God is sovereign over everything and everyone. This truth is meant to free us from the fear of what is happening in the world around us and to help us speak the word of God boldly to those who do not yet know Jesus! God in his sovereignty brought about the death of his son Jesus, so that his plan of salvation would come to pass. Nothing can stand in the way of our God!
Acts 4 introduces us to a new era in the early church – an era marked by persecution, suffering, and opposition. However, at the moment that we would expect their momentum to slow, we discover the opposite. The gospel advances, God’s people are emboldened, and more people come to know Jesus than ever before. Here’s the lesson: only the gospel can turn a trial into a pulpit!
Biblical Soul Care, a ministry of Gospel Life Church, provides a compassionate environment to help
individuals navigate their sin and suffering biblically by applying the Gospel of Jesus Christ to their
lives by faith. We believe that the Bible’s model for discipleship is in relationship and through the
local church, and that requires us as believers to be willing to walk in the light and be known, sharing
our sufferings and comforts with one another and pointing one another to Christ who suffered and
was raised from death.
The good news of Christmas is not found in our holiday parties, Christmas movies, or eggnog. Instead, the good news of Christmas is found in the celebration that Christ came to heal us and Malachi 2:17-3:4 prepares the hearts of God’s people for the Son of God that will rise with healing in His wings!
The people and the priests in Malachi's day had forgotten the might, majesty, and mercy of the Lord of Hosts. They were offering God their left-overs and their half-hearted worship. They had lost their fear of the Lord. The same thing happens in our lives today. Thank God for Jesus, who was sent to suffer and die for our sins of dishonoring God and to restore the reverence, honor and awe that God deserves, into the hearts of his people!
When we think about the story of Christmas we think about mangers and shepherds and wise men, not sunrises, but that’s exactly what the close of the Old Testament wants us to think about. In the midst of the darkness of sin, Christmas declares that the Son has come to bring light and healing to us, and the opening of Malachi declares that when our doubting is loud, God’s love is louder.
A miracle happens in Acts 3, but it isn’t the main event. The miracle points to the gospel, celebrates lives changed by the gospel, and opens the door for people to repent and believe. In this, Acts 3 shows a gospel demonstration followed by a gospel explanation that leads others to a gospel invitation, and through Peter and John we learn that faith in Jesus shines bright for Jesus!
Acts 3:1–10 shows that Jesus, after his death, resurrection, and ascension, continues to bring outsiders into the presence of God through the power of His name.
There are a lot of things we can be devoted to in this life, a thousand things we can give our time, energy and commitments to. In Acts 2 we see the very first Christians in history devoting themselves to 3 main things. They were continually: Devoted to Gods Word. Devoted to Gods people. Devoted to worshipping God. This created a community that put the love of Jesus on display for one another and the world around them.
Acts 2:14-41 gives us the first gospel message proclaimed by someone other than Jesus in the New Testament. It sets a pattern for what the gospel is, what it requires, and what it accomplishes in the lives of those who hear it. In short, the gospel is the message of redemption for our responsibility for sin, calling us to a response of remorse and repentance that leads to revival through the resurrection of Jesus from the dead!
Pentecost is often remembered for the way that God’s people spoke in tongues but Pentecost isn’t about speaking in tongues. Instead, Acts 2:1‑13 shows us what happens when God gives His people His Spirit: His power fills them, His presence rests on them, and His people are gathered to proclaim His gospel for the glory of Jesus!
Decision-making can feel daunting. God’s people once rolled the dice to know His will, but now His Spirit is available to guide the Christian’s every step. Because of Jesus, we are led, empowered, and sent—trusting God, following His Spirit, and joining Jesus in His mission.
The Books of Acts introduces us to Jesus’ disciples and their expectations about what they thought the resurrection accomplished. In their mind, they thought that Jesus rose to restore God’s Kingdom to the Jews. Jesus tells them that he rose to bring the invitation into God’s kingdom to the whole world instead. With that, we learn that the mission of Jesus is about witnesses, not winning, because Jesus Christ has already won!
The philosopher George Santayana once said, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” While many would agree, few have considered how this truth applies to the message of Christianity. Just 500 years ago, foundational truths like the authority of Scripture, the work of Christ, salvation by faith, the free gift of grace, and the glory of God were not only questioned but worse – they were being deliberately distorted. Much of what was preached had very little to do with Christ and the message proclaimed by the church was not good news at all.
However, in 1517, by God’s grace, a movement called the Reformation began to bring these truths back into focus. Luther, along with others, clarified and defended the core doctrines of the Christian faith with five essential truths that still shape the church today: Scripture alone, Christ alone, Faith alone, Grace alone, and God’s glory alone. If we forget them, take them for granted, or fail to defend them, we’ll risk spreading a version of Christianity that is no longer centered on Christ or filled with good news. Even worse, we’ll miss God’s intended design for the message of the gospel and miss Him in the process.
The philosopher George Santayana once said, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” While many would agree, few have considered how this truth applies to the message of Christianity. Just 500 years ago, foundational truths like the authority of Scripture, the work of Christ, salvation by faith, the free gift of grace, and the glory of God were not only questioned but worse – they were being deliberately distorted. Much of what was preached had very little to do with Christ and the message proclaimed by the church was not good news at all.
However, in 1517, by God’s grace, a movement called the Reformation began to bring these truths back into focus. Luther, along with others, clarified and defended the core doctrines of the Christian faith with five essential truths that still shape the church today: Scripture alone, Christ alone, Faith alone, Grace alone, and God’s glory alone. If we forget them, take them for granted, or fail to defend them, we’ll risk spreading a version of Christianity that is no longer centered on Christ or filled with good news. Even worse, we’ll miss God’s intended design for the message of the gospel and miss Him in the process.
The philosopher George Santayana once said, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” While many would agree, few have considered how this truth applies to the message of Christianity. Just 500 years ago, foundational truths like the authority of Scripture, the work of Christ, salvation by faith, the free gift of grace, and the glory of God were not only questioned but worse – they were being deliberately distorted. Much of what was preached had very little to do with Christ and the message proclaimed by the church was not good news at all.
However, in 1517, by God’s grace, a movement called the Reformation began to bring these truths back into focus. Luther, along with others, clarified and defended the core doctrines of the Christian faith with five essential truths that still shape the church today: Scripture alone, Christ alone, Faith alone, Grace alone, and God’s glory alone. If we forget them, take them for granted, or fail to defend them, we’ll risk spreading a version of Christianity that is no longer centered on Christ or filled with good news. Even worse, we’ll miss God’s intended design for the message of the gospel and miss Him in the process.
The philosopher George Santayana once said, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” While many would agree, few have considered how this truth applies to the message of Christianity. Just 500 years ago, foundational truths like the authority of Scripture, the work of Christ, salvation by faith, the free gift of grace, and the glory of God were not only questioned but worse – they were being deliberately distorted. Much of what was preached had very little to do with Christ and the message proclaimed by the church was not good news at all.
However, in 1517, by God’s grace, a movement called the Reformation began to bring these truths back into focus. Luther, along with others, clarified and defended the core doctrines of the Christian faith with five essential truths that still shape the church today: Scripture alone, Christ alone, Faith alone, Grace alone, and God’s glory alone. If we forget them, take them for granted, or fail to defend them, we’ll risk spreading a version of Christianity that is no longer centered on Christ or filled with good news. Even worse, we’ll miss God’s intended design for the message of the gospel and miss Him in the process.
The philosopher George Santayana once said, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” While many would agree, few have considered how this truth applies to the message of Christianity. Just 500 years ago, foundational truths like the authority of Scripture, the work of Christ, salvation by faith, the free gift of grace, and the glory of God were not only questioned but worse – they were being deliberately distorted. Much of what was preached had very little to do with Christ and the message proclaimed by the church was not good news at all.
However, in 1517, by God’s grace, a movement called the Reformation began to bring these truths back into focus. Luther, along with others, clarified and defended the core doctrines of the Christian faith with five essential truths that still shape the church today: Scripture alone, Christ alone, Faith alone, Grace alone, and God’s glory alone. If we forget them, take them for granted, or fail to defend them, we’ll risk spreading a version of Christianity that is no longer centered on Christ or filled with good news. Even worse, we’ll miss God’s intended design for the message of the gospel and miss Him in the process.
The Bible is filled with one-liners that sound right, look good, and seem helpful for the challenges we tend to face in life. But what if these one-liners have been misunderstood? What if God really does give me more than I can handle? What if His plans to prosper me weren’t specifically about me? And what if asking for anything in Jesus’ name isn’t as simple as it sounds?
The Bible is the unfolding story of God’s plan of redemption through His Son, Jesus Christ. Every line, verse, and narrative fits into the larger story—from Genesis to Revelation. And every passage, promise, and command is given within a context that will help us read God’s Word the way He intends us to.
This summer, we invite you to learn how to read the Bible with us! Together, we’ll look at some of the most misused, misunderstood, and misquoted verses—and discover how our bad news assumptions can become good news invitations when we read them in light of God’s bigger gospel story. Let’s observe, interpret, and apply Scripture together, and watch as God grows our faith through the life-giving truth He has spoken to us in Jesus.