Fervent Church

In Acts 13, the church at Antioch wasn’t developing a strategy or trying to create the next big ministry. They were simply worshiping, praying, fasting, and ministering to the Lord. And in the middle of that surrender, the Holy Spirit gave them their next step. In this message, we look at what ministry really means, why every believer is called to be a minister, and why our first ministry is alway...

Have you ever looked at someone else's life and asked, "God, why them and not me?" Or felt blessed and wondered, "Why me?" In this message from our series in the book of Acts, Pastor Nick Wyss teaches through Acts 12. James and Peter were both apostles, and both were close to Jesus, but their stories ended very differently. James was killed by King Herod, and Peter was freed fr...

Don’t give up on God. Get up and take another lap. As Fervent Church celebrates six years, Pastor Nick teaches from Joshua 6 and the story of Israel at Jericho. For six days they walked in obedience without seeing the walls move—but God wasn’t finished yet. Maybe you’ve been praying, trusting, serving, or believing and you still haven’t seen the breakthrough. Maybe you’ve grown tired and stopped w...

Before Fervent Church ever held a Sunday service, before we moved to Texas, and before we knew what the next six years would hold, we gathered with family and friends in Tucson for one final night together. This message was recorded at our Fervent Farewell in February 2020 as we shared the vision God had placed on our hearts to plant a church so that people may know Jesus. Listening back six years...

What if where you are right now isn’t an accident? In Acts 11:19–30, persecution scattered the early believers far from home—but what looked like disruption became an opportunity for the gospel to spread. As ordinary believers faithfully shared Jesus, the church in Antioch was born. They planted and watered, but God brought the growth. In this message, Pastor Sam challenges us to recognize the min...

Could your preferences, traditions, or comfort actually be getting in the way of what God wants to do? In Acts 11, Peter is criticized for taking the gospel to the Gentiles—but his response is simple: if God gave them the same gift, “who was I that I could stand in God’s way?” In this message, we look at what happens when God challenges our assumptions, calls us outside our comfort zones, and asks...

Who have you decided is too far gone for Jesus? In Acts 10, God challenges Peter’s assumptions and breaks down the barriers between Jews and Gentiles. Through the story of Peter and Cornelius, we see a powerful truth: the gospel isn't reserved for people who look, think, or live like us. Jesus came for everyone—even them. In this message, discover what Acts 10 teaches about reaching the unlike...

Are you waiting until you feel “ready” before letting God use you?  In Acts 9:32–43, Peter shows us that God isn't looking for perfect people with all the right abilities, He’s looking for people who are available. Through the healing of Aeneas and the raising of Tabitha, we see what can happen when ordinary believers step out in obedience, depend on Jesus, and say, “Here I am, Lord.” 📖 Scrip...

God can call you in a moment—but becoming who He has called you to be takes time. In Acts 9:19–31, Saul has surrendered his life to Jesus and immediately begins telling others about Him. But the Apostle Paul we know today wasn't formed overnight. His journey included years of growth, testing, rejection, opposition, faithfulness, and obedience. In this message, Pastor Nick looks at Saul's e...

What are you still holding back from Jesus? In Acts 9, Saul’s life changes completely when he stops resisting Jesus and finally surrenders. The man who was persecuting Christians becomes a completely different person—and his story forces us to ask an uncomfortable question:  Have I actually surrendered my life to Jesus, or am I still holding something back? In this message, Pastor Nick shares from...

Saul was one of the greatest enemies of the early church. He approved of Stephen’s death, dragged Christians from their homes, and traveled to Damascus intending to arrest even more followers of Jesus. But everything changed when Jesus met him on the road. In this message from Acts 9:1–19, Pastor Sam teaches through Saul’s unlikely conversion and the obedience of Ananias. Although Ananias had ever...

Have you ever felt a nudge to do something... and talked yourself out of it? In this message from Acts 8, we look at Philip's encounter with an angel, a desert road nobody wanted to travel, and an Ethiopian official searching for God without even knowing it yet. We break down what it really means to have the Holy Spirit as our Advocate — not just with us, but in us and upon us — and why so man...

In Acts 8:4–25, Philip brings the gospel to Samaria, where many people place their faith in Jesus—including Simon the sorcerer. But Simon’s response reveals a sobering truth: it is possible to be around the things of God, say the right words, and still have a heart that is not right before Him. This message challenges us to look beyond outward religion, spiritual experiences, and simply going thro...

Persecution broke out against the early church, forcing believers to leave Jerusalem and scatter throughout Judea and Samaria. What appeared to be a devastating setback became the very thing God used to spread the gospel beyond the city. In this verse-by-verse teaching through Acts 8:1–8, Pastor Nick contrasts Saul’s religious pride with the faithfulness of Stephen and Philip. Saul believed he was...

Stephen stood before the very council that condemned Jesus to death. Instead of defending himself, he boldly proclaimed the gospel. In this verse-by-verse study of  Acts 7 , we walk through Stephen’s powerful sermon—the longest recorded sermon in the book of Acts. By tracing the lives of Abraham, Joseph, Moses, and Israel’s history, Stephen reveals a sobering pattern: God continually calls His peo...

What happens when the church grows so fast that needs go unmet? In Acts 6, the early church faces its first internal conflict — and the apostles' response reveals something powerful: God often solves problems by raising up faithful people from within. Pastor Nick walks through the appointment of the first seven deacons, the qualifications that matter most (good reputation, full of the Spirit,...

What does it really mean to stand for Jesus when the world tells you to sit down and be quiet? In Acts 5:12-42, the early church continues to grow through the power of the Holy Spirit, but opposition quickly follows. The apostles are arrested, miraculously freed, commanded to go back and preach, beaten for their faith, and yet they leave rejoicing because they were counted worthy to suffer for the...

What does God really care about—your money or your heart? In this verse-by-verse study of Acts 4:32–5:11, Pastor Nick Wyss explores one of the most sobering passages in the New Testament: the account of Ananias and Sapphira. While this story involves money, possessions, and giving, the real issue is much deeper. The problem was never the amount they gave—it was the condition of their hearts. The e...

What do you do when following Jesus brings opposition instead of comfort? In Acts 4, Peter and John find themselves arrested, threatened, and pressured to stop preaching about Jesus. After witnessing a miraculous healing and boldly proclaiming the gospel, they stand before the same religious leaders who had condemned Jesus. Faced with intimidation and persecution, they are forced to answer a criti...

In Acts 3, Peter and John encounter a man who had been lame from birth, and in the name of Jesus, his life is completely changed. But the miracle was not the end of the story—it was the doorway to the message. In this sermon, Pastor Nick teaches through Acts 3 and shows how God uses miracles, blessings, and even unexpected moments to get our attention and point us back to Jesus. The healing of the...

This week at Fervent Church, we continue our verse-by-verse study through Acts and ask an important question:  What is the church?  For many people, church has become a building, a service, or just another event added to a busy schedule. But Scripture paints a much bigger picture. In Acts 2, we see the first snapshot of the early church—a people filled with the Holy Spirit and devoted to Jesus and...

In this fifth message from our Unstoppable series through the book of Acts, Pastor Nick walks through Acts 2:14-41 — the first sermon ever preached after the Holy Spirit was poured out at Pentecost. Peter, an ordinary, untrained fisherman who had recently denied Jesus three times, stands up filled with the Holy Spirit and proclaims the gospel to a crowd of thousands. The result? 3,000 souls saved...

What is the gift of tongues, and what is it not? In this message from Acts 2:1-21, we look at the day of Pentecost and the first occurrence of the gift of tongues after the Holy Spirit was poured out on the church. There is a lot of confusion, controversy, and even division surrounding this gift, but instead of building our theology from experience, tradition, or emotion, we look to Scripture. Usi...

What if the most important day in human history happened on a Jewish harvest festival? In this message from Acts 2:1–13, Pastor Nick Wyss unpacks the explosive arrival of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost — and why it changes everything for you today. You'll discover the stunning Old Testament backstory of Pentecost (Feast of Weeks), why 3,000 people died at the first Pentecost and 3,000...

What do you do when you know God has called you to something, but you're still waiting for the door to open? In this message from Acts 1:12–26, Pastor Nick Wyss walks through what the disciples did in the ten days between Jesus' ascension and Pentecost — and what it means for us in our own seasons of waiting. Whether you're waiting on a breakthrough, a next step, or just trying to figu...