Weekend Scripture: Acts 8

Resilience is the capacity to maintain core purpose and identity in the face of dramatically changing circumstances.

Scott dives into Acts 8 to explore flexibility as we finish our series on Resilience. Persecution scattered the early church, but God leveraged changing circumstances to spread the Gospel as Philip faithfully obeyed and shared Jesus. A resilient church stands firmly on the Word of God, the power of God, and the mission of God to reach one more person with the life-changing news of Christ.

SERMON RESOURCES

• GROUP DISCUSSION GUIDE

• SUBSCRIBE TO WEEKLY DEVOTIONS

Weekend Scripture: Acts 3-4

Resilience is both strong and flexible.

Carl Kuhl joins us to kick off our series on Resilience. We need the strength of resilience to resist temptation. In Acts 3 and 4, we see that resilient strength is ready at unpredictable times, grounded in Scripture, and unwavering in proclaiming the full truth of Jesus. Resilient strength is formed in the Church, so get in the Word, get in community, give, and serve.

SERMON RESOURCES

• GROUP DISCUSSION GUIDE

• SUBSCRIBE TO WEEKLY DEVOTIONS

Acts 20 | Speed has become a virtue in our culture. We’ve bought into a lie that bigger is better and faster is better, but the results say otherwise. We may not be burned out, but we’re worn out and we’re racing through life and sleeping through experiences that really matter. Slowing down and smelling the rose is a must, and in this sermon, we will learn how to do that from someone who didn’t.

Acts 9:1-31 | The laundry room is where we turn dirty clothes into clean clothes. The same is true in the church. It’s a safe family where we don’t hide our hurts, habits, and hang-ups, rather we surrender them to the transformational power of Jesus.

A disabled beggar asked Peter and John for money and they gave him true wealth instead (Acts 3). In this message, we will look at how Southland is serving the overlooked people groups of neighboring countries by meeting their physical needs.

An older couple named Priscilla and Aquila took a bright, young leader named Apollos under their wing and downloaded the wisdom they had into heart and mind (Acts 18). In this message, we will look at how Southland is investing in church leaders from around the world by providing them with a practical theological degree.

Jesus commanded his first followers to “go” (Matthew 28) and to “be his voice” (Acts 1) so every person on the planet would have a chance to hear the good news about God’s love. In this message, we will look at how Southland is targeting densely populated urban areas in Japan, one of the most unreached countries of the world.

Acts 16:1-5; II Timothy 1:1-7 | God designed the church to be multi-generational. The wisdom of older people is strengthened by the passion of younger people. In this message, we will look at a young leader who was given a difficult assignment but refused to give up.

Acts 16:16-40 | The mission of God requires a special mixture of obedience and courage and an endurance that refuses to give up no matter how challenging the circumstances become. In this message, we will look at a joyful prisoner whose outlook on life was used by God to lead other prisoners to Jesus.

Acts 16:11-15 | Healthy churches always have healthy volunteer cultures where everyone contributes and serves. Lydia was a successful businesswoman who opened up her home as a place to launch a church. In this sermon, we will look at how hospitality is often a key to helping people feel safe and loved in the presence of God.

Acts 8:26-40 | The grace we’ve received from God is too good to keep to ourselves. Philip looked for opportunities to share the difference that grace had made in his life, and God led him to an unlikely person, and an unlikely conversation took place as a result. In this message, we will look at our responsibility to share our faith with non-believers in a way that is true to our personality.

Acts 4:32-37 | The first church in Jerusalem had a generous man named Joseph who earned the nickname “Barnabas” (son of encouragement) because of how he blessed others. In this message we will look at how each of us has a spiritual gift that is meant to be used for the good of others and the glory of God.