Acts: Best Practices of the Apostles

Your Damascus Road Experience
June 26th, 2011

What do we do when God calls us to nowhere? 

Did you know that Paul was saved for you? That's what Paul says. His point: His conversion is recorded so that we can see how God, by His sovereign intervenng grace, brings people to Himself. So, in some ways, anyone who knows Jesus has had a Damascus Road experience.



Go to the Road to Nowhere
June 19th, 2011

What do we do when God calls us to nowhere? 

This week we examine Philip's remarkable call from a revival to a desert… the results of his obedience are remarkable. The lessons we learn from his life are application-ready and guarenteed to change your life from predictable and boring to an adventure. 


The Warning of Simon

Is there a type of belief in God that leaves us far from Him and unredeemed? 


Simon's life is Luke's warning that not all belief saves us.



Pilgrims or Settlers?

This week we will look at Stephen 'the pilgrim.' Pilgrims are on a long journy toward a sacred reward. There is great power in pilgrimage. In fact, there is no power without it. The important question is, "Are you a pilgrim or a settler?"


Defeating Death
May 22th, 2011
There is probably no more primary question than, "What will happenn when I die?" Luke documents Stephen's death to convey to those placing their faith in Jesus Christ what we can anticipate in those moments when we stop breathing. What we learn reveals those in Christ have everything to look forward to, and nothing to fear.

The First Martyr
May 15th, 2011
Martyrdom. This year thousands will die around the world for standing with Jesus. The first to die representing Jesus was Stephen. What was it in his message that so enraged his hearers that they stoned him to death? Remarkably, we are all either becoming more like Stephen, or more like those in the mob that took his life. How about you?

Who's Counting
May 8th, 2011
Growth has its pains. Even with God-granted Spirit-stimulated growth comes a variety of temptations, problems, and challenges. In Acts 6 the Apostle engage the challenges of growth, while also maintaining the bulls-eye of the mission. What a timely lesson for Two Rivers Church!

Distinctives of the Kingdom Community

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Is their a standard for what a community of Christ-followers is to look like? If there is, it is found in the Book of Acts. This week we will consider three distinctive qualities of Kingdom Community.


Honoring God's Presence

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We have all been in churches where God is powerfully present, and other churches where, like Elvis, it seems God "has left the building." Today we look at the church discipline and dealing defiance within the body.


Today? Why Not?
Living with a Sense of Presence, Listening and Communicating with the Father, Learning to present the Gospel confidently, and Loving Sacrificially are possible for every believer. We see how to do those things today.


Healing Prayer

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In Acts chapter 3, God uses Peter and John to heal a crippled man. Do you believe this type of thing still happens today? And if so, what is our response? How do we participate in this aspect of what God is doing in the world?


Cultivating An Attentive Life

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Learning to hear and respond to the Holy Spirit is at the center of being people who introduce others to the nearness and power of God.

In Acts 3 we see the first of many moments when the Holy Spirit spoke to His people to show His nearness and power.


Tools Not Toys 

February 27th, 2011

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"Why am I not experiencing more of God's working in my life?" This is a question that many of you have asked.


Distinctives of a Spirit Filled Community 

February 20th, 2011

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In Acts 2:41-47 we see a foundational quality and four devoted practices that resulted in a community God gives us to model ourselves after. Listen and ask yourself, "Are those qualities alive in me?"


God's Spirit In Us

February 13th, 2011

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Their is a promise given to every person who receives Jesus as their Savior. But sadly, many who are recipients of this remarkable gift live unaware of their blessing, and as a result, miss God's guidance, encouragement, and power. What is this gift? Watch and find out!


Knowing God's Story to Know Ourselves

February 6th, 2011

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We instinctively know, to deepen a relationship, we must know one another's stories. God knows this too… He knows everything. So He instituted special days for the retelling of His story with His people. One of these big days is called Pentecost. The first Pentecost happened around 1513 BC. This big day reveals a lot about God. And if we want to understand the day of Pentecost recorded in Acts 2, we must know about this first big day. Listen in. When God's story intersects with yours you will be changed forever.

Why We Were Given the Holy Spirit

January 23rd, 2011

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Have you ever asked why God's plan includes filling you with His Spirit?

 

Is it so you can be comforted and assured of our salvation?

Is it so you can receive guidance and make better choices?

What if its this and so… So much more?

 

This week we will ask why God has given us His Spirit… And why many are not realizing the fullness purpose and power of of His plan.


Four Practices for an Empowered Life
January 16th, 2011
Brad Brinson

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What if the Book of Acts isn't just a history of what God has done in the past, but is a promise of how He wants to work in the present?


About the Author
January 9th, 2011
Brad Brinson

Have you ever asked yourself, “What does the normal Christian life look like?”


What if the ‘The Practices of the Apostles’, or more popularly known, ‘The Book of Acts’, is given to us as a picture of how God’s people function when alive to His Spirit?

In the coming weeks, we will not only read the Book of Acts together, we will invite the Book of Acts to ‘read us’... To shine a light on how we live providing new insight for a new ‘normal’.