Cross Church Winnipeg Sermon Podcast

But as the believers rapidly multiplied, there were rumblings of discontent. The Greek-speaking believers complained about the Hebrew-speaking believers, saying that their widows were being discriminated against in the daily distribution of food. 2 So the Twelve called a meeting of all the believers. They said, “We apostles should spend our time teaching the word of God, not running a food program...

Crowds came from the villages around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those possessed by evil spirits, and they were all healed. The high priest and his officials, who were Sadducees, were filled with jealousy. They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail. But an angel of the Lord came at night, opened the gates of the jail, and brought them out. Then he told them, “Go to the Templ...

This is one of the most frightening passages in scripture. We read in Acts 5, *But there was a certain man named Ananias who, with his wife, Sapphira, sold some property. He brought part of the money to the apostles, claiming it was the full amount. With his wife’s consent, he kept the rest. Then Peter said, “Ananias, why have you let Satan fill your heart? You lied to the Holy Spirit, and you kep...

The leaders in Jerusalem freed Peter and John after their arrest, 23 As soon as they were freed, Peter and John returned to the other believers and told them what the leading priests and elders had said. 24 When they heard the report, all the believers lifted their voices together in prayer to God: “O Sovereign Lord, Creator of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them—29 And now, O Lord,...

Whenever we preach the Gospel, we will face severe and angry opposition. While Peter and John were speaking to the people, they were confronted by the priests, the captain of the Temple guard, and some of the Sadducees. These leaders were very disturbed that Peter and John were teaching the people that through Jesus there is a resurrection of the dead. They arrested them and, since it was already...

A crippled beggar cried out to Peter for help. But Peter had neither silver nor gold. What he was far greater. He offered the man Jesus. Instantly the man was healed. 11 A crowd rushed out in amazement to Solomon’s Colonnade, where the man was holding tightly to Peter and John. 12 Peter saw his opportunity and addressed the crowd. “People of Israel,” he said, “what is so surprising about this? And...

The Firstfruits of the Gospel were 3,000 converted men and women on the Day of Pentecost. The first thing they did was form a community of Believers. We call this community, “The Church.” Over the years, Cross Church has tried to imitate the first Church. Here is what they did: ***42** And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the p...

The transforming power of Jesus Christ is truly on display in the lives of those who have traded self-ishness for self-lessness. In 1 Peter chapter 4 (10-11) we read "Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms." Peter is telling all followers of Christ to recognize that we are speaking and serving others on...

There is no doubt that poverty is both widespread and devastating, especially when we understand the level of poverty around the world compared to what we are blessed with here in Canada. As Christians, we cannot be indifferent toward those in need, because God's expectations for us in regard to taking care of the poor are seen throughout the Bible. Listen to God’s words about the goodness of...

The Day of Pentecost reflects the Jewish celebration of Shavuot, meaning "weeks". Fifty days after Passover, the Jewish population would come to Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Weeks, which was the season of the wheat harvest, and a time of giving thanks for the harvest of God’s provision. This outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost also marked the first harvest of souls. After P...

Peter tells us of the coming of the Holy Spirit, quoting Joel 2:28-32. Peter says in Acts 2:17-21 reads, ‘In the last days,’ God says, ‘I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams. 18 In those days I will pour out my Spirit even on my servants—men and women alike—and they will prophesy. 19 And...

Acts 1:14-15 reads*, “They all met together and were constantly united in prayer, along with Mary the mother of Jesus, several other women, and the brothers of Jesus. **15** During this time, when about 120 believers were together in one place.”* These first Believers were known for their prayer. But it must be noted that this prayer was not just private prayer. We notice several things about thes...

After the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the disciples thought that Jesus was about to free Israel and establish His Kingdom in Israel. But Christ had other plans. Before Christ ascended into Heaven—which is God’s Holy Presence—He gave what is known as the Great Commission, a variation of Matthew 28:16-20. Acts 1:7-8 reads, He replied, “The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and time...

The birth of the Church is known as the Day of Pentecost. It is 50 days after the resurrection of Christ from the dead. Jesus anticipated this important date and gave clear instructions to His disciples about what they must do. Acts 2:4-5 reads, “Once when he was eating with them, he commanded them, ‘Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift he promised, as I told you before. John...

The last characteristic listed in Galatians 5:22-23 as a fruit of the Spirit is self-control. The fruit of the Spirit is the change in our character that happens because of the Holy Spirit’s work in us. We do not become a Christian on our own, and we cannot grow on our own. Paul tells us in Philippians that "it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.&quot...

The Holy Spirit works in us to be more like Christ, and part of the Fruit of the Spirit, or results, of that work, is gentleness. Gentleness, also translated “meekness,” does not mean weakness. Rather, it involves humility and thankfulness toward God, and polite, restrained behavior toward others. The opposites of gentleness are anger, a desire for revenge, and self-aggrandizement. It takes a stro...

The Fruit of the Spirit - Part 7: Faithfulness The Faithfulness in the fruit list can be described as steadfastness, constancy, or allegiance; it is carefulness in keeping what we are entrusted with; it is the conviction that the Scriptures accurately reflect reality. Biblical faithfulness requires belief in what the Bible says about God: His existence, His works, and His character. Faithfulness i...

The Fruit of the Spirit - Part 5: Kindness The fifth fruit in Paul’s list is kindness. In the King James Version, kindness is called “gentleness.” The best way to understand this is by looking at the One who is perfect kindness, namely, Our Father in Heaven. Kindness is the characteristic that led God to provide salvation for us. Kindness leads God to give us green pastures, quiet waters, and the...

The Patience in Galatians 5:22 literally means “long temper,” in the sense of “the ability to hold one’s temper for a long time.” The King James Version translates it as “long-suffering.” A patient person is able to endure much pain and suffering without complaining. A patient person is slow to anger as he waits for God to provide comfort and punish wrongdoing. Since it is a Fruit of the Spirit, w...

We are born at war. At birth, our sinful nature has already declared war on God and His truth. Our heart’s desire is to be separated from Him, and if we persist in this desire until death, He will give us what we want. In Romans 12:8, Paul exhorts, "If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men." This Spirit produces the fruit of peace in us as we yield our will to H...

The "Fruit of the Spirit" is what happens when the Holy Spirit indwells a believer. The "fruit" is the product of the Holy Spirit’s cultivation of character in a heart. The second characteristic listed is joy. Joy expresses God’s kingdom—His influence on earth. The Spirit’s production of joy can manifest in several different ways: the joy of deliverance, the joy of salvation, t...

Being a good son or daughter does not come easy to children. Our sinful, selfish nature needs training and instruction. Therefore, we are called to imitate Christ in all things; this is what it means to deny ourselves and take up our cross and follow Jesus. With this in mind, Paul tells children, And further, submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Children, obey your parents because yo...

Being a good father does not come easy to men. Our sinful, selfish nature needs training and instruction, because by nature we can be impatient, angry, and even vengeful. We are called to imitate Christ in all things; this is what it means to deny ourselves and take up our cross and follow Jesus. With this in mind, Paul tells us 21 And further, submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Fa...