Christ is the ultimate non-conformist, so Christ-followers must resist being conformed to the world. Only then will we be able to understand our true value and uniqueness as human beings. But today’s passage reminds us that the world works against us by pushing worldly conformity and by punishing non-conformity.
Daniel 2:1-23 - "The Lord Knows"
Today’s big idea is that the Lord knows all, so we should all be turning to Him for wisdom and understanding. In our passage, the story of King Nebuchadnezzar reminds us that we all need divine wisdom, and it teaches us that such wisdom is available to us if we’ll just turn to God in faith.
Daniel 1:8-21 - "Seeking To Serve"
Today’s passage reminds us that we must seek the Lord in order to serve the Lord. That’s today’s big idea and we’re going to look at both seeking and serving.
Daniel 1:3-7 - "Teens Under Attack"
Our teens are being targeted and transformed by the world, so we must fight for them. Today’s passage is a great example of how worldly forces target and attempt to transform our young people. The teens of Daniel’s day weren’t so different than today’s teens. And the world certainly hasn’t changed much since then.
Daniel 1:1-2 - "Sovereignty"
Our Good God is sovereign over all things, so we can trust Him at all times. In today’s passage, we are taught to trust the goodness of sovereignty of God in two difficult situations: 1. When we see God’s people suffering; and 2. When we see God’s enemies succeeding.
Daniel - Overview
The Book of Daniel teaches us to trust God’s goodness when life is hard. He will meet us in our difficulties and despair to help us understand our past, present, and future in the light of His character and promises.
2023 Vision Message
Acts 28:11-31 - "The Example Of Paul"
Whether we’re reading about the Acts of the Apostles or participating in Christian ministry in the 21st century, we’re participants and we can identify with the ministry of Paul. As we close out Acts, today’s big idea is that we are witnesses, just like Paul, so we can be just as purposeful and passionate as he was.
Acts 28:1-10 - "Holy Hands"
Today’s passage uses references to the hands of Paul to remind us that, like Paul, Christ is working through all Christians to accomplish God’s will. As the saying goes, we are the hands and feet of Christ. Our big idea is that we are indeed the holy hands of Christ, so we should expect His protection and power.
Acts 27:1-44 - "Hope Along The Way"
Often failure is what turns us from such false hopes to faith in God. Today’s big idea is that God allows failure for the sake of faith. Our passage emphasizes three related aspects of God’s dealings with people: 1. He allows the failure of false hopes; 2. He gives true hope to the hopeless; and 3. He gives help to those who look to Him for hope.
Acts 25:13-26:32 - "Interest & Intentionality"
Today’s big idea is that sharing Christ is about being intentional with the interest of others. Our passage begins with several people who are curious about a Christian man who is speaking of a risen Christ. However, the most important part of our passage reveals how that Christian man responds to their interest by intentionally speaking the truth about Jesus and telling of how He changed his life.
Acts 25:1-12 - "Political Protection"
Today’s passage reminds us that God works through even the worst political leaders. God is sovereign over government, so we can trust Him no matter who’s in office. He works through all political leaders, even the oppressive, oblivious, and opportunistic ones.
Acts 22:30-23:35 - "The Encouragement of Christ"
Christians need encouragement, and Christ will encourage us.
Acts 21:37-22:29 - "Telling Stories"
As Christians, we tell stories, and we each have two stories to tell. Every human has an origin story about where we’re from. But every Christian can also tell of the origination of our new life in Christ. Today’s passage demonstrates how Paul tells these two stories of his life and faith.
Acts 21:17-36 - "Accusations"
We live in an era characterized by political unrest and growing tensions between different segments of society. Therefore, Christ-followers will face accusations, and we need to be prepared for that. These will come from non-Christians who stand against the gospel, but also from professing Christians who struggle with the consequences of the gospel as it relates to their deeply-ingrained cultural and political identities. We will be tempted to respond with fear or anger, but that would only exacerbate the tension and turmoil. Instead, we must consider how we can strive for unity in the Church by making accommodations for other Christians without compromising the gospel. We also must come to terms with the fact that we will sometimes be treated unjustly for our beliefs by those who are opposed to the gospel. Today’s passage teaches us how to live like this.
Acts 21:1-16 - "The Road Through Suffering"
Many of us try to escape suffering at all costs. We wrongly assume that this life on earth is all about minimizing suffering. But sometimes we must embrace it, just as Jesus did. Today’s big idea is that the road through suffering requires a Christ-like mindset; one that is spiritual, sacrificial, and submissive.
Acts 20:13-38 - "Church Leadership"
Today’s passage lays out eight marks of effective church leadership. An effective church leader is purposeful, humble, bold, vigilant, faithful, selfless, prayerful, and personal. But even if you don’t have an official leadership role, any church member marked by growth in these eight areas will bless his or her church and will glorify God.
Acts 20:1-12 - "Team & Time"
Today’s big idea is that Christian ministry is a team sport with a time limit, so, like Paul, let’s group up and get going. In our passage, we see the importance of both forming a team and finding time to spend with others, which is what Christian ministry is really all about.
Acts 19:21-41 - "Strategic Opposition"
Too often, churches and Christians become known for our failures. But today’s passage reminds us that Christians can also become infamous for transforming lives and changing culture through the power of the gospel. Jesus promised that His followers would experience pushback from worldly people who reject Him. But He also commanded us to make disciples around the world, regardless of the opposition. The strategic operation of the Church will face strategic opposition, so we need to be prepared for that.
Acts 19:8-20 - "Witnessing Christ"
If we fail to think of ourselves as witnesses, then our witness will be ineffective. All too often, we don’t live by the word of the Lord, we don’t live in His triumph over sin and death through the power of the Holy Spirit, and we don’t treasure Him as our highest prize and priority. So people might look at our lives and wonder whether the gospel is actually true. Our big idea today is that Christ is revealed by Christians, so let’s give the world a witness. Every local church should be a display case for the words, the works, and the worth of Jesus Christ. This will require all of us to consider how the reality of the Lord is being revealed by our sacrifices, successes, and speech.
