The Acts 13 Network

John 2:13–25 | Acts 13 Network Everyone notices it eventually: this story shows up in the wrong place. In Matthew, Mark, and Luke, Jesus clearing the temple courts comes near the end of his ministry — it's the moment that gets him killed. John puts it in chapter two. Same event, two different spots. In this message, we look at why John does that, what was actually happening in that temple cour...

We often view God in grand, cosmic, and epic terms. But what happens when the Creator of the universe steps out of the eternal scope and moves straight into a dusty riverside neighborhood? In this episode, we kick off a new study in the Gospel of John, diving into what commentators call the "Book of Signs" (John 1:19–2:12). Together, we trace the narrative from John the Baptist’s interro...

We often think of God in two ways: He is imminent (right here with us) and He is transcendent (completely beyond our comprehension). But how do these two realities mix when life gets messy? In this episode, we dive into the final verses of the John 1 prologue to explore one of the most radical claims of the Christian faith: The Word didn't just look down on us—He became flesh and moved into th...

In this episode, we continue our journey through the Gospel of John, diving deep into the structural center of the famous Prologue: John 1:9–13 . While it's easy to get caught up in the grand, cosmic scale of Jesus as the pre-existent Word and Creator of the universe, John’s ultimate destination in this passage is deeply personal. He drives us toward a breathtaking climax: the reality that tho...

We are diving back into the beautiful prologue of John’s Gospel, specifically looking at John 1:6–9 and verse 15 . In this episode, we break down the unique role of John the Baptist, tackle some mind-bending theology regarding the pre-existence of Christ, and look at the two cultural errors the modern church frequently falls into when it comes to faith and evangelism. If you’ve ever felt uncomfort...

We are officially pivoting from the gritty, prophetic text of Amos to a massive, 20-week journey through the Gospel of John. If you were hoping for something light, easy, and straightforward... well, you might have missed the sarcasm! John is a magnificent, profound piece of literature that operates completely differently from the other gospels. In this episode, we break down what makes John uniqu...

The Old Testament prophetic book of Amos is famous for being intense. For chapters on end, the message is unyielding: a holy God is dropping a plumb line, judgment is coming, and the nation will be sifted for its spiritual rot and systemic oppression. But Amos does not end with the tragedy of exile. It concludes with a breathtaking vision of restoration—a promise that out of the sifting, a remnant...

What does a structural tool from ancient masonry have to say about the state of our hearts today? In this episode, we dive into Amos chapters 7 through 9, exploring an intense but profoundly hopeful section of the Minor Prophets. While the book of Amos is famous for its relentless exposure of systemic and personal brokenness, these chapters offer a macro-perspective look at the true character of G...

Episode Summary: Have you ever been on a journey where you only wanted to look out one side of the window? In this episode, we explore the jarring contrast between the luxury we often seek and the reality of the world we often ignore. Drawing from a personal story of a Jamaican honeymoon and the sobering warnings found in Amos chapter 6 , we discuss the spiritual danger of "arrogant complacen...

What if your worship is empty? What if God looks at your religious life — the songs, the prayers, the offerings — and says, I hate it ? That's exactly what Amos tells Israel in chapter 5. And it's just as much a word for us. In this episode, we work through the heart of Amos's prophecy — a funeral dirge for a nation that was religiously active, politically thriving, and spiritually los...

Chosen: On Empty Worship and the God Who Loves Too Much to Let Us Stay Beyond Sunday School | Amos 3–4 What does it mean to be "chosen" by God? In this episode, we dig into Amos 3–4 and discover that the Hebrew word for chosen isn't primarily a theological category — it's the language of intimate, covenantal love. The same God who says "I have something against you" ope...

When God Turns the Mirror Around | Amos 1–2 Amos wasn't a professional prophet — he was a shepherd and a fig tree pruner from Tekoa. But God sent him to deliver one of the most uncomfortable messages in all of Scripture. In this opening sermon of our series on the book of Amos, we walk through chapters 1 and 2, where Amos masterfully builds a case against the surrounding nations before turning the...

THE PASTOR NEXT DOOR "The Stories Are True" | Resurrection Sunday Based on John 20:1-18 ───────────────────────────── ABOUT THIS EPISODE What if the first Easter wasn't triumphant — it was confusing? In this Resurrection Sunday reflection, we sit with Mary Magdalene outside an empty tomb and discover that encountering the risen Christ doesn't always bring immediate clarity. Somet...

Episode Summary In this Palm Sunday reflection, we explore the radical subversion of power found in Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem. While the world defines "glory" through conquest, influence, and self-protection, Jesus redefines it through the lens of a cross. Drawing from John 12 , we discuss the significance of the "hour" arriving, the metaphor of the kernel of wheat, and what...

In this episode, we dive into one of the most famous—and perhaps most misunderstood—stories Jesus ever told: The Parable of the Good Samaritan. While culture uses "Good Samaritan" as a catchphrase for basic kindness, Jesus used it as a scandalous challenge to religious insiders. We explore the tense historical back-and-forth between the expert in the law and Jesus, uncovering why the her...

I’ll be honest: there is one story in the Bible I haven’t been able to escape lately. I find myself referencing it in almost every sermon, regardless of the text I’m actually preaching from. We usually call it the "Parable of the Prodigal Son," but as we wander through Lent together, I’ve started calling it The Parable of the Loving Father. In this episode, we’re diving into Luke 15 to l...

We've all heard the Parable of the Sower. Most of us have heard it wrong. For years it got preached — and taught — as a moralistic checklist: What kind of soil is your heart? Get it right. But that's not the gospel. And it's not what Jesus was doing. In this week's sermon from Mark 4:1-20, we dig into why scholars call this "the parable of parables," what a passage from I...

"It’s not fair." If we’re honest, that’s how many of us feel when we read Jesus’s parable of the laborers in the vineyard. Why does the person who shows up for the final hour of work get paid the same as the one who labored all day in the heat? In this first installment of our Lenten series, we dive into the "upside-down" logic of the Kingdom of Heaven. Using Matthew 20:1-16 ,...

Have you ever stumbled across something so valuable it changed everything in an instant? This week, we wrap up our Epiphany series by looking at two of Jesus’ shortest—and most provocative—parables from Matthew 13: the treasure hidden in a field and the merchant seeking fine pearls. We often talk about the Kingdom of Heaven in terms of duty, judgment, or a distant "someday." But Jesus describes it...

Is your "circle" too small? On this Super Bowl Sunday, we’re trading the playbook for a prayer. While millions gather around TV screens and buffet wings, we’re diving into Luke 14 to look at a different kind of party: a high-stakes dinner where Jesus flips the table on social etiquette and religious comfort. In this episode, we explore the "Scandal of the Gospel." Jesus isn&#39...

We live in a world that tells us bigger is better, louder is stronger, and faster is more faithful. But Jesus tells a very different story. In this episode, we reflect on two short parables from Matthew 13—the mustard seed and the yeast—and what they reveal about the upside-down nature of God’s kingdom. A kingdom that begins small. A kingdom that grows quietly. A kingdom that takes root through ca...

God’s Kingdom Come: When the Beatitudes Reorder Our Lives Matthew 5:1–11 What does it really mean to pray, “Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” ? In this episode, we step into the opening lines of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount and explore the Beatitudes—not as abstract spiritual ideals, but as a radical reordering of how we live in the world. Jesus describes a kingdom th...

God’s Kingdom Come Episode Title: The Kingdom Received What does it really mean to receive the Kingdom of God? In this episode, we explore Jesus’ surprising words in Mark 10:13–16 , where he insists that the Kingdom belongs to infants—and can only be entered by receiving it like one. Drawing from a deeply personal story of holding a newborn child for the first time, this teaching reframes faith no...

What does it really mean when we pray,  “Your kingdom come” ? In this episode, we step into the season of  Epiphany —a season that invites us to reflect on Jesus revealed as King and to wrestle with the nature of the kingdom he announces. Drawing from  Matthew 4:12–17 , we explore Jesus’ first public proclamation:  “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” But this kingdom is not what we...

In this final episode on Paul’s letter to the Colossians, we turn to Colossians 4:2–6 and explore what it means to live lives  hidden with Christ . Paul’s closing words center on devotion to prayer—not as a technique or spiritual performance, but as the very air we breathe. We reflect on how prayer shapes our awareness of others, opens our eyes to the people God places around us, and forms us into...