Acts on Good News

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The Good News Isn’t Sounding Good to Some

Author

Keywords

Scripture

Isaiah 53:3, Jeremiah 20:7-10, 1 Kings 22:8-28, John 15:18-19 , Acts 5:40-42, Psalm 37:1-2

In Vanishing Grace , Philip Yancey examines the growing negative perceptions of evangelicals. Although the book was written in 2014, these dynamics have only intensified in the era of MAGA and Ch...

liturgy

Overcoming Fear with God's Grace

Author

Laura B. Murray

Keywords

Scripture

Matthew 5:14-16, Acts 1:8 , Mark 5:18-20, 1 Peter 3:15, John 4:28-30; 39-42, Romans 1:16 , 2 Timothy 1:7-8

Merciful God, you have moved and changed our lives in amazing ways, yet we have kept these stories to ourselves. We confess the times we have kept these stories to ourselves out of fear of rejection a...

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Bad News as Opposed to Good News

Author

Hugh Halter

Keywords

Scripture

Exodus 14:, Exodus 15:, Jonah 3:4-10, John 11:38-44, Acts 9:1-31, 1 Corinthians 1:18

(What’s the worst good news you’ve ever received? Here are a few that come to mind for me. “Mr. Halter, this is Bill from the Ford service department. I’ve got some good news for you. All the smoke y...

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May the Holy Spirit empower you now and

Author

Lisa Ann Moss Degrenia

Keywords

Scripture

Ephesians 3:16-19, Acts 6:8-15, Acts 3:1-10, John 14:26-27, 2 Timothy 1:7, Romans 15:13, Acts 1:8

May the Holy Spirit empower you now and always to speak and live the Good News of Jesus for you and for all. Amen.

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Your Healing Hands

Author

Lisa Ann Moss Degrenia

Keywords

Scripture

Mark 4:35-41, Matthew 14:13-21, Mark 5:25-34, Romans 1:16, Acts 3:19, John 11:25

Jesus, Resurrected One Light of New Life Breaker of Chains Bringer of Grace and Hope You are moving, speaking, inviting We hear your call to repentance The turning will save us We hear your Good Ne...

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Beautiful Feet

Author

Warren W. Wiersbe

Keywords

Scripture

Isaiah 52:7, Romans 10:15, 1 Samuel 16:1-13, 2 Corinthians 4:7-12, 1 Corinthians 1:27-29, Matthew 5:11-12, 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, Matthew 23:11-12, Proverbs 31:30, Acts 4:13, Acts 5:40-42, Acts 17:30-31

A missionary was preaching in the village market, and some of the people were laughing at him because he was not a very handsome man. He took it for a time, and then he said to the crowd, “It is true ...

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The Word of the LORD is true and

Keywords

Scripture

Psalm 19:9-10, Luke 4:16-21, Acts 8:26-39, Nehemiah 8:1-12, Isaiah 55:10-11, 1 Corinthians 2:10-12, John 14:26

The Word of the LORD is true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, more than much fine gold, sweeter far than honey, than honey in the comb. As we turn to your Scripture, s...

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Heavenly Father, thank you for a

Author

Lisa Ann Moss Degrenia

Keywords

Scripture

Luke 10:1-2, Matthew 6:9-10, Acts 16:25-34, 2 Timothy 1:7-8, Nehemiah 2:17-18, Romans 12:2

Heavenly Father, thank you for a spiritual home For the legacy of those who have gone before us and welcomed us Lord Jesus, thank you for your church For the legacy of your word and witness across th...

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Father: Thank You for always being

Author

Richard Herman

Scripture

Psalm 34:14, Luke 15:20, Hebrews 4:14, Romans 6:4, Acts 1:8, 2 Corinthians 12:9, Psalm 25:4-5, Matthew 11:28-30, Isaiah 41:10, John 14:13, James 1:5, 2 Corinthians 9:8, Habakkuk 3:2, Isaiah 6:8, Matthew 28:19-20

Father: Thank You for always being ready to welcome us and listen to us. Thank You for sending Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Savior: born like us, experiencing all that we experience yet sinless, who d...

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The Parable of the Clown

Author

The Pastor's Workshop

Keywords

Scripture

Ezekiel 33:6, 2 Corinthians 6:2, 1 Peter 2:9, Acts 8:4, 1 Corinthians 1:18, Colossians 4:5-6

The Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard once told a parable to illustrate the urgency of the gospel message—and the need for all believers, not just clergy, to share it. A traveling circus in Denm...

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Author

N. T. Wright

Keywords

Scripture

Ephesians 4:3-6, Romans 9:30-32, Acts 15:7-9, John 10:16, Colossians 3:11, Acts 28:28, Acts 14:27, Ephesians 3:8-10, Romans 3:29, Galatians 3:28, Acts 10:1-48, Romans 15:9-12, Romans 11:11, John 3:16, Luke 13:29, Ephesians 3:6, Romans 1:16, Revelation 7:9

Paul’s insight that Gentiles are co-heirs, co-members, and co-participants in the gospel is not a mere sociological adjustment—it is a radical theological revelation.

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The Messenger Pigeon

Author

Billy Graham

Keywords

Scripture

Genesis 8:6-12, 1 Kings 17:2-6, Isaiah 40:31, Matthew 3:16 , Psalm 55:6, Acts 10:9-16

Many years ago a great Arctic explorer started on an expedition to the North Pole. After two long years in the lonely northland, he wrote a short message, tied it under the wing of a carrier pigeon, a...

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...

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Loving and faithful God, You save and

Author

Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church

Keywords

Scripture

Isaiah 6:8, Acts 8:26-40, Matthew 28:18-20, John 4:1-42, 2 Timothy 1:7-8, 1 Peter 3:15

Loving and faithful God, You save and sustain us. What marvelous good news You give us through Jesus!Yet we are oblivious to opportunities to share Your grace and love. We fail to see, as Your Word sa...

lectionary

Pentecost

Author

Scott B. Bullock

Keywords

Scripture

Acts 2:1-21, Leviticus 23:null, Exodus 32:null, Acts 1:4, Genesis 11:null, Psalm 130:5

Preaching Commentary What Are We Waiting For? Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers sang, “Every day you get one more yard, you take it on faith, you take it to the heart, the waiting is the hardest part...

lectionary

Good Friday

Author

Eunice McGarrahan

Keywords

Scripture

Isaiah 52:13-53:12, Isaiah 52:13-15, Isaiah 53:1-12, Philippians 2:5-11, Isaiah 1:4, Isaiah 53:11-12, Acts 8:26-40, Isaiah 53:null, Romans 7:24

Preaching Commentary Ancient Lens What can we learn from the historical context? Israel’s State of Mind The Book of Isaiah is a remarkable accounting of the history of the relationship people o...

lectionary

Fourth Sunday of Easter

Author

Darren Pollock

Keywords

Scripture

Acts 2:42-47, Acts 5:5, Acts 5:11, Proverbs 19:15

Preaching Commentary A Sound Foundation Acts 2:42 would make for a solid outline for a worship service, checklist for a congregation’s life together, or personal schedule for an afternoon. Most of ...

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

Seventh Sunday of Easter

Author

Stuart R. Strachan, Jr.

Keywords

Scripture

Acts 1:1-11, Luke 9:null

Preaching Commentary Background of Writing Luke/Acts I don’t know about you, but as a kid, and even a teenager, I never really thought too much about how the Biblical canon was formed. If I had to ...

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...

liturgy

God—Father, Son and Spirit; You are a

Author

Richard Herman

Keywords

Scripture

Acts 4:32-35, Luke 10:25-37, Matthew 14:13-21, 1 Kings 17:8-16, Exodus 16:1-36, John 6:35, 2 Corinthians 1:3-5

God—Father, Son and Spirit; You are a God of compassion and love. Like the Israelites in the wilderness, we’ve known Your love, and experienced Your care and provision. Repeatedly You’ve answered our ...

liturgy

God of mercy, deliver us from our fear

Author

Steve Garnaas Holmes

Keywords

Scripture

Exodus 3:7-10, Isaiah 58:6-7, Micah 6:8, Luke 4:18-19, Acts 16:25-30, Psalm 146:7-9

God of mercy, deliver us from our fear in which we judge others. We pray for all who are oppressed, imprisoned, persecuted or rejected. To you who have delivered us from slavery we pray for the faith ...

scripture guide

Scripture Guide, Isaiah 52:13-53:12

Author

Eunice McGarrahan

Keywords

Scripture

Isaiah 52:13-53:12, Isaiah 52:13-15, Isaiah 53:1-12, Philippians 2:5-11, Isaiah 1:4, Isaiah 53:11-12, Acts 8:26-40, Isaiah 53:, Romans 7:24

Ancient Lens What can we learn from the historical context? Israel’s State of Mind The Book of Isaiah is a remarkable accounting of the history of the relationship people of Israel with God. By t...

scripture guide

Scripture Guide, Mark 2:23-3:6

Author

Gabe Fung

Keywords

Scripture

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

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 as Mark (or John Mark)...

liturgy

Embracing Forgiveness and Easter Joy

Author

Trinity Lutheran Church, Lisle, Illinois

Keywords

Scripture

Luke 24:1–12, 1 Corinthians 15:19, Acts 10:43, Revelation 1:17-18, Acts 4:33, Colossians 3:1-4

PRAYER OF CONFESSION Pastor: Even in our Easter joy, we confess before our gracious God our failings and sin. For though our voices sing out Alleluias this day, we fail to live every day as Easter...

lectionary

Third Sunday of Easter

Author

Darren Pollock

Keywords

Scripture

Acts 2:14a, 36-41, Luke 6:46, Acts 17:3, Romans 10:12, 1 Corinthians 1:2, 2 Timothy 2:22, Ephesians 4:5

Preaching Commentary Setting the Context: After the introductory tag from 2:14a this week’s text begins with “therefore” in 2:36 (Greek oun , which is the second word in verse 36 in the Greek text...

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

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...

liturgy

Adapted from Acts 10:34-43

Author

Dustin Ray

Keywords

Scripture

Acts 10:34-43

Pastor: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. As for the word that he sent to Israel, preaching good n...

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