TGP West

When the apostles are arrested again for preaching Jesus, an angel frees them from jail and sends them straight back to the temple to keep teaching, and Peter boldly declares to the Sanhedrin, "We must obey God rather than people." From Acts 5:17-32, with insight from Dietrich Bonhoeffer's prison letters, we explore how courageous obedience means standing firm in the storms, breaking through barri...

Picking up after the judgment on Ananias and Sapphira, Acts 5:12-16 shows how a church committed to purity and holiness becomes the setting for God's miraculous presence, with signs, wonders, and healings drawing multitudes of men and women to the Lord.  We look at how fear of the Lord, rather than fear of what others think, moves us to step into the Spirit's work, and how authentic, Spirit-led li...

In Acts 5, Ananias and Sapphira lie to the Holy Spirit and the church to gain a reputation for generosity without paying its cost, and God's sobering judgment protests the young church's Spirit-built unity from the corrosion of deceit. Walking through Acts 5:1-11, we see that the Holy Spirit reveals deceit, that unrepentant sin and complicity stifle His power in the whole body, and that authentici...

When Peter and John return from the Sanhedrin, the early church doesn't pray for comfort or safety.  It unites in prayer, acknowledges God's sovereignty over its opposition, and asks for boldness, and God answers by shaking the place and filling them with the Holy Spirit.

God alone is our judge, and because Jesus took our place as both Judge and the One judged, we are free from shame and fear that drives us into hiding.  Like Peter and John before the Sanhedrin, we can face any opposition boldly - trusting that the Creator of the universe will be our defender.

Acts 4 tells the story of Peter and John's bold confrontation with the religious authorities, revealing what it looks like to be transformed by the Holy Spirit rather than conformed to culture.  It's a call to face opposition with confidence, not fear-trusting that Jesus, the cornerstone of salvation, walks with His church through every trial.

Acts 1-3; Exodus 40:34-38; 2 Chronicles 7; Genesis 11:1-9; 1 Corinthians 12:3; Matthew 16:13-16; Matthew 26:69-75; Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:6-8

Discover the freedom that comes from letting go of performance, condemnation, and the exhausting belief that God's love must be earned. Through Peter's message in Acts 3, we explore how genuine repentance turns us back to Jesus, wipes away sin, brings seasons of spiritual refreshments, and restores us to the life God created us to live.

A youth mission trip to New Orleans produced unexpected, Spirit-led moments of healing and freedom that mirrored the early church in Acts 3. Just as God orchestrated Peter and John's encounter with the lame man, He is still putting people on holy collision courses today - working through His worshiping people in ways that lease everyone in awe.

The early church's radical devotion to teaching, fellowship, shared meal, and prayer wasn't a product of obligation - it was the natural overflow of lives surrendered to the Holy Spirit.  The Challenge for us today is to stop reading these pages as history and start experiencing them as a living invitation into the same Spirit-empowered community.

Mathew 14 22-33 Glen Whatley

Peter shows that when the Holy Spirit reveals the truth about Jesus, hearts are convicted, leading people to repent, trust in Christ, receive the Holy Spirit, and embrace God's gracious promise of salvation.  Those that have experienced that transforming grace are called to stand apart from the world not through hostility or self-righteousness, but by displaying the humble, sacrificial love of Jes...

Peter's sermon in Acts 2 shows how God used fulfilled prophecy, the power of the Holy Spirit, Scripture, and the shared witness of Jesus' followers to reveal that Jesus is the promised Messiah and to draw people to salvation. The call for believers today is to remain united, grounded in God's Word, empowered by the Holy Spirit, and willing to share their stories of God's work so that others may co...

Peter declares that Pentecost fulfilled Joe's prophecy, revealing that God's Spirit is now poured out on all believers and restoring what sin had broken in humanity's relationship with God and one another. Through the Holy Spirit, God removes barriers of ethnicity, gender, age, and status, calling His people to live in freedom, unity, and the shared mission of proclaiming the gospel.

The Holy Spirit empowers followers of Jesus to continue His mission with God's power and authority, not their own effort.  When we submit to His leadership, God works through us in ways that reveals His glory, draw people in, and change how they see both us and Him.

Many have us have been living under the weight of hurt, disappointment, and exhaustion, but Jesus promises that ordinary believers who trust in Him can experience presence of the Holy Spirit just as the early church did.  As our belief grows through trusting God and taking Him at His word, the Holy Spirit works through us to bring healing, glorify God, and draw others to faith.

Many of us have been living under the weight of hurt, disappointment, and exhaustion, but Jesus promises that ordinary believers who trust in Him can experience the empowering presence of the Holy Spirit just as the early church did. As our belief grows through trusting God and taking Him at His word, the Holy Spirit works through us to bring healing, glorify God, and draw others to faith.

God does not just save us and dwell within us; He continually fills and empowers us through His Holy Spirit so we can follow Jesus and live out His mission each day.  We are challenged to stop holding parts of ourselves back from God, to seek the Spirit daily, and to fully surrender our lives so His presence and power can work through us.