Exile and homecoming is one of the main themes in the Bible. With all the progress we’ve made in the world, why are we still so unhappy? And is there any remedy? This passage shows us.
In modern, Western culture, not only do we have a distorted picture of God, we have a distorted picture of sin. This passage helps us understand why, and points us toward the path of healing and freedom.
We all wrestle with identity questions: Who am I? Does my life matter? The Bible gives us a story that gets to the heart of those questions in a way that no other story does.
We all feel like our lives are part of a story. That’s exactly what the Bible offers us: a big story to live in. Every story has a setting. What kind of world are we in? This passage shows us.
Sometimes the greyness of life can make every step a marathon. How can we keep going? Faith in Jesus is the answer. He who won the race for us powers us forward through the persevering practice of faith.
Human beings long for love, especially the love of God. When Jesus washed his disciples’ feet, he showed them the true meaning and the full extent of God's love.
In our world, you can have joy, or you can have suffering. What you can’t have is both. But this passage shows us that suffering can actually be one of the most powerful ways the joy of Christ comes alive in you.
Every human needs to be safe, seen, soothed, and secure. Instead, most of us feel the pressure to perform for the love we need. Jesus offers us the ultimate experience of being safe, seen, soothed, and secure, because Jesus offers us true peace.
Hopelessness is almost like an epidemic today. Where do we find the hope we need? This passage shows us where to find a living hope.
You can be looking right at something, but without the right frame, it makes no sense. The kingdom of God can be like that. At the end of the book of Acts, the apostle Paul gives us a frame to make sense of the kingdom.
Suffering creates a crisis of confidence in God. But when we see how Paul navigates this storm, it shows us how God is with us in our storms.
Politics matters, because politics is powerful. But because it’s so powerful, it’s crucial to understand how the gospel relates to politics and what that means for Christians. This passage shows us.
We all long for a place to belong and a purpose in life. In Acts 20, we see God's people joined together in his mission. The church as a fellowship of God's people on mission is called to walk together, to walk through tears and trials, and to testify to the wonderful hope we have because of God's grace.
We are creatures of desire, but our desires always seem heartbreakingly beyond our reach. What do we do with that? In this passage, Paul shows us how the gospel affirms, critiques, and ultimately fulfills our deepest desires.
How should we live when the Powers-That-Be insist that we accept realities and rules that violate our faith? Not an easy question. There are several options. This passage and sermon reveal the one perfect answer.
These days it can be suspect and even unpopular to talk to other people about Jesus. Read the book of Acts, chapter 18, and listen to this sermon to understand why “sharing the Gospel” is basic to being a Christian and a blessing to the whole world.
We all learn ways of getting through life that work for us, but they still feel upside down. The gospel shows us what right side up looks like.
What if your ultimate safety wasn’t in being protected from suffering, but in the goodness of a God who carries and transforms you through the suffering? That is definitely not a safe question. But it is the question this passage helps us answer.
God is present in our culture as a concept, but not as an inescapable, living reality. And yet, our spiritual hunger and desire for rescue never goes away. What do we do with that?