Posts from October 2022

What would be the perfect opening sermon for the first ever Church? Some kind of pep talk? Actually, when Peter stands up to address the first Christian community in history, he begins on a sobering note. First things first, we have to talk about… Judas. “He was numbered among us and was allotted his share in this ministry,” Peter says. (Acts 1:17) The betrayer Judas was handpicked by Jesus himself. Even Jesus’ handpicked community was not immune for the trappings…

To begin the book of Acts (the sequel to the Gospel of Luke), Luke immediately lets us know that we’re picking up right where we left off. Acts couldn’t be a more organic overflow of where the Gospel of Luke leaves us. First, Acts opens with a lot of Spirit talk. “John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” (Acts 1:5) “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has…

Freedom is a funny thing. For being a word we’re so accustomed to, it can be more difficult to define than we often think. It can also be more difficult to know it when we see it, or know it when we see the lack of it. Acts 16 gives us a full cast of characters, some free and some not, although which characters are which may not be clear at first. Among this cast of characters are first Paul…