In this episode, I share seven key lessons I learned while completing a verse-by-verse study of the book of Acts. Also, Professor Sean O’Neill joins me for an interview-style discussion on the reliability of the book of Acts (and the New Testament generally), including the accuracy of official/government titles recounted by Luke; the interplay between Herod and Rome; Paul’s Roman citizenship, and the incredible details of Paul’s sea voyage in Acts 27. This Christmas (and all year round), we can be confident that our faith is rooted in real people and real places. And we can know that God‘s Word is a sure foundation for our lives and families.

Big Idea for the Series: The early church carried the gospel throughout the known world in approximately 30 years and transformed an empire in 3 centuries. Now the church seems intimidated, uncertain amidst swift cultural changes. So, what did the early Christians, commanded by Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, do that we are not doing? Here are their Acts, and may they inspire our own.

Here are some of Professor O’Neill’s credentials:

• Bachelors, University of Michigan; — Masters and PhD, University of Cincinnati – Bronze age archeology. Egypt.
• Teaching at Hanover College since 2011 in the Dept. of Classical Studies (focusing on the archaeology, language, literature, and history of the Ancient Mediterranean world).
• Published scholarship on topics ranging from the archaeological site of Troy to the art and archaeology of Ptolemaic and Roman Egypt.
• Ancient Language and Literature studies have included working on (and teaching) texts in Latin, Greek, Aramaic, Hebrew, Hieroglyphic Egyptian, and Demotic Egyptian.
• Can read and write 11 languages.

Key Lessons:

1. Christ is King.
2. We have Holy Spirit Power.
3. Don’t Do Ministry Alone.
4. The Gospel is for All People.
5. Expect Persecution.
6. The Church is God’s Plan A.
7. The Word does the Work.

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One of the greatest paradoxes in American life is a Thursday dedicated to quiet gratitude followed by a Friday dedicated to a frenzied pursuit of more. In the midst of a mental health crisis and a quickly changing world, Scripture calls us to an often forgotten, daily practice that demands attention more than one day […]

I spent several days last week touring Holocaust sites in Poland with a group from Christians United for Israel. Especially since Oct. 7th and the concerning rise of antisemitism in the US, Holocaust sites such as Auschwitz are a somber and moving reminder of hatred and murder on an industrialized scale and the remarkable resilience […]

Due to the breakdown of the family, tighter government budgets, and positive legal developments, the church currently has a unique if not a once-in-a-generation opportunity to impact their communities and point to Jesus. Will we seize the moment? In this sermon, I draw lessons from the partnership between Pharaoh and Joseph, unpack the current opportunity before the church, and explain practical ways church leaders and other committed Christians can steward this “Joseph Moment” in their communities.

Outline:

1. Government is God’s Idea.
2. God gave Joseph favor.
3. Joseph had authority.
4. God’s Glory and the Common Good.
5. A Joseph Moment or a Moses Moment.

Key Takeaways:

• Link to Good Citizen Project speaking page.
• Explanation of how churches can impact foster care.
• The county-based state transformation model.
• The church-led, state-based national transformation strategy.
• Knowing when and how to serve alongside government and when to confront government.
• How to steward our unique “Joseph Moment.”

Here’s why and how churches should step up during the government shutdown. Yesterday, the administration announced that SNAP benefits will be partially funded as the government shutdown continues (though there is some speculation the shutdown could end as early as tomorrow after the election). Many churches have stepped up efforts to supply food pantries and […]

In Acts 28, Paul survives a snake bite, meets believers already in Rome, and marches into the imperial city in chains–but on mission. Here, the narrative of the book of Acts closes with Paul preaching the kingdom of God boldly in the center of Roman power and authority. What happened to his trial? Where did he go after his release? How did his journey end? In this sermon, I conclude our verse-by-verse study of this remarkable book, do my best to trace Paul’s “4th Missionary Journey,” and share the book’s anything-but-anticlimactic ending and encouragement to all believers.

Big Idea: The early church carried the gospel throughout the known world in approximately 30 years and transformed an empire in 3 centuries. Now the church seems intimidated, uncertain amidst swift cultural changes. So, what did the early Christians, commanded by Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, do that we are not doing? Here are their Acts, and may they inspire our own.

1. Hospitable Barbarians
2. The Hope of Israel
3. Chained Guards
4. The 4th Missionary Journey

Key Takeaways:

1. The importance of Christian hospitality.
2. How the work of the Holy Spirit outpaced Paul.
3. The population and power of Rome when Paul entered the city.
4. How the kingdom of God subverted Roman authority and eventually transformed the empire.
5. A recounting of Paul’s final journey and death by execution.
6. The anything-but-anticlimactic ending of the book of Acts.

Dr. Wayne Grudem is a theologian and prolific writer perhaps best known for his book Systematic Theology and his work on Christian ethics. But he also wrote Politics According to the Bible, a more than 600-page comprehensive resource on the application of faith in public life. I had the privilege of interviewing Dr. Grudem about Christian citizenship and the […]