Acts on God's Help

illustration

Taking Seriously the Possibility of God’s Guidance

Author

Keywords

Scripture

Acts 8:26-40, Exodus 3:1-10, 1 Samuel 3:1-10, Genesis 37:5-11, Acts 9:1-19

Richard Attenborough’s movie Gandhi has a scene set in South Africa where the young Indian lawyer and a white clergyman are walking together on a boardwalk, contrary to South African law at the time. ...

scripture guide

Scripture Guide, Acts 27:27-44

Author

Allen Thompson

Keywords

Scripture

Acts 27:27-44, Acts 9:null, Acts 9:32-43

This scripture guide is adapted from the Summer Settings sermon guide. For purposes of practicality and relatability, this series considers the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea “oceans.” The poi...

lectionary

10th Sunday after Pentecost

Author

Gabe Fung

Keywords

Scripture

Ephesians 4:1-16, Galatians 5:22-23, Psalm 68:18, Philippians 2:5-11, Romans 12:3-8, 1 Corinthians 12:4-11, 1 Peter 4:10-11, Acts 14:4, Romans 16:7, 1 Corinthians 15:7, Galatians 1:19, 1 Thessalonians 1:1, 1 Thessalonians 2:6, Romans 12:3-5, 1 Corinthians 12:14-27

Preaching Commentary Background to the Letter and Passage Paul’s letter to the Ephesians was probably intended for wider distribution and use among the various churches around Ephesus. As such, the...

series

Oceans: 2, Acts 27:27-44

Author

Allen Thompson

Keywords

Scripture

Acts 27:27-44, Acts 27:27-44, Acts 27:null, Acts 9:32-43, Acts 9:null, Isaiah 60:1-3, Isaiah 43:1-2, Lamentations 3:22-24, Ephesians 2:11-22, Acts 27:27-44

For purposes of practicality and relatability, this series considers the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea “oceans.” The point is to relate our present-day affinity for the ocean, seashore, and beach...

scripture guide

Scripture Guide, Ephesians 4:1-16 (Guide A)

Author

Gabe Fung

Keywords

Scripture

Ephesians 4:1-16, 2 Samuel 11:26-12:13a, Psalm 51:1-12, John 6:24-35, Galatians 5:22-23, Psalm 68:18, Philippians 2:5-11, Romans 12:3-8, 1 Corinthians 12:4-11, 1 Peter 4:10-11, Acts 14:4, Romans 16:7, 1 Corinthians 15:7, Galatians 1:19, 1 Thessalonians 1:1, 1 Thessalonians 2:6, Romans 12:3-5, 1 Corinthians 12:14-27

Background to the Letter and Passage Paul’s letter to the Ephesians was probably intended for wider distribution and use among the various churches around Ephesus. As such, there is no particular cri...

liturgy

Almighty God, send your Holy Spirit

Keywords

Scripture

John 11:25-26, 1 John 5:11, Acts 6:8-15, 2 Thessalonians 3:5, John 14:26

Almighty God, send your Holy Spirit into our hearts, that he may govern and guide us according to your will, comfort us in all our temptations and afflictions, defend us from all error, and lead us in...

liturgy

Confession and Redemption in Christ

Author

Trinity Lutheran Church, Lisle, Illinois

Keywords

Scripture

Acts 16:6-10, Psalm 124:8, Psalm 130:3-4, 1 John 1:9, Isaiah 1:18, Ephesians 1:7, Romans 5:8

Pastor: Our help is in the name of the Lord, People: who made heaven and earth. Pastor: If You, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand? People: But with Yo...

lectionary

12th Sunday after Pentecost

Author

Cody Sandahl

Keywords

Scripture

Matthew 15:(10-20), 21-28, 1 Kings 17:7, Acts 15:, John 5:1-9, John 16:7

Preaching Commentary Approaching a Difficult Text I think it’s good to start with the observation that Matthew 15:21-28 is not an easy or straightforward text. Trying to turn it into an easy text w...

lectionary

Fourth Sunday in Lent

Author

Gabe Fung

Keywords

Scripture

Ephesians 2:1-10, Acts 18:19-21, Acts 19:1-20

Lent 2021: A 40-day Heart Restoration Death to Life Bonus Content: Video prep session with Gabe Fung on Ephesians 2:1-10 . Password: 943!KJRs AIM Commentary Ancient Lens What can we learn fr...

lectionary

Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany

Author

Jeff Volkmer

Keywords

Scripture

Deuteronomy 18:15-20, Deuteronomy 1:5, Exodus 18:13-27, Exodus 20:18-19, Exodus 33:11, Deuteronomy 34:10, John 1:21, John 6:14, Acts 3:22-23, 1 Timothy 2:5, Luke 24:27

Preaching Commentary Context A Copy of the Law or a Second Law? Like the other books in the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Bible), the title of the book of Deuteronomy comes from its tran...

scripture guide

Scripture Guide, Deuteronomy 18:15-20

Author

Jeff Volkmer

Keywords

Scripture

Deuteronomy 18:15-20, Deuteronomy 1:5, Exodus 18:13-27, Exodus 20:18-19, Exodus 33:11, Deuteronomy 34:10, John 1:21, John 6:14, Acts 3:22-23, 1 Timothy 2:5, Luke 24:27

Context A Copy of the Law or a Second Law? Like the other books in the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Bible), the title of the book of Deuteronomy comes from its translation into Greek. The...

scripture guide

Scripture Guide, Matthew 28:16-20

Author

Allen Thompson

Keywords

Scripture

Matthew 28:16-20, Acts 1:8, Hebrews 1:1-4, John 1:1-5

An Incomplete Trinity? Protestant churches who lean evangelical but not charismatic have occasionally been accused of being more “binitarian” than “trinitarian.” The suggestion is that such churches...

lectionary

Sixth Sunday of Easter

Author

William Rowley

Keywords

Scripture

Acts 16:9-15

Context This week’s reading from Acts recounts the call to Paul on his second missionary journey to go to Macedonia and his encounter with Lydia in Philippi. Textual Context The structure of the B...

lectionary

Trinity Sunday

Author

Allen Thompson

Keywords

Scripture

Matthew 28:16-20, Acts 1:8, Hebrews 1:1-4, John 1:1-5

Preaching Summary An Incomplete Trinity? Protestant churches who lean evangelical but not charismatic have occasionally been accused of being more “binitarian” than “trinitarian.” The suggestion i...

lectionary

Sixth Sunday of Easter

Author

Dustin Ray

Keywords

Scripture

Acts 17:22-31, Romans 8:11, Romans 6:14, Romans 8:22-25, Romans 3:23, Matthew 6:9, Romans 8:28

Preaching Commentary Preaching Angle: The God Who Transforms As the Lectionary readings traverse from last week’s readings in Acts 7 (Stephen’s sermon and martyrdom) into this week’s reading of Pau...

lectionary

25th Sunday after Pentecost

Author

Allen Thompson

Keywords

Scripture

Hebrews 10:11-14, (15-18), 19-25, Hebrews 10:15-18, Hebrews 10:19-25, Leviticus 16:, Jeremiah 31:16-17, Acts 15:39

Preaching Commentary Ministry Ain't Easy Ministry is arduous. While it is difficult to deal with the day-in, day-out dramas that can come from dealing with people, imagine the grind of constan...

scripture guide

Scripture Guide, Jeremiah 1:4-10

Author

Cody Sandahl

Keywords

Scripture

Jeremiah 1:4-10, Isaiah 6:null, Acts 1:8, 1 Peter 4:10-12, Mark 16:15, Galatians 1:15, Ephesians 4:12

Calling People often give me weird looks when I talk about being “called” by God. A pastor can be “called” to devote their working time to shepherding a church. A parent can be “called” to invest in ...

lectionary

11th Sunday after Pentecost

Author

Cody Sandahl

Keywords

Scripture

Jeremiah 1:4-10, Isaiah 6:null, Acts 1:8, 1 Peter 4:10-12, Mark 16:15, Galatians 1:15, Ephesians 4:12

Preaching Commentary Calling People often give me weird looks when I talk about being “called” by God. A pastor can be “called” to devote their working time to shepherding a church. A parent can be...

lectionary

Fifth Sunday after Pentecost

Author

Darren Pollock

Keywords

Scripture

Matthew 10:40-42, John 20:21, Acts 1:18, 2 Peter 2:13, Luke 17:10, John 3:18, Matthew 28:19, Ephesians 5:20, James 5:14, Colossians 3:17, Acts 3:6, 1 Corinthians 6:11, Acts 20:35

preaching commentary The Transitive Property of Welcoming In elementary school math you learn various basic principles of working with numbers…the commutative property, the associative property, th...

lectionary

Seventh Sunday of Easter: Ascension of the Lord

Author

Stuart R. Strachan, Jr.

Keywords

Scripture

Acts 1:1-11, Acts 2:42-47, Acts 4:32-35

Preaching Commentary An Introduction from Luke Our passage begins with a note from the author (Luke) to his reader (Theophilus), which reminds us that Luke-Acts was initially meant to be two parts ...

lectionary

Sixth Sunday after Pentecost

Author

Darren Pollock

Keywords

Christian Calendar

Scripture

Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30, Ephesians 4:14, Mark 10:14, 1 Samuel 16:7, 1 Thessalonians 2:4, 1 Corinthians 6:14, 2 Timothy 2:15, Proverbs 23:12, Proverbs 3:5, Acts 26:24

Preaching Commentary The Missing “Advent” Text A lectionary preacher moving from the fifth to the sixth Sunday after Pentecost in Year A will notice that a familiar chunk is missing, sent back in t...

lectionary

Fifth Sunday of Easter

Author

Dustin Ray

Keywords

Scripture

Acts 7:55-60, Luke 9:22, Luke 12:8, Acts 2:34, Mark 1:14-15, Luke 23:34, Acts 8:1, Acts 9:1, Mark 9:40, Romans 5:6-11

Preaching Commentary Preaching Angle: Jesus’ Crucifixion, Stephen’s Martyrdom When Stephen saw “the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God,” the surrounding crowd of God’s people should have...

lectionary

Second Sunday after Pentecost

Author

Gabe Fung

Keywords

Scripture

Mark 2:23-28, 3:1-6, Mark 2:23-28, Mark 3:1-6, Acts 12:12, Acts 12:25, Acts 15:37-39, Colossians 4:10, 2 Timothy 4:11, Philemon 1:24, 1 Peter 5:13, Mark 1:14-15, Mark 2:1-22, Exodus 20:8-11, Deuteronomy 5:12-15, Exodus 34:21, 1 Samuel 21:1-6, Luke 11:37-54, Mark 2:1-17, Genesis 1:26-31, Genesis 2:1-2, Genesis 3:null, John 19:30

Preaching Commentary Context Authorship of Mark Mark’s account of the story of Jesus is commonly held to be the earliest of the four canonical Gospels. Early church tradition identifies the author...

lectionary

Baptism of the Lord

Author

Darren Pollock

Keywords

Scripture

Acts 19:1-7, 1 Corinthians 3:6, Acts 19:null, Acts 18:24-25, Philippians 3:5, Acts 11:18, Philippians 1:6, Romans 12:null, 1 Corinthians 12:

Preaching Commentary Context Paul in Ephesus: His Third Missionary Journey This passage describes Paul’s arrival in Ephesus during his third missionary journey. He finds there some disciples who k...

scripture guide

Scripture Guide, Acts 11:1-18

Author

Eunice McGarrahan

Keywords

Scripture

Acts 11:1-18

Summary The gospel has been spreading in Acts and the gospel is meeting resistance, with apostles being imprisoned. By the Holy Spirit, they are released from jail. The Spirit then instructs them to ...

Quote

Author

Martin Luther

Keywords

Scripture

Acts 5:29

I cannot submit my faith either to the pope or to the council, because it is as clear as noonday that they have fallen into error and even into glaring inconsistency with themselves. If, then, I am no...

blog

Faithfulness, Not Size: The Real Measures of Ministry Success

Author

Dan Baumgartner

Keywords

Scripture

Ephesians 4:11-12, 1 Peter 5:1-4, Acts 20:28, 2 Timothy 4:2

Success is a Long Obedience, Not a Quick Climb Let me start with this: I am predisposed to believing that the ideal church size is relatively small. Eugene Peterson has often been quoted as saying h...

lectionary

Fifth Sunday of Easter

Author

Eunice McGarrahan

Keywords

Scripture

Acts 11:1-18, Acts 5:20, Genesis 12:

Summary The lectionary texts since Easter have focused on the accounts of the spread of gospel after Pentecost. There has been opposition in Jerusalem, to the point of imprisoning apostles. But the b...

lectionary

Second Sunday of Advent

Author

Austin D. Hill

Keywords

Scripture

Philippians 1:3-11, Acts 16:, Revelation 21:1-6

Ancient Lens What can we learn from the historical context? Paul’s Relationship to Philippi There is practically no debate that Philippians was written by Paul. This letter is an intimate portray...

lectionary

First Sunday of Advent

Author

Stuart R. Strachan, Jr.

Keywords

Scripture

1 Thessalonians 3:9-13, Acts 17:1-9

Introduction There are two significant ways in which waiting is central to our passage today. First, there is the waiting to be reunited with the apostle Paul and the fledgling church in Thessalonica...

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