Come To The Table

When you go out and present the gospel—to your friends, to your family, to your neighbor down the street—the way that you do it is important. You are sent out in love by the Savior. You are a living demonstration and a physical representation of the love of God. Your friends, your family, and your neighbors can see how you’re living your life. Are you showing them what it means to have true, abund...

Pastor Mark is working through the book of Acts and the early church. In the early days of the church, it was growing faster than they could manage it. The apostles took their hint from Jesus and prioritized sharing the good news of the kingdom of God. But they still needed assistance in caring for the poor. So they created new roles of service within church leadership.

The early church faced a serious problem when it began to grow so quickly! The apostles couldn’t take care of every function within the church and needed help when it came to serving the widows. Everyone has a role in the church and every role is vital. You are a part of the body of Christ and the role you fill is important. The body cannot function without you in it! Where has God called you to u...

Pastor Mark’s question is: can your city say that about the church in your area? That you have filled the place with your doctrine—that you’ve filled it with the love of Christ and the truth of salvation? If you look at the city around you and see that the love of Christ is missing, maybe it’s time to start jumping into the game!

When the Holy Spirit begins moving in your heart, bold actions follow. Like the apostles who went out to preach again early the next day when they had just escaped prison. Your life can be filled with moves that bold! Your life can be one of audacious faith just like theirs. Pastor Mark says you just need the Spirit! If you’re looking for more out of your walk with Christ, listen in to today’s mes...

What if everyone in the church asked themselves the question Pastor Mark asks today? What if every person in the church knew that there was no reason to fear death? We would all be unstoppable! Ask yourself the question today, “If I knew with certainty that going to church would get me killed, would I still go?” If you can answer that question with a resounding “yes!” you are unstoppable! You cann...

God is looking for his church to be two things: purified and holy. That doesn’t mean we will be perfect or even look a specific way. What it does mean is that we will be confessing our sin and allowing Christ to purify us. It means that we will be set apart. Take a look at your life today. Are you confessing your sins and allowing Christ to purify you? Or are you hiding or excusing your sin? Have...

The God you follow is the God of heaven and earth. He was the one to create the world from nothing. Pastor Mark reminds us that when we face something that takes a God that big, we get to call out to a God that big! He is more than capable to do all we need him to do. The one who created the world has authority over the world. And when we follow him, he guides our steps. Maybe you find it hard to...

The God you follow is the God of heaven and earth. He was the one to create the world from nothing. Pastor Mark reminds us that when we face something that takes a God that big, we get to call out to a God that big! He is more than capable to do all we need him to do. The one who created the world has authority over the world. And when we follow him, he guides our steps. Maybe you find it hard to...

You have all the authority you need to go out and preach the gospel. The Author has given you the authority to speak in his name. He has given you the authority to represent him in the world. No degree could make you more worthy of this. Pastor Mark reminds us today that most of the apostles didn’t have a degree and they were used powerfully in the kingdom of God. God has plans for you that don’t...

Pastor Mark makes a bold statement today! He says that we don’t stand with any political party. We stand with Jesus Christ. Before anything else, we are citizens of heaven. We may live in the United States here on earth, but this world is fleeting and temporary. Its hold on our lives is weak at best. We belong to a higher kingdom! We stand with the ruler of all, for all time. If we recognize that...

God desires all men to open their hearts to him, and so he will send one after another to speak the truth and show them his love. Sometimes it takes one person and one time to reach their heart and have them open their lives to God. But more often it takes many times with many different people sharing! Pastor Mark is here to remind you today not to lose heart if you’re sharing the gospel and not s...

We all look for life in something other than Jesus at times. We think we’ll find more life in wealth or partying or in healthy living and working out. But Pastor Mark reminds us today that Jesus is the door. He is the door to eternal, vibrant, and abundant life. Everything else can provide temporary relief or satisfaction for this life we’re living. But none of it can provide true, lasting comfort...

There are two kinds of fear. There’s the fear that is based in this world. It expresses itself as fear of tomorrow, fear of failure, fear of danger, or fear of looking foolish among other things. The other kind of fear is what Pastor Mark calls “godly fear.” When we think of godly fear it’s the honor and reverence of the creator and judge of the universe. It’s understanding that our lives are held...

Communion reminds us of the work Jesus did on the cross. His body was broken for us and his blood was spilled for us. Pastor Mark shows us today that remembering the work Jesus did helps us remember also to love each other as he told us to love. All love comes from God. God first loved you and sent his Son to die for you. All the love in you is in response to that love. So when you remind yourself...

At the moment we accept Christ, we are enlisted in the battle for the world. As soon as you have given your life to him, he calls you into the battle for the souls of the people around you. When you enter the battle that quickly, you may feel unprepared or frightened, but the Lord will not leave you vulnerable to attack. Pastor Mark shows us that God gives you the gifts of the Spirit to go fight t...

In 1 Peter 3 verse 15, we are told, “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” When the world asks you a question, you need to be ready with an answer. That means you need to be continually searching the scriptures for the answers you need. When we are asked questions, we can count on the Spirit to bring the answers to mind. Just...

The Spirit of God has a purpose in your life. He is there to counsel and comfort you, but ultimately, he is there to empower you to go out and be a witness for Christ. He is there to fill you with a boldness in sharing the gospel that isn’t possible on your own! So when the Spirit meets you in an hour of need, know that it’s for you but it’s also for the larger world around you. Today, Pastor Mark...

Jesus cared a lot about the unity of his church. He called us to show the world that we are his by the love we show one another. Pastor Mark is going to show us today what that looks like in the church! How do we find unity in a world that is so polarized and diverse? We need to find ourselves unified in purpose. When we are unified in purpose inwardly, what the world will see is the church reachi...

Jesus said that if we associate with him in his suffering, we also get to associate with him in his glory. Pastor Mark says don’t grieve when you encounter suffering! Jesus’ brother James said it this way, “Consider it all joy!” We can only consider suffering and trials to be joy when we realize that suffering from Jesus also means we’re going to get to glory with Jesus, too. When we think about t...

The first question Pastor Mark asks today is are you about the Father’s business? Are you doing the things you want to do or the things he has called you to do? And the next question is if you are about the Father’s business, are you doing it in his way and his timing? Or are you racing ahead or falling behind? Pastor Mark reminds us today that when we do our own thing or even the Father’s thing b...

The early church walked in the power of the Spirit, and they fulfilled what it was God called them to do. They became his witnesses through Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. It wasn’t without hardships, but they moved in faith and accomplished the mission they had been given by Jesus. What about you? Jesus has called and empowered you to be his witness as well! He put his Spirit inside...

Today Pastor Mark is diving into the baptism of the Spirit, and that’s a baptism that only God can give you. It’s an extraordinary, other-worldly experience that empowers you to follow Jesus and be his witness with boldness. When you are baptized with water, you are making the decision to follow Christ and let the world know. But when God baptizes you with the Holy Spirit, it’s all about what he i...

Luke recorded everything that Jesus began to do in Luke and Acts. But if he began his work then, it is continued after that! Jesus continues to speak, to move, and to make all things new as he works through his church in the present day! He wasn’t finished speaking when he ascended to heaven. Since he wasn’t finished speaking, Pastor Mark reminds us that he is still speaking to you today! He works...

Do you sometimes feel like you’re really walking in the Holy Spirit but other times you’re really walking in you? Which one works out better for you? Today Pastor Mark is going to begin following the story of the early church. The early church was filled with the Holy Spirit and spread throughout the known world with incredible speed. People who were previously fearful lost all fear when the Spiri...