What is stopping you from stepping into the good works God has already prepared for you?

Stephen continues our series in Acts, diving into Acts 16 to explore what it means to live a life of adventurous, everyday obedience. Looking at the life of Paul and his team, we see that stepping into God’s purposes often requires us to let go of our own control, embrace unexpected detours, and press through opposition. Stephen tackles five common excuses that hold us back—from placing our personal comfort over God's call, to feeling like we simply aren't enough. We are challenged to stop waiting for the perfect map, let Jesus direct our plans, and trust Him to work power through our ordinary, daily obedience.

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In this message, Meg explores Acts 15, showing that salvation is a gift of grace through faith in Jesus—not a legalistic set of rules we must assemble. Addressing the dispute over Gentile converts, she highlights three essential principles for living out the gospel in a diverse church:

• Choose the gospel over culture: Distinguish core biblical truths from personal preferences or traditions, keeping grace at the center.
• Choose unity over freedoms: Voluntarily yield personal rights out of love to preserve fellowship across different backgrounds.
• Choose Scripture and the Spirit over trends: Rely on God’s Word and guidance to guard against legalism and subtle distractions.

Ultimately, salvation depends entirely on grace, and true Christian unity comes from resting in Jesus rather than enforcing rigid conformity.

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In this message, Steve explores Acts 13 and 14, focusing on the reality that for Christians, faith is often lived out under fire. Drawing from the missionary journey of Paul and Barnabas, he explains that opposition—whether through spiritual attack, relational disappointment, or physical persecution—is a normal part of the Christian life, not a sign of failure. To remain faithful when facing such challenges, Steve highlights three essential practices:

- Stay close to the Holy Spirit: Build your relationship with God before the pressure arrives, relying on His presence and power rather than your own strength (25:32-28:26).

- Don't confuse difficulty with failure: Understand that hardship does not mean you have missed God's will; even when followers of Jesus face deep struggles, God's kingdom continues to advance (28:27-31:59).

- Keep your eyes on Jesus, not the crowd: Do not let your faith or mission rise and fall with public approval, as crowds are unstable; stay focused on the unchanging nature of Christ (32:00-34:47).

Ultimately, while we must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God, we do not walk this path alone. Our strength, forgiveness, and hope are found in Jesus, who has already overcome the world.

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How do we handle the moments in life when we run out of resources and feel like we’re hitting a wall?

In this message, guest speaker Terry Virgo walks us through the first sign of Jesus in John 2 — the wedding at Cana. When the celebration ran out of wine, a seemingly small problem that carried the weight of social shame, Jesus stepped in not just to fix the immediate need, but to demonstrate His lordship over every situation.

Through this story, we are reminded that Jesus is not just a distant savior, but a God who delights in our joy and affirms the beauty of covenant relationships. We are challenged to move beyond using Jesus for our own agendas and instead embrace a life of total surrender—learning to say, "Whatever He says to you, do it." As we yield control, we discover that God doesn't shrink our lives; He fills them with His abundant grace, provision, and transformation.

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In Acts 12, Christopher explores how to navigate crisis through the lens of Peter's miraculous rescue. Rather than relying on their own strength, the church demonstrates that breakthroughs come through these five practices:

- Ask for prayer: Don't bear heavy burdens alone (11:43-14:44).

- Trust in God: Like Peter sleeping in prison, we can trade anxiety for peace (14:45-17:55).

- Obey: Take small, faithful steps forward even when weak (17:56-21:56).

- Expect answers: Don't rationalize God's work; stay ready to celebrate His intervention (21:57-28:39).

- Humble yourself: Trust God's sovereign plan, even when outcomes differ from our prayers (28:40-38:05).

Ultimately, our hope rests in the work of Jesus, not our circumstances.

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What does it take to build a community where everyone truly feels like they belong, and no one is left feeling like an outsider?

Steve continues our series by diving into Acts 10 - a pivotal moment where God radically upends human expectations and shatters long-standing cultural barriers. Through the encounter between Peter and Cornelius, we see that the gospel isn't meant to be confined to our familiar comforts; it is a message meant for all nations. As a church, our approach is this: We will love and serve all the people God puts in front of us.

To live this out, we are challenged to move past our comfort zones and instead walk in active humility, awareness, and faith. Steve encourages us to look up, step across the room, build new bridges, and intentionally protect the beautiful, diverse unity that Jesus already won for us on the cross.

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