The Book of Acts Sermon Series - (Acts 1:1-3)

What Jesus Did After the Beginning - Acts opens with Luke referring back to his Gospel.  He was now writing to Theophilus, whom he also had written his Gospel to.  He is reminding Theophilus that in his Gospel he had covered the life and ministry of Jesus Christ on earth.  Jesus' life and work on earth was only the beginning.

The Book of Acts Sermon Series - (Acts 1:4-8)

The Wind of the Spirit - The Holy Spirit was sent so that God would be with and within His followers after Christ returned to heaven.  The Spirit will comfort us, guide us to know His truth, remind us of Jesus' words, give us the right words to say, and fill us with His power.  At Pentecost, the Holy Spirit was made available to all that believed.

The Book of Acts Sermon Series - (Acts 1:8-14)

You Shall Receive Power Until Jesus Comes - The power believers receive from the Holy Spirit includes courage, boldness, confidence, insight, ability, and authority.  The disciples would need all these gifts to fulfill their mission.  If you believe in Jesus Christ, you can experience the power of the Holy Spirit in you life.

The Book of Acts Sermon Series - (Acts 1:15-26)

What Judas' Death Teaches Us About the Spirit - Waiting for God to move or work does not mean we sit around idle and do nothing.  We must do what we can, while we can, as long as we do not run ahead of God.  The disciples had to choose a replacement for Judas.  They outline specific criteria for a making a choice.  They have given us a good template for making essential decisions in church leadership.

The Book of Acts Sermon Series - (Acts 2:1-13)

Tongues of Fire & the Fullness of God - The Day of Pentacost was one of the most phenomenal and vital events in all of history.  There are several reasons why it was so important.  One was the personal filling of the individual believer by the Holy Spirit.  It was the Presence and Power of God coming upon believers, gifting and equipping them to proclaim the glorious message of salvation to all people.

The Book of Acts Sermon Series - (Acts 2:14-21)

I Will Pour Out My Spirit - Peter tells the people they should listen to the testimony of the believers.  He says this because Jesus Christ fulfilled the Old Testiment prophecies; it is certain, Jesus Christ is the Messiah!  Furthermore, at Pentecost, the Holy Spirit was released throughout the world to men, women, slaves, Jews, and Gentile.  This was revolutionary thinking for 1st century Jews.

The Book of Acts Sermon Series - (Acts 2:22-36)

Did You Kill the Glory of God - Neither the Roman government nor the Jewish officials of the day could disrupt God's plans.  Everything that happened to Jesus was under God's control, and this was especially comforting to those facing oppression during the early Christian Church.  Peter spoke boldly and forthright about the resurrection.  Our faith and credibility rest on the truth of the empty tomb.

The Book of Acts Sermon Series - (Acts 2:37-41)

Repentance, Forgiveness, & the Gift of the Holy Spirit - After Peter's powerful sermon, the people were moved and asked him, "What shall we do?".  This question is a fundamental question we all must ask at some point.  As Christians, it is not enough to be sorry for our sins.  We must acknowledge our sin and petition God for the forgiveness of our sin.  As the Father forgives us, we must choose to forgive others for the offenses against us.

The Book of Acts Sermon Series - (Acts 2:42-47)

The Fear of God & Freedom from Goods - New believers in Christ need to be in groups to learn God's word together with other believers.  As God's sanctifying work takes place, we must let go of our worldly possessions to serve others.  We all benefit from God's gifts by sharing what we have with those in need.  As part of God's spiritual family, it is our responsibility to help one another in every way possible.

The Book of Acts Sermon Series - (Acts 3:1-16)

Jesus' Name Made This Man Strong - What do you think when you hear the statement, "in the name of Jesus Christ"?  In our text today, this means by the authority of Jesus Christ.  The apostles were doing this healing through the Holy Spirits power and not of their own.  The people are awed by God's great power.  However, let us not forget that even with this great power, God uses His servants to reach others.  Therefore, we must not forget to thank the people that God uses to help you and me.

A new NLC sermon series on the Book of Acts.  We will be examining the early church over the next several months.  Although Jesus is in heaven, He continues to work and minister through the presence of the Spirit in the hearts and lives of believers.  The Book of Acts could well be called, "The Acts (works and teachings) of believers", "The Acts (work of teachings) of Christ", and "The Acts (work and teachings) of the Holy Spirit".

The Book of Acts Sermon Series - (Acts 3:19-21)

A Little R & R - When we repent, God promises us that not only will He wipe out or sins, but we will be filled with His Spirit and experience a spiritual refreshment.  Although repentance may seem painful at first, because it is hard to give up our sin, God will give you a better way.  So, the question is, "Do you feel a need to be refreshed?".

The Book of Acts Sermon Series - (Acts 3:22-26)

Prophecy of the Coming Judgment - The church is called to carry out His work to  a broken world. Why do we do this? Because the God of the Bible will return, and we will face his judgement.  We will all give an account for our life before Him.  The glorious truth is through Jesus Christ, the sin of the world has been forgiven.

The Book of Acts Sermon Series - (Acts 4:1-22)

Let's Talk About Jesus - In our message today, we witness the first persecution of the church.  Peter and John are arrested and tried.  They suffered abuse because they preached the resurrection, they proclaimed salvation was found in Jesus alone, they gave evidence they had been with Jesus, they suffered threats, but they refused to compromise the message.

The Book of Acts Sermon Series - (Acts 4:23-31)

Persecution & God's Protection - In our verses today, the disciples prayed specifically for God's help and guidance for what they were facing.  We must pray specifically and expectantly for whatever problem we are facing.  Notice though, they did not ask God to remove the situation; instead, they prayed for His help in getting through it.  We must realize that God may not remove the problem we face.  Instead, He will give us the encouragement and strength to endure.

The Book of Acts Sermon Series - (Acts 4:32-37)

Difference of Opinion - Differences of opinion are bound to happen in our relationships and within the church.  They are not a bad thing, or they do not have to be.  On the contrary, they cna be great for relationships if we choose to work through them in a healthy way.  Being united spiritually is of vital importance, though.  We must be united together with our loyalty and commitment connected to Jesus Christ.  If we fail to be united, the church's mission will fail.

The Book of Acts Sermon Series - (Acts 5:1-11)

Christians....Sort of - As Christians, we have to be careful of letting our Christianity get lukewarm.  It's easy to fall into habits that make us appear to be Christian on the outside while we fall short of following through on the inside.  The story of Ananias and Sapphira show us a good example of how to not be "sort of Christians".