the Messiah” Robert Stein

“Be still, sad heart! and cease repining;

Behind the clouds is the sun still shining;

Thy fate is the common fate of all,

Into each life some rain must fall.”

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

“The one thing that He requires of us in response to deep waters is acceptance. This acceptance is not passivism, quietism, fatalism, or resignation. Peace and joy and faith will not be found in forgetting, and they will not be found in busyness or aloofness or the submission of defeat. They will not be found in anger at the “unfairness” of it all. St. Francis de Sales said, “Accustom yourself to unreasonableness and injustice! God sees these things far better than you do, and permits them!” Elisabeth Elliot

Gathering Recap - 11/23/2025 - Acts 19:21-41 - The Riot at Ephesus

Call to worship:

1 Blessed is the man
    who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
    nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
2 but his delight is in the law of the Lord,
    and on his law he meditates day and night.

3 He is like a tree
    planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
    and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers.
4 The wicked are not so,
    but are like chaff that the wind drives away.

5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
    nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;
6 for the Lord knows the way of the righteous,
    but the way of the wicked will perish.

Psalm 1:1-6

Gathering Video

Questions for reflection:

How is Luke intentional in giving both theology and history?

What patterns do you see in Paul’s ministry?

How might the gospel bring disruption to the powers today?

Corporate Prayer:

Our Father in heaven,

We thank you for the gift of grace we find through the work of Jesus. We ask for your help to walk in wisdom and give an accurate witness of Your gospel as we go from this place. May Your Spirit guide us through the spiritual battles that we face. We praise You for the victory that belongs to Your people.

In the name of Jesus we pray,

Amen.

Notes//Quotes//Slides:

Acts 19:21-41 - Jack

21 Once all this had been finished, Paul decided in his spirit to go back through Macedonia and Achaea and, from there, on to Jerusalem.

“After I’ve been there,” he said, “I really must go and see Rome.”

22 He sent two of his helpers, Timothy and Erastus, on ahead to Macedonia, while he himself spent a little more time in Asia.

“Great is Ephesian Artemis!”

23 Around that time there was a major disturbance because of the Way. 24 There was a silversmith named Demetrius who made silver statues of Artemis, which brought the workmen a tidy income. 25 He got them all together, along with other workers in the same business.

“Gentlemen,” he began. “You know that the reason we are doing rather well for ourselves is quite simply this business of ours. 26 And now you see, and hear, that this fellow Paul is going around not only Ephesus but pretty well the whole of Asia, persuading the masses to change their way of life, telling them that gods made with hands are not gods after all! 27 This not only threatens to bring our proper business into disrepute, but it might make people disregard the temple of the great goddess Artemis. Then she—and, after all, the whole of Asia, indeed the whole world, worships her!—she might lose her great majesty.”

28 When they heard this, they were filled with rage.

“Great is Ephesian Artemis!” they shouted. “Great is Ephesian Artemis!”

29 The whole city was filled with the uproar; everyone rushed together into the theater, dragging along with them the Macedonians Gaius and Aristarchus, two of Paul’s companions. 30 Paul wanted to go in to speak to the people, but his followers wouldn’t let him. 31 Indeed, some of the local magistrates, who were friendly towards him, sent him a message urging him not to risk going into the theater. 32 Meanwhile, some people were shouting one thing, some another. In fact, the whole assembly was thoroughly confused, and most of them had no idea why they had come there in the first place. 33 The Jews pushed Alexander forward, and some of the crowd informed him what was going on. He motioned with his hand, and was going to make a statement to the people to explain things. 34 But when they realized he was a Jew, they all shouted together, for about two hours, “Great is Ephesian Artemis!”

35 The town clerk quietened the crowd.

“Men of Ephesus,” he said, “is there anyone who doesn’t know that our city of Ephesus is the place which has the honor of being the home of Artemis the Great, and of the statue that fell from heaven? 36 Nobody can deny it! So you should be quiet, and not do anything rash. 37 You’ve brought these men here, but they haven’t stolen from the temple, or blasphemed our goddess. 38 If Demetrius and his colleagues have a charge they want to bring against anyone, the courts are open and we have magistrates. People can present their cases against one another. 39 But if you are wanting to know anything beyond that, it must be sorted out in the authorized assembly. 40 Let me remind you that we ourselves are risking legal proceedings because of this riot today, since there is no reason we could give which would enable us to present a satisfactory explanation for this uproar.”

41 With these words, he dismissed the assembly.

Gathering Recap - 11/16/2025 - Acts 19:1-20 - The Spirit and Power

Call to worship:

21 Remember these things, O Jacob,
    and Israel, for you are my servant;
I formed you; you are my servant;
    O Israel, you will not be forgotten by me.
22 I have blotted out your transgressions like a cloud
    and your sins like mist;
return to me, for I have redeemed you.

Isaiah 44:21-22

Gathering Video

Questions for reflection:

What happens in Ephesus? How does it differ from other locations in Acts?

What is the difference between the baptism of John and the Spirit? How does an understanding of the old and new covenant help us discern the difference?

How does the Spirit work in both the ordinary and extraordinary means?

Corporate Prayer:

Our Father in heaven,

We thank you for the gift of grace we find through the work of Jesus. We ask for your help to walk in wisdom and give an accurate witness of Your gospel as we go from this place. May Your Spirit guide us through the spiritual battles that we face. We praise You for the victory that belongs to Your people.

In the name of Jesus we pray,

Amen.

Notes//Quotes//Slides:

Acts 19:1-20

Jer 31:31-34

2 Cor 5:17

“As throughout Acts, there is no set pattern. The Spirit came at various times and in various ways. What is consistent is that the Spirit is always a vital part of one’s initial commitment to Christ and a mark of every believer.” J.B. Polhill

The norm of Christian experience, then, is a cluster of four things: repentance, faith in Jesus, water baptism and the gift of the Spirit. Though the perceived order may vary a little, the four belong together and are universal in Christian initiation. The laying on of apostolic hands, however, together with tongue-speaking and prophesying, were special to Ephesus, as to Samaria, in order to demonstrate visibly and publicly that particular groups were incorporated into Christ by the Spirit; the New Testament does not universalize them. John Stott

Gathering Recap - 11/09/2025 - Acts 18:24-28 - A Man Named Apollos

Call to worship:

6 Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel
    and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts:
“I am the first and I am the last;
    besides me there is no god.
7 Who is like me? Let him proclaim it.[a]
    Let him declare and set it before me,
since I appointed an ancient people.
    Let them declare what is to come, and what will happen.
8 Fear not, nor be afraid;
    have I not told you from of old and declared it?
    And you are my witnesses!
Is there a God besides me?
    There is no Rock; I know not any.”

Isaiah 44:6-8

Gathering Video

Questions for reflection:

How did the place of Apollos birth shape him? How have you been shaped?

What is the difference between helpful/unhelpful instruction on blind spots? What’s the posture

In what ways does the gospel give the environment for continued growth?

Corporate Prayer:

Our Father in heaven,

We thank you for the gift of grace we find through the work of Jesus. We ask for your help to walk in wisdom and give an accurate witness of Your gospel as we go from this place. May Your Spirit guide us through the spiritual battles that we face. We praise You for the victory that belongs to Your people.

In the name of Jesus we pray,

Amen.

Notes//Quotes//Slides:

Acts 18:24-28 Faith

You can kiss your family and friends good-bye and put miles between you, but at the same time you carry them with you in your heart, your mind, your stomach, because you do not just live in a world but a world lives in you. Frederick Beuchener

Jesus may be in your heart, but grandpa is in your bones - Pete Scazerro

Gal 3:28-29

“Jesus may be in your heart, but grandpa is in your bones, and the task of discipleship is to get Jesus more and more into your bones.”- Pete Scazerro

Eph 2:8-9

Eph 2:10

1 Cor 3:1-9

1 Cor 3:10-23

The local church is an unlikely collection of people, and with earthly eyes it may be hard to see that we belong together. With spiritual ones, however, it is clear. In the church, we all have one testimony. Meghan Hill

Gathering Recap - 11/02/2025 - Acts 18:1-23 - People, Work, Promise, Transformation

Call to worship:

16 Thus says the Lord,
    who makes a way in the sea,
    a path in the mighty waters,
17 who brings forth chariot and horse,
    army and warrior;
they lie down, they cannot rise,
    they are extinguished, quenched like a wick:
18 “Remember not the former things,
    nor consider the things of old.
19 Behold, I am doing a new thing;
    now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness
    and rivers in the desert.

Isaiah 43:16-19

Gathering Video

Questions for reflection:

What was Corinth known for? How does the gospel take root?

How does the story of scripture help us reimagine our work? In what ways can your reflect Jesus in your work?

Where do you need a word of God to strengthen you?

Corporate Prayer:

Our Father in heaven,

We thank you for the gift of grace we find through the work of Jesus. We ask for your help to walk in wisdom and give an accurate witness of Your gospel as we go from this place. May Your Spirit guide us through the spiritual battles that we face. We praise You for the victory that belongs to Your people.

In the name of Jesus we pray,

Amen.

Notes//Quotes//Slides:

Acts 18:1-23

Our work can be a calling only if it is reimagined as a mission of service to something beyond merely our own interests. Thinking of work mainly as a means of self-fulfillment and self-realization slowly crushes a person. - Tim Keller

1 Cor 6:9-11

There is much to be cynical about—and it is a good answer if there has not been an incarnation. But if that has happened, if the Word did become flesh, and if there are men and women who in and through their own vocations imitate the vocation of God, then sometimes and in some places the world becomes something more like the way it ought to be.
Steven Garber, Visions of Vocation

1 Cor 15:57-58

Gathering Recap - 10/26/2025 - Acts 17:16-34 - The Gospel and Idols

Call to worship:

1 But now thus says the Lord,
he who created you, O Jacob,
    he who formed you, O Israel:
“Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
    I have called you by name, you are mine.
2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
    and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
    and the flame shall not consume you.
3 For I am the Lord your God,
    the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.

Isaiah 43:1-3a

Gathering Video

Questions for reflection:

What does Paul see in Athens? Does anything about his response surprise you?

How does he present the gospel to the Athenians?

What is the response and how does that shape our expectations today?

Corporate Prayer:

Our Father in heaven,

We thank you for the gift of grace we find through the work of Jesus. We ask for your help to walk in wisdom and give an accurate witness of Your gospel as we go from this place. May Your Spirit guide us through the spiritual battles that we face. We praise You for the victory that belongs to Your people.

In the name of Jesus we pray,

Amen.

Notes//Quotes//Slides:

Acts 17:16-34 - Nathan

Acts 17:16-34

“Whatever your heart clings to and confides in, that is really your God, your functional savior.” Martin Luther

Isaiah 44:12-20

The gospel does not come as a disembodied message, but as the message of a community which claims to live by it and which invites others to adhere to it. Therefore, the community's life must be so ordered that it "makes sense" to those who are so invited. Leslie Newbigin

Gathering Recap - 10/19/2025 - Acts 17:1-15 - Jesus is King, Look at the Book

Call to worship:

Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
    the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
    his understanding is unsearchable.
29 He gives power to the faint,
    and to him who has no might he increases strength.
30 Even youths shall faint and be weary,
    and young men shall fall exhausted;
31 but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;
    they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
    they shall walk and not faint.

Isaiah 40:28-31

Gathering Video

Questions for reflection:

What was the difference between the two cities?

What is the importance of Jesus promised and risen?

Why is repentance often met with resistance?

What is the connection between hope and holiness?

Corporate Prayer:

Our Father in Heaven,

Hallowed by Your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts, and we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Yours is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever, Amen.

Notes//Quotes//Slides:

Acts 17:1-15 - Faith

Acts 17:1-15

“The resurrection was indeed a miraculous display of God’s power, but we should not see it as a suspension of the natural order of the world. Rather it was the beginning of the restoration of the natural order of the world, the world as God intended it to be…The resurrection means not merely that Christians have a hope for the future but that they have a hope that comes from the future. The Bible’s startling message is that when Jesus rose, he brought the future kingdom of God into the present.” - Tim Keller

1 Thess 1:1-10

1 Thess 5:1-11

Holiness is the habit of being of one mind with God, according as we find His mind described in Scripture. It is the habit of agreeing in God's judgment, hating what He hates, loving what He loves, and measuring everything in this world by the standard of His Word. - JC Ryle

The Bible isn’t a book of rules, or a book of heroes. The Bible is most of all a Story. It’s an adventure story about a young Hero who comes from a far country to win back his lost treasure. It’s a love story about a brave Prince who leaves his palace, his throne—everything— to rescue the one he loves. It’s like the most wonderful of fairy tales that has come true in real life! There are lots of stories in the Bible, but all the stories are telling one Big Story. The Story of how God loves his children and comes to rescue them. - Sally Lloyd Jones

What’s going on?

Where is the good news?

How has the church seen this through history?

How does this shape us toward repentance/faith/flourishing?

Psalm 119:105

Hebrews 4:12

Ephesians 6:17

Gathering Recap - 10/12/2025 - Acts 16:11-40 - Gospel Breakthrough

Call to worship:

10 Behold, the Lord God comes with might,
    and his arm rules for him;
behold, his reward is with him,
    and his recompense before him.
11 He will tend his flock like a shepherd;
    he will gather the lambs in his arms;
he will carry them in his bosom,
    and gently lead those that are with young.

Isaiah 40:10-11

Gathering Video

Questions for reflection:

Which of the multiple scenes from this account stick out to you?

How have you seen and experienced spiritual warfare?

Where are you looking to Jesus for clarity in the midst of uncertainty?

Corporate Prayer:

Our Father in Heaven,

Hallowed by Your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts, and we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Yours is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever, Amen.

Notes//Quotes//Slides:

Acts 16:11-40 - Jack

Slide 1

Scene 1: The Conversion of Lydia (16:11-15)

Slide 2

See Map that I'll send by email

Slide 3

Takeaways from Scene 1

1. God is sovereign in salvation

2. Obedience is our response to His work

Slide 4

Scene 2: The Exorcism of the Slave Girl (16:16-24)

Slide 5

Takeaway from Scene 2: We are wise to see the spiritual battle going on behind the scenes.

Slide 6

“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

Ephesians 6:12

Slide 7

Scene 3: The Conversion of the Jailer (16:25-34)

Slide 8

“From one perspective, Paul and Silas’s day was a picture of perfect mayhem. Their spiritual power was slandered; their gospel trampled by a mob; their innocence silenced by injustice. They appeared like two victims caught in the chaos of a merciless, purposeless world.

But such was not their perspective. For Paul and Silas, all the day’s sorrows rested in the hand of a sovereign God. God had called them to Philippi through a midnight vision. Was he now any less sovereign in a midnight prison? God had used them in Philippi to save Lydia and her household. Had he discarded them now? No, prison could neither thwart the plans of God nor remove them from his sight; of this they were sure.”

Scott Hubbard

Slide 9

Takeaway from Scene 3: We do well to ask ourselves “What does God owe me?”

Slide 10

“He lets things happen that I don’t understand. He doesn’t do things according to my plan, or in ways that make sense to me…

If you have a God great enough and powerful enough to be mad at because he doesn’t stop your suffering, you also have a God who is great enough and powerful enough to have reasons that you can’t understand…

And so often, if God seems to be unconscionably delaying his grace and committing malpractice in your life, it’s because there is some crucial information that we don’t yet have, some essential variable that’s unavailable to us.”

Tim Keller

Slide 11

Scene 4: The Vindication of Paul and Silas (16:35-40)

Slide 12

Takeaway from Scene 4: In the end, God wins. And so do His people.

Slide 13

The Takeaways from Phiiippi

1. God is sovereign in salvation

2. Obedience is our response to His work

3. We are wise to see the spiritual battle

4. We do well to ask ourselves “What does God owe me?”

5. In the end, God wins. And so do His people.

Gathering Recap - 10/05/2025 - Acts 16:1-10 - Investing in Others, Hearing From God

Call to worship:

6 A voice says, “Cry!”
    And I said, “What shall I cry?”
All flesh is grass,
    and all its beauty is like the flower of the field.
7 The grass withers, the flower fades
    when the breath of the Lord blows on it;
    surely the people are grass.
8 The grass withers, the flower fades,
    but the word of our God will stand forever.

Isaiah 40:6-8

Gathering Video

Questions for reflection:

How does the church go about discipleship in the 1st century?

What kind of investment did Paul make in Timothy? Do you think the experience with Barnabas had an impact in his approach?

What do we glean from the early church discerning God’s will?

Corporate Prayer:

Our Father in Heaven,

Hallowed by Your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts, and we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Yours is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever, Amen.

Notes//Quotes//Slides:

Acts 16:1-10 - Josh

Individually the disciple and friend of Jesus who has learned to work shoulder to shoulder with his or her Lord stands in this world as a point of contact between heaven and earth, a kind of Jacob’s ladder by which the angels of God may ascend from and descend into human life. Thus the disciple stands as an envoy or a receiver by which the kingdom of God is conveyed into every quarter of human affairs. - Willard

The world is full of miracles. But none greater than how far a young person can be carried by someone else’s belief in them

Frederick Backman (My Friends)

“Almost anything in life that truly matters will require you to do small, mostly overlooked things, over a long period of time with him.” Zach Eswine

Map

“Our failure to hear His voice when we want to is due to the fact that we do not in general want to hear it, that we want it only when we think we need it.” - Dallas Willard, Hearing God

“Usually God’s guidance is not negative only but also positive (some doors close, others open); not circumstantial only, but also rational (thinking about our situation); not personal only, but also corporate (a sharing of the data with others, so that we can mull over them together and reach a common mind).” - John Stott

Gathering Recap - 09/28/2025 - Acts 15:22-41 - What a Strong Church Looks Like

Call to worship:

3 A voice cries:
“In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord;
    make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
4 Every valley shall be lifted up,
    and every mountain and hill be made low;
the uneven ground shall become level,
    and the rough places a plain.
5 And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,
    and all flesh shall see it together,
    for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

Isaiah 40:3-5

Gathering Video

Questions for reflection:

What is the significance of the 4 prohibitions of the letter from Jerusalem to Antioch?

Why do we have a tendency to lay heavier burdens on ourselves and others?

What are some of the marks of a church that is being strengthened?

Corporate Prayer:

Our Father in Heaven,

Hallowed by Your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts, and we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Yours is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever, Amen.

Notes//Quotes//Slides:

Acts 15:22-41

2 Timothy 2:22

“Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession, absolution without personal confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.” - Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Grace is not opposed to effort, it is opposed to earning. Earning is an attitude. Effort is an action. Grace, you know, does not just have to do with forgiveness of sins alone. - Dallas Willard

“They dwell in their own countries, but simply as sojourners. As citizens, they share in all things with others, and yet endure all things as if foreigners. Every foreign land is to them as their native country, and every land of their birth as a land of strangers. They marry, as do all; they beget children; but they do not destroy their offspring. They have a common table, but not a common bed. They are in the flesh, but they do not live after the flesh. They pass their days on earth, but they are citizens of heaven. They obey the prescribed laws, and at the same time surpass the laws by their lives. They love all men, and are persecuted by all. They are unknown and condemned; they are put to death, and restored to life. They are poor, yet make many rich; they are in lack of all things, and yet abound in all; they are dishonored, and yet in their very dishonor are glorified” Epistle to Diognetus (2nd Century)

Matthew 23:1-12

The early church understood well the powers at work in the Roman Empire. There were many gods who ruled and oppressed its citizens. Among them were Aphrodite (goddess of sex), Hephaetus (god of technology), Mars (god of war), Ploutos (god of wealth), and Bacchus (god of pleasure). At the top of the ladder, and unifying them all, was political power, deified in the Caesar, and nourished by the Imperial theology and religious practice. The powers and gods were the forces that most determined and shaped their lives. The church understood the oppressive and intrusive influence of evil. They understood the comprehensive scope and spiritual power of these cosmic powers to tyrannize their lives. Perhaps we shake our heads at the primitive and childish worldview that could ever conceive of a world populated by powers. After all, science has liberated us from such nonsense. Yet when we see millions addicted to pornography, it seems the goddess of sex is not dead. When we see millions of lives trivialized and emptied of significance by addiction to technology, we observe that the god of technology still wields power. When we experience the seductive power of a consumer society that inflames us with a desire for the senseless consumption of goods and experiences, we must grant that the gods of wealth and pleasure are alive and well. And the billions of dollars spent annually on arms betray our enslavement to the gods of war and national security. Economic forces, political powers, sexual addiction, technological seduction: it seems we are helpless before these powers. All scientific attempts to control them have failed. - Mike Goheen

“God is always trying to give good things to us, but our hands are too full to receive them.” Augustine

Gathering Recap - 09/21/2025 - Acts 15:1-21 - Transforming Enemies

Call to worship:

6 6 “Seek the Lord while he may be found;
    call upon him while he is near;
7 let the wicked forsake his way,
    and the unrighteous man his thoughts;
let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him,
    and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
    neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
    so are my ways higher than your ways
    and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Isaiah 55:6-9

Gathering Video

Questions for reflection:

How does the gospel transform enemies into family?

What posture do the apostles take as they sort through the questions of the 1st century?

In what ways does Jesus break down boundaries and barriers today?

Corporate Prayer:

Our Father in Heaven,

Hallowed by Your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts, and we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Yours is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever, Amen.

Notes//Quotes//Slides:

Slide 1

God promised salvation to Israel...

God's blessings would come to the Nations through

the covenant with Abraham...

Circumcision was the standard means of entering

into full participation with the covenant people...

These Gentiles had not been circumcised...

They remained outside of Israel and therefore

could not participate fully in God's promises

Slide 2

Amos 9:12 (MT)

12 that they may possess the remnant of Edom

and all the nations who are called by my name,”

declares the LORD who does this.

Amos 9:12 (LXX)

12 so that the remnant of the people,

and all the nations upon whom my name was invoked upon them,

will search for me,” says the Lord who is making these things.

Slide 3

אדום = Edom

אדם= adam/ humanity

Slide 4

Deuteronomy 30:6

6 And the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.