Element Christian Church of Santa Maria

The message of Acts is that God has sent us to “Herald Evangelion,” meaning: to tell the good news. The best news of all is that Jesus is Lord! He lived sinlessly yet died the death that we deserve so that our names can be written in the book of life. We are citizens of God’s Kingdom; Children of the Creator. That motivation should directly shape how we live and how we proclaim who God is and what...

As we close out the book of Acts, we see that the story doesn’t end with Paul: it still continues to us today. We are God’s SENT people right where He has us today. We are CALLED to live as God’s missionaries to those who do not know Him. We can do this by… 1. Living provocatively so others want to know what is different about us: a. In how we work. b. In how we handle disappointment, persecution...

Paul used every opportunity to live for Jesus in the present. He reframes all of his life, and all of the Scriptures, in light of the Gospel (Jesus’ work on the cross on our behalf). Jesus freely chose to become weak, like us, in order to live the life we should have lived and die the death we all should have died. DOWNLOAD PDF SERMON NOTES HERE WATCH FULL SERVICE ON YOUTUBE WATCH RELATED TALKING...

“Encouragement” means to edify, build up or repair each other. The New Testament commands Christians to encourage one another, which brings about things such as hope, unity, joy, fruitfulness, perseverance and certainty of Christ’s return. The Gospel is the greatest encouragement which reminds ourselves and each other. DOWNLOAD PDF SERMON NOTES HERE WATCH FULL SERVICE ON YOUTUBE WATCH RELATED TALK...

It is far too easy for Christians to view their life through a lens of karmic justice. It is also far too easy to live in a works-based approach to faith and life. This is why when bad things happen it does not necessarily mean we deserved it, it can mean that God wants to grow us. God knows our pain and is our Shepherd through all that happens. DOWNLOAD PDF SERMON NOTES HERE WATCH FULL SERVICE ON...

Paul lives his life devoted to putting God on display all the time. His commitment has an impact on people who do not know or trust Jesus. His lifestyle is that of evangelism: always displaying Jesus through his words and actions in all situations. DOWNLOAD PDF SERMON NOTES HERE WATCH FULL SERVICE ON YOUTUBE WATCH RELATED TALKING ELEMENT EPISODE

Paul bears witness to Jesus in all aspects of his life, including his trials. Paul both listens to others and speaks of God’s redemption with a simple message through the detours of life. What we learn, is that we can be honest about ourselves because the Good News is that God Himself is the one who cleans us up and uses all our weakness for His Glory. DOWNLOAD PDF SERMON NOTES HERE WATCH FULL SER...

By God’s Grace, we have been set free from our chains to self. This freedom comes as the result of the Gospel, Jesus’ life, death and resurrection. One of the reasons Paul so consistently speaks of the resurrection is that it is evidence of the new life in Christ we can have today. Even though Paul is in chains and on trial, he is the free-ist person in any room he steps into because he is no long...

Paul, yet again, shares his story about meeting Jesus. Paul will share who he was before and who he is now, in Christ. Paul now identifies his sin and how much grace he has received from God. DOWNLOAD PDF SERMON NOTES HERE WATCH FULL SERVICE ON YOUTUBE WATCH RELATED TALKING ELEMENT EPISODE

Paul speaks about self-control, righteousness and judgement and how the cross deals with each. Paul’s point isn’t that a Christ follower is without sin, but that when led by the Holy Spirit, a believer is quick to admit when wrong and understands God’s grace and rescue. The Holy Spirit gives fruit such as self-control when we die to ourselves and live for Christ. DOWNLOAD PDF SERMON NOTES HERE WAT...

Even though Paul is on trial for baseless claims, he still makes his defense gladly because he knows he is right where God wants him to be. Paul trusts that God is the creator who will one day call the whole world to account, that Jesus is sure, and no matter what happens to him, he can glorify God in how he responds and handles it. DOWNLOAD PDF SERMON NOTES HERE WATCH FULL SERVICE ON YOUTUBE

In spite of all the hardships, the book of Acts is showing us God’s faithfulness to His people. The fact that Paul is now a prisoner may appear to us as a hindrance to the spread the Good News, but God is in control. Today’s text shows that though we are unable to save ourselves, by God’s mighty sovereign hand, He provides a way for us to have salvation. DOWNLOAD PDF SERMON NOTES HERE WATCH FULL S...

Much like the parable of the prodigal son, the Jewish community paralleled the older brother, while Paul paralleled the younger brother (who left and returned). What we find in today’s passage is the Jews persecuting Paul because of his proclamation of God’s good news in Christ to the Gentiles. The shared promises, patriarchs, covenants and Messiah were meant for all people. DOWNLOAD PDF SERMON NO...

The Apostle Paul was accused of subverting Judaism by teaching against the people, the law and the temple. Understanding these accusations are key to understanding not only the book of Acts but the Gospel as well. They are the same accusations that were made against Stephen in Acts Chapter 6 before he was executed, and they are by-and-large the same accusations made against Jesus. We need to under...

Jesus died to set us free from the wrath of God and the loveless limits of the law. Paul shows us, in dealing with both the Gentiles and the Jews, that Salvation does not come from laws or rituals – rather it comes from Jesus’ work on our behalf. Paul loves and desires for both Gentiles and Jews to love Jesus and be saved. DOWNLOAD PDF SERMON NOTES HERE WATCH FULL SERVICE ON YOUTUBE

We often view times of hardship as not being God’s will or plan for us, but that isn’t the case. The greatest example we have is Jesus’ hardship (His life and death) which brings about salvation. Paul, likewise, knows that his trust in God is not in vain, though he suffered for the name of Jesus. DOWNLOAD PDF SERMON NOTES HERE WATCH FULL SERVICE ON YOUTUBE

Hard goodbyes to great friends are a good thing when they are rooted in the Gospel. A hard goodbye to a great friend means that a great friendship was built. Great friendships, which are grounded in the Gospel, are built intentionally through shared time, shared truth, shared service, and shared suffering. As the Gospel changes friendships, it brings unity, support, and strength, which is deeply n...

In Ephesus, Paul and the early disciples changed the economic landscape of the whole city by presenting a new way of living. They were called ‘The Way’ because the Christian life was a way of living that encompassed all of life: love, forgiveness, and worship. Today, we too are called into The Way, following God’s example of what He has already done, empowered by the Holy Spirit. DOWNLOAD PDF SERM...

The birth of the church in Ephesus was chaotic, but the power of God overshadowed it and brought peace. As people came to believe in Jesus their fear was turned into true worship of God. A generation later the church of Ephesus had “lost their first love,” and their focus became inward; as they grew, they lost their passion and impulse. God wants us to see the vibrancy and the Holy Spirit’s power...

The trajectory of Acts shows us how God is bringing the world back to Himself through His own redemption. Paul, in the city of Ephesus, spends his time talking to three groups: those waiting for the Messiah, Jewish leaders, and the Greeks (Gentiles). Paul was concerned with the Holy Spirit’s work both in the lives of individuals as well as the whole community. DOWNLOAD PDF SERMON NOTES HERE WATCH...

There is much to learn from how God responds when Paul reaches a point of being exhausted, tired and depressed. God promises three things 1) Fear not, 2) Do not be silent, and 3) I am with you. These promises are written for our benefit so we would understand and trust God. DOWNLOAD PDF SERMON NOTES HERE WATCH FULL SERVICE ON YOUTUBE

I have asked a few moms to share with you. Some you may know, some you may not, but they are all part of Element. I asked them to speak about their real lives right now in the C19 world. Joy for Jesus and for Paul was an understanding of life that encompassed both elation and depression…because God is sovereign and rules over all things. We can FEAR NOT, not because we not HAVE FEAR, but because G...

Because of His understanding of the Good News, Paul was motivated by the Holy Spirit to speak truth to the people of Athens. This provocation led him to have a heart for the intellectuals who were morally empty as well as for the common people who were worshiping created idols. DOWNLOAD PDF SERMON NOTES HERE WATCH FULL SERVICE ON YOUTUBE

The book of Acts shows how the Roman government and many officials responded to the commotion that the message of the Gospel was making in the world. Paul will suffer hardships at the hands of the government as well as experience its protection. Because of suffering at both the hands of the people and the government, Paul will start to relate the message of the Gospel in terms of our “Suffering Sa...

When Jesus said in John 14:6, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me,” those words meant something in His cultural context. When Jesus and John the Baptizer said “repent,” it meant something in their cultural context. It is important for us to understand how we speak of God’s words into our current cultural context as well. DOWNLOAD PDF SERMON NOTE...