Coastal Church Podcast

<p>The Book of Acts is a book of miracles - God’s power in action. To act means to do something, to carry out, to move, behave, or exert power, and that is exactly what we see in today’s message in Acts chapter 12.</p>

<p>In the Bible, one Mother stands out for leaving a legacy of extraordinary courage and unwavering faith. Her name is Jochebed, the mother of Moses, who had just a few short years with her son, yet the impact she left is still felt today. In the face of Pharaoh’s ruthless decree condemning Hebrew male infants to death, Jochebed defied the tyrannical order and entrusted her son’s fate to the hands of God. Her life still speaks today as a testament to the power of a mother’s love and faith that can shape a nation.</p>

<p>In Acts Chapter 11, the early church begins to see a clearer picture of God’s purpose for salvation. Not only was the gospel of Christ for every nation, whether Jew or Gentile, but God’s plan included bringing every nation, tongue and tribe together in Christ.</p>

<p>Cornelius was a Roman Centurion who got God’s attention. <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+chronicles+16%3A9&version=NKJV" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">2 Chronicles 16:9</a> says “the eyes of the LORD search to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.” This week we explore the qualities of Cornelius from Acts Chapter 10.</p>

<p>The conversion process of the apostle Paul is one of the most significant events in the book of Acts. The chief persecutor of the church is converted to be a zealous follower of Jesus Christ.</p><p>Paul’s conversion follows the same basic process for everyone.</p>

<p>After the stoning of Stephen, great persecution arises in Jerusalem as believers are imprisoned and forced to flee the city. As a result, the good news of Jesus begins to spread everywhere they are scattered. In Samaria, Philip preaches with healings and miracles following and leads many to Christ while Peter and John pray for these new Christians to receive the Holy Spirit. Acts 8 shows us how the Holy Spirit helps the Church and what it takes for the Holy Spirit to move among us.</p>

<p>Acts chapter seven serves as a pivotal point for the spread of Christianity globally. Stephen, a member of the serve team in the early church is a great example of lay person who faithfully serves.</p><p>His influence leads to his defending his action by a powerful sermon, that highlights two crucial points: Israel’s historical resistance to God’s prophets and the inadequacy of the law to save due to its inability to transform hearts.</p>

<p>Every sermon preached by every Christian in the New Testament centers on the resurrection. The Gospel is essentially the good news of Christ’s resurrection. The news that flashed across the ancient world, that set hearts on fire, changed lives, and turned the world upside down was not “love your neighbor”. Everyone knew that was not news. The news was that a Man who claimed to be the Son of God, and the Saviour the world, had risen from the dead. Jesus’s resurrection has since impacted the lives of millions of people.</p>

<p>On Palm Sunday, the vision that Jesus had for the future was not what the people were looking for. We often have our own plan for God in our lives instead of submitting to Him and understanding what He sees for us.</p>

<p>In Acts chapter 6 we discover how the early growing church responded to division and the powerful solution of a serve team. When we all embrace our unique roles in God’s kingdom, whether teaching, giving, encouraging, or serving; this will foster unity and empower the healthy growth of the church.</p>

<p>The Gospel transformed the lives of the early church! This message reveals tragedy and failure in their midst and how this continues to speak to us today. His grace surpasses our shortcomings, and continues to fulfill His plan, sustaining us in the power of the Holy Spirit.</p>

<p>In turbulent times, characterized by uncertainty and upheaval, it’s easy to succumb to fear and anxiety. However, as believers, we’re reminded not to be governed by fear but to trust in God’s sovereignty and providence. Rather than letting fear dictate our actions, we are called to lean on God’s strength, knowing that He is in control and will guide us through all seasons of life.</p>

<p>Acts chapter 5 underscores the importance of integrity, perseverance, and bold proclamation in the growth of the early Christian church. Like the apostles, we can persevere through opposition by relying on the strength of our faith, maintaining our commitment to the Word of God, and trusting in God’s faithfulness through all circumstances! Join us in this message from Pastor Jachin Mullen.</p>

<p>Prayer is an indispensable key to the effectiveness of the Church and vital to the spiritual health of individual believers. We see in Acts 4 how prayer continues to guide and sustain the ministry life of the early church.</p><p>In Acts 4, the opposition “… ordered them not to preach or teach at all in the name of Jesus” (Acts 4:18) but they couldn’t “… stop speaking about what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:20).</p><p>Before we GO on God’s mission, we need to PRAY for God’s purpose, presence, and power.</p>

<p>To GO where God is calling us to as a church and individually is going to require faith. God does not call us to GO where we don’t need Him to succeed. As the early church prepares to fulfill the Great Commission given by Jesus, we see the power of faith in the first miracle in the Book of Acts. Through this incredible example of the power of faith, we learn how we too can walk by faith and reach the place God has called us to GO.</p>

<p>The spiritual, the supernatural, the life of faith seems crazy to the world, to the natural. Not all crazy is spiritual, but all spiritual can seem crazy to the unspiritual. This weekend, we look forward to a powerful message from our guest speaker Pastor Christian Akerhielm about The Right Kind of Crazy.</p>

<p>The early church understood in order to stay healthy and continue to reach out to the world around them, it was important to assemble in small groups. These meetings were more than just a gathering, rather it was an intentional assembling sharing spiritually and materially with each other.</p>

<p>The power of the Holy Spirit is not an end in itself but only a means toward the end of making disciples. In this message Pastor Dave Koop shares about the power of the church, its message and SHAPE.</p>

<p>Guest speaker Ake Carlson shares a message unveiling the great significance of The Name of Jesus. Names represent something and represent the person behind it. From the Old Testament to the New Testament, we see the Name of Christ being revealed to us and for us, so we can know Him personally and be full of His power to do His work!</p>

<p>This year as a church we will delve into an exploration of the responsibilities and expectations that Jesus places upon His church as seen in the book of Acts. In the first chapter we will see the proofs, promise, priorities, program, prospect, and prayer that sets up the divine mandate to “GO!”.</p>

<p>God is leading our church into a new chapter marked by a stronger emphasis on missions. As our church enters into its 30th year, we have reached a stage where God is compelling us to plant more churches, and to send more messengers into the mission field. The message of Christmas, God’s gift to us in His Son, must be shared and we can draw inspiration from the shepherds who, upon encountering the Christ-child, went on a mission to spread the Good News. “When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.” - Luke 2:17-18 NIV</p>

<p>Christmas itself has now far outstripped Easter in popular culture as the real celebratory center of the Christian year–a move that completely reverses the New Testament emphasis. We sometimes try, in hymns, prayers, and sermons, to build a whole theology on Christmas, but it can’t in fact sustain such a thing. Easter, however, should be the center. Take that away and there is, almost literally, nothing left.</p>

<p>For a gift to be complete it must be received. Christmas is all about God extending His gift to us. As Christians, Christmas is more than a nostalgic feeling, it is a time to reflect deeply on what God truly gave us.</p>

<p>Christmas is about the light coming to earth. In the Gospel of John, we find the beautiful proclamation that encapsulates the essence of Christmas: “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it”. - John 1:5, ESV</p>

<p>Exploring the account of the Wise Men in Matthew chapter two, we discover an enduring lesson that speaks directly to all of us on how we too can respond to the extraordinary gift of God sending His Son.</p>