The Acts 13 Network

I’ll be honest: there is one story in the Bible I haven’t been able to escape lately. I find myself referencing it in almost every sermon, regardless of the text I’m actually preaching from. We usually call it the "Parable of the Prodigal Son," but as we wander through Lent together, I’ve started calling it The Parable of the Loving Father. In this episode, we’re diving into Luke 15 to l...

We've all heard the Parable of the Sower. Most of us have heard it wrong. For years it got preached — and taught — as a moralistic checklist: What kind of soil is your heart? Get it right. But that's not the gospel. And it's not what Jesus was doing. In this week's sermon from Mark 4:1-20, we dig into why scholars call this "the parable of parables," what a passage from I...

"It’s not fair." If we’re honest, that’s how many of us feel when we read Jesus’s parable of the laborers in the vineyard. Why does the person who shows up for the final hour of work get paid the same as the one who labored all day in the heat? In this first installment of our Lenten series, we dive into the "upside-down" logic of the Kingdom of Heaven. Using Matthew 20:1-16 ,...

Have you ever stumbled across something so valuable it changed everything in an instant? This week, we wrap up our Epiphany series by looking at two of Jesus’ shortest—and most provocative—parables from Matthew 13: the treasure hidden in a field and the merchant seeking fine pearls. We often talk about the Kingdom of Heaven in terms of duty, judgment, or a distant "someday." But Jesus describes it...

Is your "circle" too small? On this Super Bowl Sunday, we’re trading the playbook for a prayer. While millions gather around TV screens and buffet wings, we’re diving into Luke 14 to look at a different kind of party: a high-stakes dinner where Jesus flips the table on social etiquette and religious comfort. In this episode, we explore the "Scandal of the Gospel." Jesus isn&#39...

We live in a world that tells us bigger is better, louder is stronger, and faster is more faithful. But Jesus tells a very different story. In this episode, we reflect on two short parables from Matthew 13—the mustard seed and the yeast—and what they reveal about the upside-down nature of God’s kingdom. A kingdom that begins small. A kingdom that grows quietly. A kingdom that takes root through ca...

God’s Kingdom Come: When the Beatitudes Reorder Our Lives Matthew 5:1–11 What does it really mean to pray, “Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” ? In this episode, we step into the opening lines of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount and explore the Beatitudes—not as abstract spiritual ideals, but as a radical reordering of how we live in the world. Jesus describes a kingdom th...

God’s Kingdom Come Episode Title: The Kingdom Received What does it really mean to receive the Kingdom of God? In this episode, we explore Jesus’ surprising words in Mark 10:13–16 , where he insists that the Kingdom belongs to infants—and can only be entered by receiving it like one. Drawing from a deeply personal story of holding a newborn child for the first time, this teaching reframes faith no...

What does it really mean when we pray,  “Your kingdom come” ? In this episode, we step into the season of  Epiphany —a season that invites us to reflect on Jesus revealed as King and to wrestle with the nature of the kingdom he announces. Drawing from  Matthew 4:12–17 , we explore Jesus’ first public proclamation:  “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” But this kingdom is not what we...

In this final episode on Paul’s letter to the Colossians, we turn to Colossians 4:2–6 and explore what it means to live lives  hidden with Christ . Paul’s closing words center on devotion to prayer—not as a technique or spiritual performance, but as the very air we breathe. We reflect on how prayer shapes our awareness of others, opens our eyes to the people God places around us, and forms us into...

What does following Jesus look like in the places that matter most—our marriages, families, and work? In this episode, we walk through one of the most challenging and often misunderstood passages in the New Testament: Colossians 3:18–4:1. Paul takes the big, beautiful theology of Colossians and applies it to everyday life—wives and husbands, children and parents, workers and those with power. Rath...

In this episode, we dive deep into a short but potent passage from Colossians 3:15-17, exploring the radical demands it places on followers of Jesus. This text challenges us to measure our lives against three core mandates—and reveals that true Christian living encompasses  all  aspects of our existence, from our inner hearts to our daily actions. Key Takeaways You'll Explore: The Peacemaker M...

In this episode, we unpack Colossians 3:5–14 — a powerful and challenging passage that calls Christians to put to death their old nature and to “clothe themselves” in compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience — and above all, love. With thoughtful reflection and practical application, we explore what it really means to be renewed in Christ, to forgive as we have been forgiven, to bear w...

You are not just a sinner striving to be better; you are a saint who has been raised with Christ. But do you live like it? This week, we explore Colossians 3:1-4 and the call to set our hearts and minds on "things above." We discuss the difference between earthly strategies and Kingdom living, and why the Fruit of the Spirit is the ultimate counter-cultural move. If you feel defined by t...

Are you truly following Jesus, or just following a set of self-imposed rules? For many, the answer to "How do I know I'm saved?" is a rigid checklist of do's and don'ts—behaviors that give us an "appearance of wisdom." In this powerful episode, we dive into Colossians 2:20-23 , where the Apostle Paul dismantles this rules-based approach to faith. He argues that in C...

In an age of relentless digital misinformation, how can we possibly tell the difference between what is real and what is cleverly crafted "baloney"? Dan dives into the current reality crisis, from AI-generated fake news and deceptively heartwarming social media stories to the subtle spiritual deceptions Paul warned about in the early church. Drawing from Colossians 2:16-19 , we explore P...

Do you ever feel weighed down by past failures, or caught in the trap of trying to earn your salvation? This week, we dive into Colossians 2:13-15 to understand the staggering reality of Christ’s work. Paul states plainly: we were "dead in your sins." If we were spiritually dead, what could we do to save ourselves? Absolutely nothing. This episode explores the transformative truth that w...

What truly fills the void in your life? For many of us, life is an exhausting pursuit of satisfaction —we're convinced that one more victory, one more purchase, or one more accomplishment will finally make us whole. But this constant running to fill an inner void is what philosopher Blaise Pascal called the "God-shaped vacuum" —a space only God can occupy. In this powerful message, w...

In this powerful episode, we dive into Colossians 2:6-8 to explore what it means to move beyond the world's "basic principles" and "human traditions." Pastor Dan argues that following Jesus requires an upside-down view of life, rooted in a radical sense of grace. Learn Paul's three metaphors— rooted, built up, and strengthened —for a faith that is so anchored in gratitu...

Are you tired of feeling swayed by every new, "cool" idea that pops up on your feed? In this powerful episode, we dig into Colossians 2:1-5 , where the Apostle Paul—in a rare moment of crystal clarity—lays out the single, most important goal of the Christian life. He gives us the ultimate defense against the "fine-sounding arguments" that constantly threaten to deceive us. Disc...

"I rejoice in my suffering... and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions." The Apostle Paul's words in Colossians 1 are some of the most challenging and misunderstood in all of Scripture. What could possibly be "lacking" in the suffering of Jesus? And why would anyone find joy in hardship? In this message, we dive deep into Colossians...

Once alienated, now reconciled—Colossians 1:21–23 shows how Christ makes us holy, blameless, and free. Discover how this truth frees us to love even those we once called enemies.

In this episode, we explore one of the most powerful passages in Scripture: Colossians 1:15–20. The Apostle Paul gives us a stunning portrait of Christ—the image of the invisible God, Creator of all things, head of the church, and the one who holds everything together. We’ll look at how this passage challenged the Roman Empire’s claims about Caesar, what it means for us that Christ is supreme over...

What do baseball fundamentals and spiritual growth have in common? In this episode, we explore Paul’s prayer in Colossians 1:9–14 and discover the rhythm of “include and transcend.” Just like athletes never move beyond the basics but keep returning to them, followers of Jesus are called to hold onto the fundamentals of faith—prayer, Scripture, worship, service—while also growing deeper and moving...

In this episode of  Lives Hidden with Christ , we explore Colossians 1:3–8, where Paul highlights the triad of  faith, love, and hope . But for Paul, hope isn’t wishful thinking—it’s a certainty rooted in the grace of God through Christ. This sure hope produces faith that endures hardship and love that drives out fear. Together, we reflect on what it means to truly understand the gospel and live a...