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In Session 6 of our journey through Acts, we see what can happen when ordinary believers simply obey God. Stephen stands boldly before those who reject Jesus and becomes the first Christian martyr. Yet even while being stoned, Stephen looks toward heaven, sees Jesus standing at the right hand of God, and prays for the very people killing him. His life looked like Jesus. Stephen's death also becomes part of something much bigger. A young man named Saul is standing nearby, watching—and the testimony he witnesses will help prepare the ground for Saul's own encounter with Jesus. Persecution then breaks out against the church and believers are scattered from Jerusalem. But instead of stopping the gospel, the persecution spreads it. Wherever they go, they preach Jesus. Philip goes to Samaria, where people hear the gospel and witness the power of God. He later obeys the Spirit's direction to approach an Ethiopian official who is reading Isaiah. Philip begins with that Scripture and preaches Jesus to him. The lesson is simple: wherever God has placed us, someone within our circle of influence should eventually hear about Jesus. We don't save anyone. Our responsibility is to faithfully plant and water the seed and trust God with the results. The session concludes on the Damascus road. Saul—the man who had persecuted Christians and tried to destroy the church—is confronted personally by Jesus. His response gives every believer a question worth asking: “Lord, what do You want me to do?” God doesn't need our ideas. He wants our obedience. Primary Scripture: Acts 7–9 Join us as we continue following the growth of the early church and discover what the book of Acts teaches us about living faithfully, sharing Jesus, following the Holy Spirit, and being obedient wherever God places us.

As we begin our study of 2 Peter, Peter reminds believers of an important truth: God's divine power has already given us everything we need for life and godliness. But the Christian life isn't meant to remain where it started. Peter tells us to diligently add to our faith—virtue, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love. In this session, Pastor Matthew Robbins explores what those qualities look like in everyday Christian life and why spiritual growth requires intentionality. We don't have to chase everything the world tells us we need. God calls us to seek Him first, remain on the path He has placed before us, and allow Him to bring the right things into our lives at the right time. Joseph gives us a powerful picture of this kind of life. Betrayed, falsely accused, enslaved, and imprisoned, Joseph refused to allow his circumstances to determine who he would become. His relationship with God remained greater than the pressure surrounding him. That's perseverance. That's consistency. And that kind of endurance becomes one of the clearest outward demonstrations of a life that truly belongs to Christ. Peter also reminds us that God's Word isn't something we outgrow. We need to continually return to it and remind ourselves of the truth. Peter himself had witnessed the majesty of Jesus Christ, yet he continued pointing believers back to the prophetic Word given by the Holy Spirit. The challenge of 2 Peter 1 is simple: Don't remain spiritually stagnant. Add to your faith. Develop self-control. Keep persevering. Stay devoted to God. Love one another. Keep your eyes on Jesus. Keep standing on God's Word. When these qualities are growing in us, Peter says our lives will not be barren or unfruitful.

Jesus repeatedly told His followers to watch, be ready, and prepare for His return. But what does being ready actually look like? Continuing the message of Matthew 24 into the parable of the ten virgins in Matthew 25, Pastor Matthew Robbins examines Jesus' warning that although all ten were waiting for the bridegroom, only five had prepared. Preparation matters. We prepare for careers, education, retirement, weddings, children, our homes, and countless other parts of life. But are we giving the same attention—or even greater attention—to our spiritual lives? Revelation 19 gives us a powerful picture of the marriage supper of the Lamb and says of Christ's bride: “His wife has made herself ready.” Being ready isn't about completing a religious checklist. It is about relationship. It's continually turning toward Jesus. It's walking in the light God has given you. It's staying in His Word until Scripture becomes more than information—it becomes food. It's allowing the Holy Spirit to reveal areas that need to change. It's repenting when we step outside God's will and receiving the cleansing and forgiveness Christ has provided. And it's reaching the place where our question is no longer simply, “Can I do this and still go to heaven?” but instead, “How can I please Him?” Like the moon reflects more light as it turns toward the sun, our lives reflect more of Christ as we continually turn toward the Son. We are all at different places in our spiritual journey. The goal isn't to compete with someone else's walk. The goal is to keep moving toward Jesus. Stay in His Word. Walk in the light you've been given. Keep turning toward the Son. Keep your lamp burning. The Bridegroom is coming. Make yourself ready. Primary Scriptures: Matthew 24:32–51; Matthew 25:1–13; Revelation 19; 1 John 1–2 That distinction between fear and expectation is worth preserving in the description. Early in the sermon Pastor says preparation for Christ's return should not put the believer in a position of fear, but “a position of expectation”—like a bride looking forward to seeing her groom

In Acts Session 5, Pastor Matthew Robbins continues through Acts 6 and into Acts 7, where we meet Stephen—a man whose life demonstrates what God can do through an ordinary believer who is completely available to Him. Stephen wasn't one of the original twelve apostles. He was selected to help meet a practical need in the growing church. Yet Scripture describes him as a man full of faith, the Holy Spirit, wisdom, and power. His life reminds us that there are no insignificant assignments in the Kingdom of God. Whatever role we have, we should be filled with the Spirit, grounded in God's Word, and ready to share the Gospel when God opens the door. As Stephen's influence grows, so does the opposition. False witnesses rise against him and he is brought before the council. But instead of backing down, Stephen uses the very situation meant to silence him as an opportunity to proclaim God's truth. Sometimes our greatest platform is in our greatest pain. The enemy cannot stop the Word of God. His strategy is to pressure, distract, discourage, or convince us to back away from what God has said. Our responsibility is to connect our faith to God's Word and refuse to let go. Stephen then walks his listeners through the history of God's faithfulness—from Abraham to Joseph and Moses—showing how God repeatedly works through people who remain faithful even when circumstances seem completely different from what they expected. Joseph was betrayed, sold, falsely accused, and imprisoned, yet remained faithful. Moses failed, ran away, and spent years in the wilderness, yet God continued working in his life. And Stephen himself demonstrates the same principle: God is looking for faithful men and women. This session challenges us not to measure God's faithfulness by our present circumstances. We don't control nearly as much as we think we do. Instead, we are called to trust God, follow the leading of the Holy Spirit, stay anchored to His Word, and remain faithful wherever He has placed us. The enemy can't stop God's Word—but he will try to convince you to back away from it. Don't back off. Stay faithful. Primary Scripture: Acts 6–7 That “ordinary believer” angle is important. Pastor points out that Stephen wasn't one of the original apostles, yet God used him in remarkable ways, followed by the challenge: “You can have as much of God as you want. It's up to you.”

As Pastor Matthew Robbins concludes 1 Peter, Peter gives believers practical instructions for living faithfully: lead by example, walk in humility, submit to God, cast your cares upon Him, remain spiritually alert, resist the enemy, and stand firm through suffering. But in this session, one challenge rises above the others: develop a real relationship with God through prayer. Peter tells us to cast all our cares upon God because He cares for us. Instead of carrying worry, fear, disappointment, and pressure ourselves, we are invited to bring those things honestly into God's presence. Using the Tabernacle Prayer Journey, Pastor walks through prayer as more than simply giving God a list of requests. Prayer begins with thanksgiving and praise, includes repentance and the renewing of our minds through God's Word, welcomes the work of the Holy Spirit, and creates a place of genuine fellowship with God. Prayer is relational. Sometimes we need to stop talking, wait on God, and give Him the opportunity to speak into our lives. Our goal isn't merely to say that we prayed; it's to know Him, hear Him, and allow His will to become greater than our own. “Get yourself a prayer life.” What could happen in our families, our church, and our own spiritual lives if we refused to let anything continually interfere with our time with God? Peter also reminds us to be sober and vigilant because our adversary walks about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. Yet believers aren't called to run from the enemy. We are told to submit to God, resist the devil, and stand steadfast in faith. And when suffering comes, it doesn't have to destroy us. Peter says that after we have suffered for a while, God can perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle us. The session closes by looking at Peter and Cornelius in Acts 10. Both men were praying, and God gave remarkably specific direction. Their story becomes another reminder that prayer isn't simply a religious obligation—it is relationship with a God who desires to lead His people. Nothing should continually take the place of our God time. Develop a prayer life. Cast your cares on Him. Listen for His voice. Resist the enemy. And keep standing in faith. Primary Scripture: 1 Peter 5 Supporting Scriptures: James 4:6–8 • Acts 10 • Romans 8:28 • Psalm 37 That accurately follows the session's progression. Pastor specifically connects prayer with casting our cares on God and walking in peace.  He then makes the prayer-life challenge especially strong, asking what would happen in a family or ministry if believers protected their daily time with God.

The Last Generation — As It Was in the Days of Noah Jesus said the days surrounding His return would resemble the days of Noah. In this message, Pastor Matthew Robbins traces Noah throughout Scripture—from Genesis and the Flood to the teachings of Jesus, Hebrews, and Peter—to show why Noah's generation still speaks powerfully to ours. The Flood reminds us that God's warnings should be taken seriously, judgment is real, and yet God is extraordinarily patient and merciful, giving people an opportunity to turn to Him. But The Last Generation is ultimately a message about how Christians should live. Are we being distracted by a temporary world? Does Jesus truly govern our lives as King? Will we believe God's Word even when the culture moves in the opposite direction? And if God has placed us in this generation for a purpose, will we faithfully stand for Him? Peter's question becomes our challenge: “What manner of persons ought you to be?” This message calls believers to live with holiness, godliness, faith and urgency—recognizing that the greatest thing at stake isn't what we accumulate in this life, but the eternal souls of people around us. The message concludes with the hope of the Gospel: Jesus Christ died in our place, rose from the dead, and offers salvation to everyone who will receive Him.

Faith That Walks It Out — 1 Peter 4 Real faith is more than knowing what God's Word says. Real faith acts on it. Continuing through 1 Peter, Pastor Matthew Robbins explores Peter's instructions to Christians living under pressure and persecution. Peter tells believers to arm themselves with the mind of Christ and stop living simply for the desires of this world. Our lives have a greater purpose: We were designed to do the will of God. God has given each of us talents, opportunities, gifts and a unique circle of influence—not simply to build our own lives, but to glorify Jesus and point others toward Him. The study then moves into Hebrews 4, where Scripture describes people who heard God's Word but received no benefit from it because the Word wasn't mixed with faith. That's where Pastor gives one of the central truths of this session: Real faith receives God's Word, brings our thinking into agreement with it, and walks it out. Peter also warns believers not to consider fiery trials strange. Hardship doesn't automatically mean we're outside God's will. Sometimes suffering strengthens us, turns our attention away from the temporary things of this world, and draws us into deeper dependence upon Christ. The enemy cannot stop God's Word, so his strategy is to persuade us to back away from it. Will we continue believing and obeying when circumstances challenge what God has said? Pastor also challenges us to look at the people God has placed around us. You have a circle of influence nobody else has. What are you doing with it? You don't need a pulpit. You don't need a platform. You simply need to faithfully do what God has given you to do—and make sure Jesus receives the glory. Peter finally tells those suffering according to God's will to commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue doing good. “Don't bail just because times get tough.”

WITHOUT WARNING — Are You Ready? What if you knew an important test was coming—but you didn't know when? That's the picture at the heart of Without Warning. Jesus tells His disciples in Luke 17 that the days surrounding His return will resemble the days of Noah and Lot. People will continue with ordinary life—eating, drinking, marrying, buying, selling, planting and building—until suddenly the moment arrives. There will be warnings. But there will be no final warning. In this message, Pastor Matthew Robbins challenges us to examine whether Jesus is truly King of our lives. We readily embrace Jesus as the High Priest who helps us, heals us and meets our needs. But a king does something else: The King tells us what to do. If Jesus is Lord, He has authority over our priorities, relationships, decisions, finances and direction. Pastor then takes us back to Noah, who continued obeying God despite living in a corrupt culture and despite years of apparent rejection. From Noah we move to Lot, Sodom and Gomorrah, Abraham's intercession, and Lot's wife—whose body escaped Sodom while her heart was still looking back. The message is simple: Don't keep looking backward while God is calling you forward. Don't return to what Jesus brought you out of, but don't remain trapped by regret either. Keep following Christ. We're also challenged to consider what we're handing to the next generation. Education and financial success matter, but they are not the most important inheritance we can leave our children and grandchildren. Faith must be handed forward. Pastor then turns to 1 Thessalonians 5, where Paul says the Day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. Believers shouldn't live frightened—but we should live awake, watchful and prepared. The sermon closes with Jesus' parable of the ten virgins. They looked alike. They were waiting in the same place. They were expecting the same bridegroom. But only half were ready when he came. That leaves each of us with two questions: Are you ready? And if your answer is yes: Who are you helping get ready? There may be no final warning when Jesus returns. But God has already given us the warnings we need in His Word. Know it. Believe it. Live it. And follow Jesus.

We Ought to Obey God Rather Than Men — Acts Session 4 In Session 4 of our journey through Acts, the early Church begins facing serious opposition. Peter and John are arrested and brought before the religious authorities because they continue preaching Jesus Christ and His resurrection. Yet instead of retreating, they become even bolder. These were ordinary men, but their lives carried extraordinary evidence of God's power. Their opponents recognized something about them: They had been with Jesus. That gives us an important question: Can people tell that we've been with Jesus? Peter refuses to take credit for the healing that has occurred. The glory belongs to Jesus. The pastor reminds us: It's not the church. It's not the preacher. It's not the ministry. It's Jesus. The entire purpose of sharing the Gospel is ultimately to bring people to salvation through Christ. When the authorities command Peter and John to stop preaching Jesus, they refuse. They cannot stop speaking about what they have seen and heard. After being released, they gather with the Church and pray—but they don't ask God to remove the opposition. They ask Him for boldness. God answers by filling them again with the Holy Spirit. This time, the pastor points out, the evidence of that filling wasn't tongues: It was boldness.

Live Like You've Been With Jesus — 1 Peter Session 4 What does Christianity look like when it moves beyond a church service and becomes the way we actually live? In Session 4 of our study through 1 Peter, we move into chapter 3, where Peter gives practical instruction for the Christian home and for everyday Christian living. Peter begins with marriage, challenging wives and husbands to recognize the tremendous influence of godly conduct, honor, understanding, and putting God first. The principle reaches far beyond marriage: Our lives should make people want what we have in Christ. The pastor challenges us to ask: What can I do to bring the best out of the people around me? Peter then broadens his instruction to the entire church. Christians should be compassionate, tenderhearted and courteous. Rather than returning evil for evil, we're called to respond with blessing. That produces one of the central principles of this study: We are actors—not reactors. A follower of Jesus shouldn't wait to see how someone else behaves before deciding how to respond. We learn God's Word, prepare our hearts, and determine beforehand that we're going to act like Christ. Because: “Christian is not a label. It's a lifestyle.”

Fear may challenge your faith, but it doesn't have to control your life. Stop allowing what you see to have greater authority than what God has said, trust that He is with you, and move forward in obedience. There's also a nice connection to the pastor's statement from the “I AM THE RESURRECTION” sermon: “It's never about His power. It's always about His purpose.” “We will live under the lordship of what we see, or we will live under the lordship of God's Word.” “Just because you're battling doesn't mean you're losing.” “The devil can't stop God's Word. The only recourse the enemy has is to get us to back off.”

In Session 3 of our study through Acts, we pick up following the incredible events of Pentecost. Peter has preached the Gospel, the Holy Spirit has been poured out, and approximately 3,000 people receive the Word and are added to the believers. The study then takes us back to Exodus 32 and the golden calf, where Israel became impatient while Moses was on Mount Sinai. Rather than trusting God's timing, they decided to take matters into their own hands. The comparison produces one of the strongest observations of the session: When the law came, 3,000 people died. When the Holy Spirit came, 3,000 people were saved. The letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. 20261001 - LWWC - Acts - Sessio… Back in Acts, we see what happened next. The early believers devoted themselves to teaching, fellowship, breaking bread, prayer, worship, generosity, and life together. They were willing to sacrifice for the Kingdom because they understood that material possessions are temporary, while what we invest in God's Kingdom and in people has eternal value. 20261001 - LWWC - Acts - Sessio… 20261001 - LWWC - Acts - Sessio… Acts 3 then takes Peter and John to the temple, where they encounter a man who had been lame from birth. The man was looking for money. God had something greater for him. Peter tells him, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you,” and in the name of Jesus Christ tells him to rise and walk. The man is healed and enters the temple walking, leaping, and praising God. When the crowd turns its attention toward Peter and John, they refuse the glory. Peter makes it clear that this miracle did not happen through their own power or godliness. Jesus gets the credit. The pastor summarizes the principle beautifully: We don't have great men and women of God. We have a great God who uses common men and women. 20261001 - LWWC - Acts - Sessio… Peter then uses the miracle to point people beyond physical healing to their greatest spiritual need: forgiveness of sin through Jesus Christ. “Repent therefore and be converted” isn't a message of condemnation. It's an invitation to freedom because repentance brings refreshing. Whatever we've done and wherever we've failed, through Christ we have access to God. We can confess our sins, receive forgiveness, and be cleansed

What does it look like to truly follow Jesus when doing so becomes difficult? In Session 3 of our study through 1 Peter, we continue in chapter 2 and discover that the Christian life is not simply about escaping hardship. Peter was writing to believers who were scattered and suffering, yet rather than telling them to run from difficulty, he reminded them who they were: a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, and God's own special people. Their lives were to proclaim the One who had called them out of darkness and into His marvelous light.  This study challenges the way we often define victory. Hebrews 11 describes some believers who conquered kingdoms, escaped the sword, and witnessed miraculous deliverance. But it also describes faithful people who suffered, were imprisoned, persecuted, and even killed. Both groups were victorious. Why? Because God's power was never in question—His purpose was what mattered. Stephen demonstrates this kind of surrendered life. Even while being stoned, he asked God not to hold the sin against those killing him. How could someone respond that way? The message points us toward a challenging answer: Stephen had already died to himself. He had surrendered his life completely to Christ

When many of Jesus’ followers turned away because His teaching became difficult, Jesus asked the Twelve, “Do you also want to go away?” Peter responded, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” That confession becomes the heart of this message. There comes a point in every believer’s journey when Christianity moves beyond simply knowing about Jesus. We come to understand that there truly is nowhere else to go. Our strength, accomplishments, plans, religion, and the things of this world cannot give us what only Christ can provide. Beginning in John 6, Pastor Matthew Robbins examines Jesus as the Bread of Life and the difference between seeing life only through the natural and learning to understand spiritual truth. When some disciples refuse to go further with Jesus, Peter chooses to remain. Mature faith learns to endure even when following Christ becomes difficult. 20251005 - Sunday Morning Servi… The message then moves to John 11 and the death of Lazarus. Martha believed in a future resurrection, but Jesus brought her to something greater: “I am the resurrection and the life.” The resurrection is not merely an event or doctrine—it is inseparably connected to the person of Jesus Christ. That leads to the central claim of the sermon: Jesus is not simply another good or wise religious teacher. He declared Himself to be the Way, the Truth, the Life, and the only way to the Father. He predicted His death and resurrection, gave His life for our sin, and rose from the grave. 20251005 - Sunday Morning Servi… Finally, Philippians 3 brings the message home. Paul counted everything else as loss compared with knowing Christ. Our earthly assignments and seasons will change, but the Christian’s lifelong calling remains: To know Him. This message challenges us to stop keeping part of ourselves in reserve, press forward in Christ, and reach the place Peter reached: “Lord, where else can we go?”       Jesus is the only way, Jesus Christ sermon, John 14:6, nowhere else to go, where else can we go, John 6 Bible study, Bread of Life, words of eternal life, resurrection of Jesus, Jesus resurrection sermon, Lazarus resurrection, John 11 sermon, I am the resurrection and the life, Philippians 3, that I may know Him, power of His resurrection, eternal life, Christian sermon, Sunday morning sermon, Gospel message, salvation through Jesus, knowing Christ, Pastor Matthew Robbins, Living Water

The same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead is inside of you. What does that mean?  The power that brought Christ out of the grave is not merely something Christians admire historically. That Spirit now dwells in the believer. “If we ever get the full revelation of that, Satan's in trouble.”