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We bring our time in the book of Acts to a close! So, what is Acts all about? If you still aren’t sure, or you are recently joining us, we are going to make sure we understand the overall message of this book.However, from this we will also see that what God did in Acts, he continues to do in the Spirit-empowered witness of the Church. Every generation of Christians is given the same Spirit, the same message, and the same mission.

Of the many challenges we face in living on mission from Christ, one of the most difficult is the challenge to keep going. Let’s just be honest, it isn’t easy to persevere in the task of faithful witness to Christ.But though there are many sources of discouragement, we are reminded from the concluding words of Acts that the mission must continue. Paul’s arrival in Rome concludes the book of Acts in a way that we might not expect, but it does show us that the gospel continues to go forth unhindered, even today.

What do you do when the way forward isn’t clear? In Acts 27, the apostle Paul finds himself caught in a violent storm, surrounded by people who have lost all hope, on a ship that is literally falling apart. Yet behind the chaos, something much bigger is happening. This Sunday, we’ll follow Paul into the storm and discover what Acts 27 teaches us about God, His purpose, and how we live when we can’t see what comes next.

In Paul’s final legal defense we are reminded that we too are brought into participation in Christ’s mission for the world. We have the exciting opportunity to see Christ’s power on display as we bear witness to him.We should consider this to be the adventure of our lives! However, let’s admit that we often struggle to take part in this adventure of faithful witness. Could it be because we struggle to see the glory and the excitement inherent to it? Consider this as you read and pray before our time together.

This week Paul is once again on trial, but now before the Roman governor. Despite what it may seem, despite what his accusers say, he makes clear that he is really on trial for his hope in the resurrection. Do you realize that hope makes all the difference in the call of faithful witness to Christ? It's the message that Paul proclaimed boldly and it's what gave him strength to endure.

This week we find that Paul is now in the custody of the Roman authorities who pulled him out of a life-threatening mob at the temple. By no means does this mean that he is far from potential harm.  That said, we see God (in His sovereignty) bringing deliverance in ways unique to Paul’s circumstance that speak powerfully to us today of a great purpose behind his and our deliverance.  As you prepare today to hear God’s word, wrestle with the question; ‘for what purpose have I been saved?’

This Sunday we return to the book of Acts. As we have observed throughout our study, we see again the call and the cost of bearing witness to Jesus. We read how Paul was falsely accused of bringing a Gentile into the temple and nearly killed by an angry mob. Then, by the end of our passage this week, he is arrested and taken into Roman custody, beginning a lengthy season of imprisonment.The question for us is challenging yet simple: do we view our trials for Christ as mere hindrances or as opportunities? Our desire should be that we consider our trials opportunities for faithful witness to the power of the gospel. As you read the sermon text, pray to that end, that we too would value more highly our opportunities to bear witness to Christ.

This Sunday we come to the end of Book 1 of the Psalms. In Psalm 41, David writes in reflection on period of sickness that nearly ended his life. Although his enemies wished him dead, his deliverance from this illness once again gives him confidence in the promises of God.As you prepare for tomorrow, read Psalms 1 and 2 alongside Psalm 41, as the truths in each complement one another. Spend some time in meditation on the promises of God in Christ. And pray that our hearts would be stirred by the joy of the Lord’s grace and blessings toward us.

Life is full of waiting; it’s unavoidable. But Christians do not just wait for circumstances to change, we wait on the Lord himself. In fact, waiting on the Lord is the posture of the entire Christian life. So then how can we learn to not waste our waiting? How do we wait well?Psalm 40 contains David’s testimony of worship for how the Lord delivered him. But what God has done for David has far-reaching implications for God’s people. Because we too are waiting for our ultimate deliverance, and the king’s deliverance bolsters our trust that we too will be delivered.As you read Psalm 40, consider and pray through what you are waiting on God to do for you. Meditate on how what God has done through Christ in the past helps you to trust what God will do through him in the future.

We know life is short, but we often live as though we have all the time in the world. We put off obedience, spend ourselves on things that will not last, and assume there will always be another season to get serious about what matters most.In Psalm 39, David is forced to face just how brief and fragile life really is. And it leaves us with an important question: If our lives are only a vapour, how do we make sure we don’t waste them?As you prepare for worship, take some time to read and meditate on Psalm 39. Ask the Lord to help you see the brevity of your life clearly and to show you where you may be living as though you have more time than you do.Join us as we look at Psalm 39 and consider what it means to live a brief life faithfully

This penitential Psalm has David in the dark and heavy throws of repentance. God has struck him down with deep sorrow and conviction over his sin and he is rendered helpless because of it; knowing that that same God is the only one who can remove sins’ burden and bring relief to his tortured soul. In the 22 verses of David’s cry we see the marks of true repentance and have opportunity to ask a few questions. Questions like; ‘what does repentance look like in my life? And, what is God’s intended goal of the guilt and godly sorrow that should come with it? Join us for worship this Sunday to learn the answers to these questions and much more!

Psalm 37 is a complex passage with a really simple message. Remain faithful while you wait. But the Lord knows that it is difficult for us to do so in a world where the wicked seem to prosper and the righteous so often suffer.So where do we find the strength to endure? How are we called to remain faithful in the waiting? The answer is found in seeing what God has promised he will do.

How you see determines how you will live.We hope you will join us for worship this Sunday.

Psalm 35 is one of those passages of Scripture that likely upsets our sensibilities. We wonder how some of these prayers square with what Jesus tells us. My hope is that we will come away understanding how Christians can faithfully pray these justice-seeking prayers.David’s prayer in Psalm 35 provides a blueprint and model for how we too can pray for God to fight on our behalf. As you read and pray, also meditate on how we need the Lord to bring justice and to halt the advance of evil in this world. Pray that he would do just that. Hope to see you at our gathering.

God Hears, God Saves Psalm 34 is one of the rare Psalms that gives us the context from which the Psalm arises. Not only is the text a testimony to the goodness of God and His saving work; but it also teaches us how to navigate frightful circumstances. What does it look like to seek the Lord in fear-filled moments? How does He minister in those times? And how is it possible that the fear of the Lord is key to navigating through them? But, just as we start to think that we may have a neat and tidy list of things to work at in order to be righteous in fearful situations, we find there is a tension that tells us otherwise. A tension that leads us to worship God and boast in Him alone.