Northstar Church Blacksburg

This message looks at Acts 17:1-15 and examines what the simple message of the gospel is, how people respond to it (sometimes violently) and urges believers to cultivate a heart of compassion for those who aren't Christian yet.

Paul and Silas find themselves in jail in Philippi, and what we learn from their imprisonment both instructs and inspires us. We are to see our circumstances AND people through the eyes of faith. God can use our faith in Him during our hardships as a tool to lead others to faith.

You might not think that a stable is a great place to start an effective war. Nor that a baby would be the warrior that delivered a world from bondage and slavery. Nor that the principal weapon that God would wield through Immanuel would be joy. But that’s what scripture teaches. Lead pastor Jeff Noble shares from Luke 2:8-10 in this Eve of the Eve service message.

In this message from Luke 3, Darrell Cook shares thoughts about the importance of preparing a place for Jesus in our lives all year, and not just on Christmas. Through studying the ministry of John the Baptist, we are able to identify three practical ways to prepare our hearts for Christmas and beyond.

This message explores the simplicity and beauty of the birth of Christ. The wonder of how God worked to send the Messiah, who was also His Son provokes awe. Trey Moore examines how Christmas should lead us to personal worship.

The Story we will be telling in December is one of amazing beauty. The beginning of the Story of Jesus was not when Gabriel announced to Mary that she would have a child by the Holy Spirit. Rather, when God spoke Creation into existence, Jesus was there. Jesus was the Agent of Creation. This message highlights how the coming of Jesus was part of God's eternal plan for Christmas.

This message from Acts 16:11-25 reveals the hardships that Paul and Silas endured in Philippi to plant a church there. Through it, we learn the importance of seeing our circumstances through eyes of faith and trusting the Lord.

The early church was in danger of losing to legalists due to the influx of Jewish Christians who adhered to the law. They believed that one still had to follow the Mosaic Code to be saved. This chapter highlights the tension, the arguments and the results of this significant moment that resulted in Jesus' message being retained. One is saved by grace alone, through faith alone.

This was our annual Missions Sunday message, and lead pastor Jeff Noble unpacks principles for missions from Acts 16. The Macedonian vision of Paul launches his mission to the rest of the Roman Empire. Learn how his mission remains our mission!

Persecution takes many forms. Sometimes it's verbal. Sometimes it's physical. Christians should be ready to persevere in times of persecution. Alex Kacere teaches on Acts 14 and applies principles from the apostles' experience of persecution for our lives today.

In Acts 13, we see an incredibly joyful response to the message about Jesus among first-time hearers. Learn how their joy should influence our own as this message by Jeff Noble encourages us to realize that the gospel is too good AND it's true.

In Acts 13, the New Testament church begins its unlikely expansion as the first missionaries are sent out by the Holy Spirit. Learn how their mission mirrors our own calling in the message by lead pastor Jeff Noble.

James the apostle is killed by a vengeful Herod. How do we respond when evil seems to prosper? Learn important principles on standing strong in spiritual battle and the glory of Christ’s strength.

As we move forward in our study of the book of Acts it is important to know the historical context. Youth minister Alex Kacere shares what was happening to the early christians and how we can apply it to our lives in present day.

In Acts 10, the gospel leaps from the Jewish world into the Gentile world. Peter is called upon to share the message of forgiveness and grace with exclusively Gentiles for the first time.

As we continue our Acts series, lead pastor Jeff Noble shares some thoughts on how Jesus Christ performed miracles through Peter. Peter's testimony is a great example of how when we proclaim the name of Jesus and obey his commission to go and make disciples, God will do something.

As we move into the fall we jump back into our study of the book of Acts. This week, lead pastor Jeff Noble explains how Saul of Tarsus was radically changed by an encounter and personal devotion with Jesus Christ. There are many ways that we can identify with Saul regarding our former selves and our born-again selves.

Saul of Tarsus was a bad dude. Using this passage in the book of Acts, youth pastor Alex Kacere shows us how the Lord transformed Saul from a persecutor of early Christians into one of the most influential missionaries in history. We also get to see and learn from how Ananias joyfully obeyed God's command and was able to have a role to play in Saul's conversion.

Often times we have trouble giving full control of our lives to God. As we look at Philip's transformative encounter with a eunuch in Acts 8, lead pastor Jeff Noble shares some thoughts on how to follow God's direction and be led by the Spirit.

As we move into Chapter 8 of Acts we see that due to persecution the early church begins to scatter. Here, we learn about the heretic, Simon the Sorcerer. Lead pastor, Jeff Noble, shares how we can examine our own hearts and motives and align them with the Gospel.

In this message, we learn about the church's first martyr and how he responded like Jesus upon His death. It was only possibly because he was a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit. As a result, his life radiated with grace and power. Lead pastor Jeff Noble shares some thoughts on how we too can demonstrate grace and power in our daily living which will bless others.

The early church experienced exponential growth that led to some growing pains. In this passage, lead pastor Jeff Noble teaches on the first recorded complaints from church members! How do the apostles respond with grace, wisdom and solutions?

What do we do when things are "roller coastery?" We have a hard time embracing change and the ups and downs of life. We let hindrances bother us more than we should. Darrell Cook, VT BCM Director, teaches on this passage about choosing obedience even in the midst of hardship.