This Sunday we will continue our series with Acts 14:20-28. Last week we saw that the Apostle Paul was dragged outside of the city and left for dead. This week we see his response. He got up and went back into the city. It's an unpredictable move that showed his passion for the work God had called him to. Not only that, Paul proceeded to go back through every city that he and Barnabas visited on their journey. Remember these are all cities that they had been run out of! Beyond the resilience of these men in their ministry, we will also see the beautiful reality that gospel proclamation and the advance of God's Word leads to church planting as people's faith is strengthened, disciples are made, Elders are trained and appointed, and the church is gathered to celebrate God's goodness and grace.
Beaten but not Destroyed
Acts 14:20-28
February 3, 2019 • Pastor Bill Riedel
Farewell to the Ephesians Elders
April 28, 2019 • Pastor Bill Riedel
As Paul headed back toward Jerusalem he stopped off to meet one last time with the elders of the church in Ephesus in Acts 20:13-38. It's an emotional scene that shows the tenderness between the Apostle and this church. It also shows us something of the calling to serve in leadership in local churches. We will see this week what the focus needs to be to keep a planted church on mission.
Death to Life
April 21, 2019 • Pastor Bill Riedel
This Easter’s sermon comes from Acts 20:7-12, continuing our current series in Acts with a dramatic story of a young man named Eutychus who fell from a window and was brought back from the dead. The raising of Eutychus is only a shadow of the glory of the resurrection offered to us in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. We will see that God sees our suffering and sorrow, and that death does not hold the final answer.
Ephesus: A Riot
April 14, 2019 • Pastor Bill Riedel
This passage is a riot. Literally. After two years in Ephesus, Paul's ministry was recognized as a threat to the social and economic order of the city. It shows us that the gospel truly does turn the world upside down. This passage will help us to assess the broader cultural idolatry of our city and to see the divergent paths of the Way of this world and the Way of Jesus.