Central Community Church | Sermon Audio

Synopsis: We have all been guilty of dozing off in church at some point in time. Maybe the preacher was truly boring, the week prior was truly busy, or the temperature was truly toasty. This text differentiates some key signs of life in us and our church, in contrast to signs of slumber and death.

Acts 20:1-16

Acts 20:1-16 A boy falls asleep during a sermon? Assos, Mitylene, Chios and Miletus? Sometimes we wonder why Luke recorded particular stories or specific travelling details, but there’s always a point. In Acts 20:1-16 Paul models how believers should encourage and rely on others in the faith, all the while finding our ultimate encouragement in the biblical truths of Christ’s salvation.

There is something about Christianity that upsets the world, that has caused prayers and the Bible to be kicked out of schools, hospitals, and government offices… Even during the Christmas celebration, you are no longer allowed to say “Merry Christmas” in the market place, you have to say “happy holidays” and you will see many signs that instead of “Christmas&r...

Acts 19:23-41 When the church is obedient to the call & commands of Christ, it creates disturbance at all levels. But even in that disturbance and danger, news about Jesus is still good, He will never leave us nor forsake us, and His enemies can experience His love through us.

Acts 19:23-41

Acts 19:23-41

Healing hankies, shamed streakers, and a book burning. This passage is one of the strangest texts in the entire Bible — and that’s saying something! Yet this passage teaches us a great deal about the miraculous power of God and the nature of true repentance.

Acts 19:11-20 Sometimes the stories we get in the Bible are just strange, and this passage is a great example of three of them.  Yet in all the strangeness the glory of God is clearly seen in the extraordinary miracles he performs. 

Acts 19:11-20 While it’s easy to become complacent in the Christian walk and adopt a safe, comfortable understanding of God, Acts 19:11-20 reminds us that we serve a powerful, supernatural Lord. God is able to heal bodies in miraculous ways, exercise authority over demonic forces and even change the hearts of men. But the purpose of God’s powerful deeds is never a supernatural show; it...

Acts 19:11-22 Whenever and wherever people are engaged in work that builds the Kingdom of God, there will be spiritual manifestation – and opposition. But God has promised that the gates of hell will not prevail against His church. God has authority over all things – authority that He gives to His disciples so that the Good News about Jesus, and the making of new disciples, can continu...

Scripture: Acts 19:1-10 Paul quickly discovers that while a group of people in Ephesus are disciples, they’re not yet disciples of Jesus. So he preaches the gospel to them, leads them to Christ, they’re baptized in the name of Jesus, and they begin to speak in tongues when they receive the Holy Spirit. This is one of the texts in Acts that a number of charismatic churches and denominat...

Acts 19:1-10 Paul encounters some people who were confused about what they were supposed to believe.  But instead of brushing them off, Paul mentors and explains the gospel of Jesus more clearly and they are saved.  In the same way we are invited to examine our own faith and look at the impact of the Holy Spirit on our lives.

Acts 19:1-10 In Acts 19 Paul continues his missionary journey in Ephesus. He encounters some disciples of John the Baptist that had not yet heard of the Holy Spirit. He baptizes them in the name of the Lord Jesus, and for the first time they experience the Holy Spirit, and the gifts that the spirit brings. A beautiful picture of the unity of the spirit, and the impact that it has on our lives. Pau...

Acts 19:1-10 We look at disciples who heard about the baptism of repentance but not the full gospel, which held them back from receiving the Spirit.

Scripture: Acts 18: 24-28 Not everyone is a preacher to crowds, yet every Christian has a ministry. Priscilla and Aquila mentor a gifted young preacher on the sidelines and help his ministry flourish. Brothers in the church in Ephesus encourage Apollos and recommend him to the churches of another region. Our roles and gifts are not all the same but all contribute to the building up of the church a...

Acts 18:23-28 Becoming a Christian is just the beginning of a lifetime of learning and growing as a follower and student of Jesus. To grow as a disciple of Jesus requires the strengthening of our faith in Jesus, instruction in the way of Jesus, and active engagement in the ministry of His church.

Acts 18:24-28 introduces us to a new character in the exciting narrative of Acts: Apollos. Though gifted, learned and passionate, his knowledge of the Gospel is incomplete. Apollos’ interaction with Priscilla and Aquila is an encouraging reminder of every Christian’s need for ongoing discipleship as we seek to know the way of God better and bear fruit for the glory of Christ.

Acts 18:24-28 Throughout the book of Acts we have seen church after church begin as Paul has travelled, but what happens when Paul is gone?  God raises up new leaders to teach and build the church, even when they still need help themselves.  God gifts the church a body of believers who have gifts that work together to build healthy churches.

Scripture: Acts 18: 12-23 As Paul is dragged before the leaders of the region and put on trail he experiences the radical faithfulness of God. It is this interaction that can cause us consternation as we struggle to reconcile God’s faithfulness with the diggicult and opposition we face each day. Yet Paul gives us a real life example of how to live in this real life tension. 

Acts 18:12-22 As the Apostle Paul concludes his second missionary journey, he gives us a glimpse of God’s grace and effective methodology in sharing the Gospel.  What can we learn to better direct our efforts for effective discipleship?

Acts 18:12-22 How do you respond to unexpected trials in life, particularly when you feel God had promised to spare you from those challenges? In Acts 18:12-22, Luke recounts the way God rescues Paul from a Jewish attack and then how Paul responds by continuing the mission God had set before him. From this text we learn important lessons about God’s faithfulness and specific ways in which we...

Acts 18:12-22 Opposition is a forgone conclusion to the Gospel. Jesus declared that disciples can expect the world to hate them and persecute them. In the face of this inevitable reality believers do well to remember that God is a work through opposition and we do well to embrace the opportunities that come as a result. 

Scripture: Acts 18:1-11 Do you ever feel discouraged as you follow Jesus? As Paul continued on his second missionary Journey, the continued challenges left him spent, weak, fearful and discouraged. But God provided him with the strengthening of fellowship and reassurance of Jesus Presence and Promises.

Acts 18:1-11 Paul is often seen as a tireless missionary who never stops and is never discouraged.  However, even Paul went through times of discouragement and fear, and he needed the support of friends and close presence of God to help him through.