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Acts 7c Stephen Martyred Saul Convicted
Pastor Nelson
Acts 7:54 - 8:3
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Acts 7:54 - 8:3 As Stephen is stoned to death Saul (Paul) is hit hard with how this follower of Jesus dies. Stephen prays for his killers (like Christ did) & now his accusers have to live with what they witnessed. The big point is God uses persecution to further HIS ends. Dan 7:13-14, Isa 53, Luke 23:43, 2Cor 5:8, Rom 8:28 & 8:35-39, 1Pet 1:6-8, Acts 26:9-11. Next week we see another "layman" follower of Jesus become the first missionary to a hated people. What God is doing thru simple men & women like you & me is about to turn the world upside down. 42min
Acts 7b The Truth Comes Out
Pastor Nelson
Acts 7:37-53
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Acts 7:37-53 Stephen is continuing to "preach" to the religious who have him on trial. With love & the power of the Holy Spirit he narrows in on what sin is really about - turning away for the ONE true living God to idols. Knowingly & willingly choosing to turn away from HIM and follow other gods of our own choosing. But what happens when we do that? God is ultimately THE JUDGE, and scripture tells us what will happen and has repeatedly happened to His chosen people. 46min
Acts 7a Stephen Teaches a History Lesson
Pastor Nelson
Acts 7:1-36
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Acts 7:1-36 Stephen's trial becomes a history lesson for the learned Council. In so many ways Stephen is teaching us & them what went wrong & why the New Covenant thru Jesus has to replace the old ways. 4 Principles we need to take away from this teaching - all of which are not well received by the Temple rulers, the Sanhedrin judges. Note the parallels between Jesus and Abraham & Joseph! Stephen is being nice at this point, he will soon take off the gloves & this will lead to is death. But when dealing with stiff-necked people you must sometimes be direct. 40min
Acts 6b Submitting to Serve
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Acts Chapter 6 shows us how we are to serve Christ and the Body of Christ (the Church). Cross-Culturalism is still present in the Church today. Can you see it? Can you graciously deal with it? What is God's Word trying to teach us about who we are & what the Church should be today? We are all called to serve - but it is not about us, it's about God's message & learning how to follow the Holy Spirit. Are you a "FATO"? In which of those areas do you fall short? Ephesians 5 gives us some insights. We also look briefly at the 1st deacon & 1st martyr - the one that changed Saul (aka Paul) life forever. 48min
Acts 6a Knowledge Understanding & Wisdom
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Proverbs Chapter 8 This is going to have to be studied on your own at the feet of Jesus to understand it fully! In Luke chapter 6 & 7 we see the beginnings of the world coming against the Church that is just forming & we see the scene of the first martyr Stephen. How could these early followers of Jesus be willing to come against these evil powers? In Body Life we saw a powerful prayer expressed on April 29 2015 in our Nations Capital - that we must come back to God or suffer the consequences of our sin, so now we continue on with the idea that it is about KNOWING God's truth, knowledge of Him & His ways, understanding God, & having God's wisdom in our heads that is needed for survival. Then we like Stephen, can stand & speak what God is saying to us and the world. 23min
Acts 5c A Call to Suffer for Christ
Pastor Nelson
Acts 5:33-42
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Acts 5:33-42 ends chapter 5 with some sobering thoughts that the Lord brought to my mind. Gamaliel (Paul's teacher) calms the unruly situation & questions "can we fight against God's plan? And the apostles were given 39 strips & told again NOT to teach or preach the name of Jesus. Question is - are we willing to stand against the crowd & face the consequences? 1Pet 3:8-17, 2Cor 11:16-12:10, Mat 24:9-14. Multiple sources report over 100,000+ Christians are killed every year for their faith in Jesus. That's over 11 deaths per hour. Are you ready to stand for your faith in Jesus? 41min
Acts 5b Power for Bold Witness
Pastor Nelson
Acts 5:12-32
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Acts 5:12-32 is an interesting story of how when God wants His Word to go forth ... the opposition just can't stop it. Once again the disciples have refused to keep quiet about the hope they have in our risen Savior. The first of 3 miraculous jail breaks. A big deal to the High Priest & his council. How are they going to stop this movement (of God)- or can they? Is it right to keep silent? What about the persecution that comes because of the name of Jesus? 42min
Acts 5a Lying to God
Pastor Nelson
Acts 5:1-11
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Acts 5:1-11 Is a difficult study if you take it seriously as we all should. How & why do men & women in the Body of God choose to try to fool God? Do we forget who God really is? Or are there deep dark places in our minds & hearts that we refuse to recognize until it's too late? Lev 10, 1Kings 14:1-18, 2Kings 5:27, 1Cor 10:11-13, Prov 6:16-19, Acts 20:28-31. Covering lots of OT & NT ground shows us that we must be watchful & be careful to avoid pride & greed. 40min
Acts 4c Having 1 Heart & 1 Soul
Pastor Nelson
Acts 4:32-37
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Acts 4:32-37 There was power in those lives & and unity of their hearts & souls. Yes "stuff" was sold & shared but not out of compulsion but out of the love they had for each other and the focused commitment on spreading the good news about the risen Son of God. There was hope and joy in the middle of hard & treacherous times - but God's grace abounded and covered all those who believed and walked together in unity. 31min
Acts 4b Jesus the Name to Stand For
Pastor Nelson
Acts 4:13-31
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Acts 4:13-31 If you were forbidden to speak in the name of Jesus what would you do? Peter & John are put before the "powers of the day" & threatened over their trust & understanding of Jesus. A lesson from the past that applies today. But it starts with the creation & carries through to the very end. 2Peter 3:1-14 & Rom 1:18-23 & Heb 1:1-3 all further define who Jesus actually IS. Let us pray like these early Christians did and let God shake the house! 40min
Acts 4a The Courage to Witness
Pastor Nelson
Acts 4:1-12
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Acts 4:1-12 Peter & John now put on the "hot-seat" for teaching & proclaiming the Good News about Jesus. We can all learn some valuable lessons about witnessing here. Being prepared & prayed-up while working under the control of the Holy Spirit can yield some dramatic results. Jn 15:18-27, Mat 10:16-20,Psm 118:19-28, Rom 5:8-11, Jn 5:21-30. Next week we address why witnessing in the name of Jesus is so important. 42min
Acts 3b The Gospel Message
Pastor Nelson
Acts 3:17-26
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Acts 3:17-26 The good news Gospel Message has remained the same since the start of time. We are in need of help because of our fallen condition ... and God loves us enough to provide us a way if we repent and turn back to Him. We can be friends with God, or against Him & oppose His gift of life. Peter understands it is personal & intimate AND this is real TRUTH as confirmed by history & personal experience. Ezk 14:4-23, Isa 52&53, 1 Cor 15:1-8. There is no middle ground - either you believe God's Word & message through His prophets or you stand in opposition. Choose Life! 40min
Acts 3a About Ministry
Pastor Nelson
Acts 3:1-16
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Acts 3:1-16 What Peter & John experienced & did after Pentecost. Chapter 3 is divided into 4 sections about ministry. (1)vv 1-6 opportunity (2)vv 6-10 power (3)vv 11-16 source (4)vv 17-26 the message. The miracle healing of the crippled man at the temple starts off this lesson. In the "name" of Jesus Christ of Nazareth ... is a key element. What is this new way of teaching and sharing God's love? What is the core message to be proclaimed? Didn't want to break this message into 2 parts but just had to. 36min
Acts 2c The "Church"
Pastor Nelson
Acts 2:40-47
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Acts 2:40-47 In these few verses we learn a lot about what the Church is, and is to do. With 4 main points of what we are called to do individually, we also learn what the 4 main points that the Church is to continuously DO. The NEW Covenant that Jesus taught us totally changes the rules of doing "Church" (Temple)and following Christ's lead. John 13:34-35 & Matthew 22:34-40 gives us the new direction in which we are now to go. The old Mosaic Law is passed & now under the influence and guidance of the Holy Spirit the "New Body of Christ" is to carry on Jesus work unto all the world. Unity and Fellowship seem to be key words along with doctrine, the breaking of bread, and prayer. 41min
Acts 2b God's Promise & Truth
Pastor Nelson
Acts 2:29-39
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Acts 2:29-39 God's promise to send the Holy Spirit is made manifest, but what does this mean? Who is the Holy Spirit and what is His purpose? What does all this prove about the "promises" of God and 'WHAT SHALL WE DO?' This study of certain details in the Old & New Testament should make clear the Promise of God. Be prepared to turn to lots of Scriptures for HIS explanation of the Truth that has come forth. Remember you can pause the audio just hit the double bars(to write down the scriptures) and then resume where you left off after the pause to continue listening. 44min
Acts 2a The Holy Spirit Comes
Pastor Nelson
Acts 2:1-28
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Acts 2:1-28 As promised the Holy Spirit "invades earth". WOW what an entrance! As we look at this amazing work of God we must marvel at not only the timing for bringing in the New Covenant (the anniversary of God giving Moses the Law) but that Pentecost is also called the feast of "First-Fruits". Of those who heard an saw this event some realized it was a God Thing while others just tried to explain it away. Sound familiar? We start to see King David as not only near to God but a Prophet. More to come next week on David and the founding of the "Church" and what we are to be and do. 44min
Acts 28b Paul Finally Arrives in Rome
Pastor Nelson
Acts 28:11-31
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Acts 28:11-31 God finally delivers Paul to Rome as promised. Sorry this has taken so long to post - pray for my mom, had to get her into a nursing home all this last week & 4 attempts to load this were interrupted. SO Finally the end of the Book of Acts has come, & we see Paul as usual, always faithfully teaching the HOPE in Christ because of the Resurrection. Forgiveness for the Jews & Gentiles alike. Some believe & some don't, the same as today. But note the applications at the end. We need to continue to walk in the way of giving Hope & Life to those who have not yet believed. 41min
Acts 28a God Unchanging & Unchangeable (Mal 3:6)
Pastor Nelson
Malachi 3:6
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Malachi 3:6 - I know we are supposed to be at Acts 28:11 but I have diverted to a very important topic. The steadiness of God in this chaotic world. In contrasting Allah & The Living God of Heaven I made a MISTAKE in my sermon - I have been studying the religion of Islam since Feb 1993! 23 years! Not some 15 years or so -or what ever I said on tape. So God is unchanging in His: (1) essence (2) attributes (3) plans (4) promises (5) threatenings (6) objects of His love. We need as steady, solid, trustworthy God in this crazy violent world. Do you KNOW HIM can you HEAR HIM? 41min
Acts 27c God's Protection Provision & Plans
Pastor Nelson
Acts 27:39 - 28:10
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Pastor Nelson
Acts 27:39 - 28:10
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Acts 27:39 - 28:10 Sorry no sermon over the 4th of July weekend, the Church as a whole decided it should be a "free" weekend. One of the advantages of a small Church! We continue with Paul in the middle of a major storm. Have you ever been there? I love how this one turns out! Paul is not only saved from the storm, but from being murdered by the soldiers, saved from a deadly snake bite, but then ministers Jesus power, forgiveness & love to the entire island of Malta. Never forget God has a plan for YOUR life. Will you trust Him a do the tasks laid before you? 41min
Acts 27b Lesson Learned In The Storm
Pastor Nelson
Acts 27:13-38
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Acts 27:13-38 Boy oh-Boy, Some lessons are just not learned until you are in fear of loosing your life! Paul once again shows us the way of FEARLESS trust in God and His purposes. These few verses expose us to a totally helpless situation and what your trust in God can do. How many people will your faith & trust in God's love and purposes affect before you are out of here? 276 souls here, with only a handful of "believers" present but theybwent thru a terrible ordeal. They experienced 1st hand the sovereign hand of God at work. A lesson for anyone in the middle of a "storm". 42min
Acts 27a The Voyage to Rome is Like Life
Pastor Nelson
Acts 27:1-12
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Acts 27:1-12 Paul's voyage to Rome begins & for us some valuable lessons. Help at the right time by the right people is God's way of letting us know HIS plans will not be thwarted. This sailing trip gives us some good insights if you care to read between the lines. What usually happens when the majority rules? What are we really doing when we say "If I could only have ... or do ... ?? Then let us o on to look at 2Cor 5:1-10 and Psm 34. In whom do you really trust during the storms of life? 40min
Acts 26f Your Witness Tract
Pastor Nelson
Acts 26:24-32
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Acts 26:24-32 Today we see Paul's final plea to the crowd & especially King Agrippa & Governor Festus to accept Jesus as the promised Messiah (God in the flesh come to earth to save us). But we can also learn some witnessing techniques here & learn how to use a few key New Testament Scriptures as the Holy Spirit leads us in speaking out to those who have not yet met Jesus the Christ. Mark your personal little Bible with these verses & you'll never be lost for what to say! John 3:3, 4-7, 18-19, 36; Romans 3:23 & 3:10-11, 12, 20; Romans 6:23; Romans 5:8; 1John 5:10-13; John 14:6-7; John 1:1-5, 12-13,14; John 10:33. Bless you in the telling of God's truth & mercy! 46min
Acts 26e Irrefuatable Facts
Pastor Nelson
Acts 26:19-23
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Acts 26:19-23 As we look at this short passage it brings us to a MUCH LARGER picture. What did Paul know by being a student of Old Testament Scripture? He fully understood the sayings & promises of the Prophets. Did you know that there are 308 (by one account) Scriptures in 21 subject areas that confirm that JESUS is the One sent by God to PROVE who He IS! You don't have to set good thinking-reasoning aside to KNOW that JESUS was who He said He was ... God in the flesh! His resurrection proved it; but the Old Testament also foretold it! Listen to Paul in Rom 12:1-2, Eph 2:1-10, and go to our website www.ccsheridan.org home page to see the 308 prophecies about Jesus before He was ever born. 36min
Acts 26d What's Your Story Part 2
Pastor Nelson
Acts 26:12-18
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Acts 26:12-18 Part2 Talking & learning from Paul's testimony before King Agrippa. First we go to Romans 4:25 to learn from Paul again about what was so important about what Jesus did on the cross & in His death & Resurrection. Think about the words Justification & Reconciliation. You must understand this in order to be able to tell others about what Christ has done for you. As we press thru Paul's story to Agrippa we learn again from Paul what happens to one who has truly accepted Jesus - a new birth. 2Cor 5:15, 17-21. Now using the 4 page handout you need to do some homework & be prepared to share "your story". 43min
Acts 26c So What's Your Story
Pastor Nelson
Acts 26:1-11
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Acts 26:1-11 If you're a believer in Jesus YOU have a story to tell - just like Paul! So What Is "Your Story" of how YOU met the Lord Jesus Christ? Come on! It's your story of WHO you were, WHAT you were doing (before God became really personal), WHERE you were (living AND thinking), WHEN it was in your life continuum, and most importantly HOW the Holy Spirit convicted you of a need to Be & Do your life differently! HOW DID JESUS BECOME ALIVE TO YOU? 1 Pet 3:13-19. Paul has an exciting story to tell, but yours is just as good & just as real, even though it may not be quite as dramatic. Therefore learn to tell "your story" by starting at the beginning (like Paul). Fill in the details (they are yours alone). Tell others the how & why JESUS is alive in you & how HE has changed you. Luke 12:8-12 & 21:8-19. More to come next week on this important topic. 47min
Acts 26b Who's Your Daddy?
Pastor Nelson
Matt 18:1-14
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Matt 18:1-14 First allow me to explain that I didn't post a sermon last week because I was returning from Critical Incident Stress Management Training. As one who cares for people in Crisis, the training was invaluable; but it also made me think about where people turn in hard times, what do they lean on & who do they depend on when "it" is crunch time? Seeing as we are all like children and learn to trust God over time & obey God or not. What are the lessons here that Jesus was trying to teach His Disciples? We all must learn to trust God and learn total dependence; & that is a hard thing to do. 41min
Acts 26a Having Faith in a Crisis
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Psalm 46, Luke 7:1-10, 1 Peter 1:1-9, 2 Cor 4:3-11&16-18, Isa 35:10 What should one do when they have a crisis of faith, or how can we help others who might be in the middle of a crisis? Here is a quick overview of how we can manage better when things just seem to be falling apart. All of us face hard times - so where & how do you cope? An attitude of gratitude & expectation is needed. But most of all we can't share with others that which we ourselves don't possess. Here are some Biblical insights that may help. 48min
Acts 25b Paul's Faith in God's Will
Pastor Nelson
Acts 25:13-27
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Acts 25:13-27 As we see Paul getting ready to give one of his greatest calls to accept the reality of Jesus The Christ & His forgiveness of sin (chapter 26 Acts) we introduce the idea of God's 4 wills. If things are presently so nuts & evil, how & why is God allowing it all to happen? Can you have faith enough to really believe God is in total control like Paul did? Is God really wiser in His planning and controlling the final out come than man? God has given us His Word to give us hope & the proof that He is God and we are not. 44min
Acts 25a There Is More To Life Than Life
Pastor Nelson
Acts 25:1-12
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Acts 25:1-12 After 2 years in prison Paul comes out still upbeat, & preaching the hope that is in him. Appealing his case to Caesar himself (the highest earthly court) Paul is fed up with the games that have been played so far. We can all learn some timely principles here. Remember the word "FATO", & know for certain that there is more to life than life. Ecc 12:13-14, Mal 4:1-2, Rom 8:28, Heb 12:7-11, 1Pet 1:6-10, Jam 1:2-8. 50min
Acts 24a Way to Go Paul
Pastor Nelson
Acts 24:1-27
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Acts 24:1-27 Hard to believe - we covered a whole chapter in one shot! Good stuff to be learned here like: when accused, stay calm & tell the truth; Jesus really does have your back; be patient God hasn't forgotten you;always strive to keep a clean conscience before both man & God. And a biggie here Flattery is not always as it seems! Prov 29:3. When you hear what God has said, like it or not, you are responsible to do something about it! Luke 12:48. Also don't procrastinate. All this & more in 1 short chapter. 47min