In an account that sounds like a story from some great novel we read 44 action packed verses about the story of the fated ship Paul is sailing and which is finally wrecked on a reef on Malta. In the story we read this storm was huge and went on for days and days. Men were afraid for their lives yet through it all Paul knew he was going to live because an Angel of the Lord had told him he was going to face Caesar. Can you imagine, however, how hard that must have been to continue to believe with the creaking and groaning timbers of the boat straining to hold together as the waves and wind assaulted them and huge waves constantly tried to capsize them? As seasoned sailors fought to keep the ship afloat, fear filling their eyes?
We have all heard the metaphor of the 'storms of life.' Similar to the actual storm Paul endured, these storms can go on for days, weeks and sometimes months and years. Long periods of times where waves and strong winds seem to be trying to destroy us. In this message we will examine the Bible to see how we can be like Paul and have the confidence to weather these 'storms of life' regardless of how long or frightening they may be.

Most Christians will tell you they want to obey the will of God.  We love to say, "I want to do what God wants me to do."  It sounds good doesn't it?  The problem is most of us say that phrase with two fingers crossed behind our backs.  In this account in Acts Paul get some bad news from a prophet about what fate awaited him in Jerusalem.  In the face of much pleading by his fellow travelers and believers for him to not keep his plans to go to Jerusalem he decided to go regardless of the danger.  Luke ends the story by saying those who were trying to get Paul not to go gave up trying to persuade him by simply stating, "The will of the Lord be done!"  It was a statement that they identified that it was God's will that Paul go to Jerusalem and they yielded to that will.  In this message we will examine the concept of yielding to the will of God through faithful obedience and trust.

Paul sent for the elders of the church at Ephesus to say goodbye to them, encourage them and charge them as shepherds since he knew his time was approaching the end. He gave them instructions as overseers of the flock. Paul also reminded them that he has not hesitated to teach publicly (in the temple and temple colonnade) and from house to house. We are passionate about both arenas as well, especially our Life Groups at CWP. We are not a church with life groups; we are a church of life groups…It’s how we do church!  Real discipleship and life change happens in these smaller gatherings. Our vision for every Life Group is to have three dimensions. We will look at those three together.

In Ephesus, Paul asked some disciples, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed (or translated, after you believed)?” Every Christian born of the Spirit “has” the Holy Spirit.  Nevertheless, there is a second general experience with the Holy Spirit, the “Baptism of the Holy Spirit” which is not simultaneous with birth in the Spirit but subsequent to it.  Paul placed his hands on them and they received the baptism of the Holy Spirit (#6 of 6 occurrences in the book of Acts). We will take a look at what the Spirit’s baptism provides for a believer. For two years Paul spoke and it says, “so that all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord.” God did extraordinary miracles through Paul; handkerchiefs and aprons that touched him were brought to the sick and they were made well and evil spirits left them!

The Apostle Paul ministered to the Areopagus in Athens in a powerful way. He used what they were already familiar with; pointing to inscriptions on objects of their idol worship and quoting their own poets. This he did to springboard proclamation of the gospel and introduction of THE one true God. Similarly, Jesus pointed to various objects or people that they could see to convey His intended message (such as a tree, birds, grass; a profession or pointing to an individual who gave all they had). These starting points, just as Paul had utilized in our passage from Acts 17; gave Jesus context with people. God enables us to use what people are familiar with to create a launch pad for God’s story in their life! Are you using what you already have?

After having been stripped, beaten, severely flogged, Paul and Silas were thrown into prison. There they were in an inner cell, their feet fastened in stocks, guarded carefully. The passage says, “About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.” At their “midnight hour,” their darkest, bloodiest, hardest, time; they prayed and they sang to God! They could have been angry at Him; after all, doing “His ministry” is what caused all of the persecution they were enduring! Instead, they experienced joy and comfort. What’s more, they encountered freedom! We will look at facing our “midnight hours” with the joy of the Lord and how we too can experience breakthroughs!

When disagreements between the disciples of Jesus Christ happen (and they will) there are two distinct outcomes: Either God will be glorified or God will be shamed.  In this account of the dispute between Paul and Barnabas we see God's purpose come out of what appears on the surface to be a bad situation.  In this message we will examine Christian conflict and how, when handled in a Godly way, can bring glory to God.

The strengthening of disciples and the encouragement to stay true to the faith, going into all the world, as well as building local churches; necessitates the appointing of leaders. These leaders, which we will primarily look at are elders, are always plural in Scripture. Elders have the God-given task of caring for the souls given under their care. We will look at the role those have to whom God has called to lead. We will also challenge, ordain, and pray over several local leaders commissioning them and releasing them into their gospel calling.

Paul and Barnabas proclaimed the good news of Jesus, urged the people to continue in the grace of God, and gathered the whole city together to hear the word of the Lord. The Jews rejected it and Paul announced that they now will turn to the Gentiles.  Verse 48 says, “When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord.” How did they “honor” the Word? How do we? Do our lives and our choices show honor or dishonor to God’s Word?

"But Elymas the sorcerer (for that is what his name means) opposed them and tried to turn the proconsul from the faith."  This account in the book of Acts finds Paul, Barnabas and John in a city called Seleucia and faced with direct opposition to the gospel.  How did Paul respond?  He responded with boldness and authority but all which was provided by the Holy Spirit within him.  How do we approach the challenges to the gospel?  Do we back away or do we stand firm?  In this message we will explore how God wishes us to respond when what we believe is challenged.

The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy him forever! In our text, Herod, wearing his royal robes, sitting on his throne, and being called a god by the people was struck down by the Lord for not giving praise to God. Our lives self-destruct when we take for our glory, that which is due Him. On this Palm Sunday we will also look at the triumphant entry of Jesus to the praises of “Hosanna, Hosanna!”. Praises that were short-lived. Are we praising Him continually or have ours had an expiration date also?

Grace is the whole of God’s activity toward man. This is unearned and unmerited by man. He cannot achieve a higher status with God, nor can he earn this divine transformation. However, as we talked about last week; ‘grace’ is the divine influence upon the heart, AND it’s reflection in the life of man that grace is bestowed upon. When Barnabas arrived in Antioch he “saw the evidence of the grace of God.” How do we reconcile that grace is imparted through faith and not works, yet we were “created for good works” and that “we would know them by their fruits”? There is a divine tension between God’s part and our part. Finding the right balance is the difference between legalism and “sloppy agape” lawlessness.

God's word has much to say about what kind of food He intended us to eat.  From Genesis through Paul's writings, we see evidence that God cares about how we care for our body.  Follow along as we discuss a Biblical view of diet and nutrition.