Paul knew danger was waiting for him in Jerusalem. Multiple times, the Holy Spirit—through faithful believers—warned him of what lay ahead (vv. 4, 11). But Paul’s heart was resolved: “I am ready not only to be imprisoned but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus” (v. 13). His goal wasn’t safety—it was obedience to His Lord, Jesus Christ.
When he arrived, he tried to unify Jewish and Gentile believers, but rumors stirred, mobs formed, and Paul was violently arrested. Still, God was working. Even chains would not stop the gospel.
🎯 Theme: Paul was ready to die for Jesus, trusting the Lord’s will above all.
🌀 Reflection: Are you willing to follow Jesus even when it’s costly? What would it look like to surrender your comfort for the sake of Christ’s name?
💬 Mission Challenge: Encourage a fellow believer who is walking through a hard season. Remind them of the hope and purpose found in Jesus—He is worth it.
As Paul journeys toward Jerusalem, he takes time to encourage believers along the way—especially the elders from Ephesus. In his farewell, Paul reminds them of his example: a life of humility, courage, and faithful teaching. He says, “I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God” (v. 27) and testifies, “I do not account my life of any value…if only I may finish my course…to testify to the gospel of the grace of God” (v. 24).
His words are heavy with love, urgency, and warning. Wolves will come. The church must be alert. But through it all, God’s grace will sustain and build up His people.
🎯 Theme: Being faithful to the end testifies to the gospel of the grace of God.
🌀 Reflection: Are you living with gospel urgency—serving, teaching, and finishing your race with joy? What part of Paul’s example challenges or encourages you most?
💬 Mission Challenge: Write down or pray over your personal mission—to live and speak the gospel. Ask God to help you “not shrink back” but keep pressing forward.
God’s Word is powerful—and when it goes forth, it exposes false religion, transforms lives, and causes real spiritual upheaval. In Ephesus, the gospel disrupts both demonic activity and economic idolatry. New believers burn their magic books (v. 19), and the name of Jesus is exalted. As the chapter says, “the Word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily” (v. 20).
But not everyone celebrates. Paul’s ministry sparks a riot led by those whose profits were threatened. The gospel still challenges idols—whether carved in silver or hidden in the heart.
🎯 Theme: The Word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily.
🌀 Reflection: Is there anything you’ve been holding onto that competes with the Lordship of Jesus? What needs to be surrendered so His Word can prevail more fully in you?
💬 Mission Challenge: Share your testimony this week with someone—even briefly. The gospel that changed Ephesus is still changing lives.
God opens doors, builds His church, and brings the right people at the right time. In Corinth, Paul meets Aquila and Priscilla, receives encouragement from the Lord (vv. 9–10), and sees both Jews and Gentiles believe and be baptized (v. 8). Even through opposition and legal pressure, the gospel moves forward.
Later, we meet Apollos, a gifted speaker with partial knowledge—until Priscilla and Aquila graciously guide him in the truth. God uses Paul the builder and Apollos the encourager (1 Cor. 3:6). Everyone has a role in the mission.
🎯 Theme: Do not be afraid – Jesus is with you and has many people in a lot of places.
🌀 Reflection: Are you more like Paul, Priscilla, or Apollos in this season? How can you faithfully do your part in strengthening others?
💬 Mission Challenge: Find a way today to encourage someone in their spiritual growth—share a Scripture, pray with them, or send a kind word.
From Thessalonica to Berea to Athens, Acts 17 shows how different people respond to the same gospel. Some oppose it (v. 5), some examine it eagerly (v. 11), others mock it (v. 32)—but some believe (v. 34).
Paul reasons from the Scriptures (v. 3), explains the gospel in the marketplace (v. 17), and proclaims the one true God before philosophers at the Areopagus (vv. 22–31). His message climaxes in the resurrection of Jesus, the assurance that judgment is coming and that salvation is available to all who repent (v. 30).
🎯 Theme: God now commands all to repent, for He has fixed a day of judgment.
🌀 Reflection: Which group in this chapter do you most relate to—skeptical, searching, or surrendered? How can your heart remain open to the truth?
💬 Mission Challenge: Share one verse or truth from today’s reading with someone you know who is curious or questioning faith.
The gospel reaches Europe in Acts 16—and God’s sovereignty is on full display. The Spirit closes some doors and opens another through a vision (vv. 6–10). In Philippi, the Lord opens Lydia’s heart (v. 14), casts out a demon (v. 18), shakes a prison (v. 26), and saves a jailer and his household (vv. 30–34).
Paul and Silas, beaten and imprisoned, choose to pray and sing (v. 25). Their pain becomes a platform for praise and a witness that leads to salvation. Even injustice becomes an opportunity to defend the gospel and protect the young church (vv. 37–40).
🎯 Theme: Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.
🌀 Reflection: Where might God be using closed doors or unexpected circumstances to lead you or shape your witness?
💬 Mission Challenge: Encourage someone facing hardship today. Share how God has worked in your life during difficult seasons.
Acts 15 records the Jerusalem Council, where the early church had to answer a crucial question: Is Jesus enough? Some said Gentiles had to follow the law of Moses to be saved, but the apostles stood firm—salvation is by grace through faith in Christ alone (v. 11, Ephesians 2:1-10).
The result? A joyful affirmation of the gospel and practical steps to preserve unity between Jewish and Gentile believers. Even when disagreements followed (vv. 36–41), the mission continued. Grace held them together and moved them forward.
🎯 Theme: Salvation is by grace, not by burdening others with the law.
🌀 Reflection: When differences arise, do you fight for grace and unity? How does the gospel shape your convictions and your conversations?
💬 Mission Challenge: Encourage someone in your church family today—especially someone different from you. Affirm your shared hope in Jesus.
The Holy Spirit came with power, just as Jesus promised, filling the believers and birthing the Church. Peter boldly preached Christ crucified and risen, and the Spirit moved—three thousand believed, repented, were baptized, and joined the family of faith. What followed was a Spirit-shaped community: learning, praying, sharing, worshiping. The Church was alive—and the Lord kept adding to it, day by day (v.47). That same Spirit still empowers, convicts, and unites us today.
🎯 Theme: Jesus was crucified according to God’s plan – but God raised Him!
🌀 Reflection: Are you making space for the Spirit and the Word to shape your daily life and church family?
💬 Mission Challenge: Share a truth from today’s chapter or offer to pray for someone today—just like the early Church, let Jesus be seen through your words and actions.
Acts begins with Jesus alive, risen, and still at work—this time through His Spirit and His people. Before sending them out, He told His disciples to wait for the promised Holy Spirit. Their mission wasn’t to restore a kingdom, but to be His witnesses—to the ends of the earth (v.8). So they waited, they prayed, and they trusted His timing. The Church’s story begins with worship, obedience, and dependence—and ours should too.
🎯 Theme: The Spirit empowers us to be witnesses to the risen Christ.
🌀 Reflection: Are you rushing ahead, or waiting prayerfully on God’s power?
💬 Mission Challenge: Tell someone you’re reading Acts—invite them to join you or ask how you can pray for them.
Let me clarify, specifically, what I’m thinking about Sunday coming being good news. I’m talking about the Lord’s Day, but I’m also talking about the Day of the Lord when He comes and gets His people.
This world is hard and full of tribulations and sorrows. There is good, and that can only be attributed to Jesus, but there is a lot of…well, a lot.
There’s a lot of pain. A lot of questions. A lot of reasons to feel weary, overwhelmed, or even undone. But Sunday is coming — JESUS is coming. And that’s good news.
It’s good news for us because Sunday is the Lord’s Day — the first day of the week when we remember that Jesus rose from the dead, victorious over sin and death. It’s also good news because it reminds us that the Day of the Lord is still ahead — when He will come again, right every wrong, wipe away every tear, and bring His people home.
Until that Day comes, we live in the tension, in a broken world with hopeful hearts. We are people who still struggle. We still suffer. And unfortunately we still sin. Yet by grace we have a great high priest — Jesus Christ — who not only reigns from the throne but invites us to draw near as we see in Hebrews 4:14-16:
14 Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
This is the throne of the King of kings, the One who is seated high and holy (Revelation 4), yet He still welcomes sinners and sufferers who have been saved by grace through faith in Him to come boldly. We don’t draw near because we’ve got it all together—we draw near because Jesus does.
This Sunday at Christ Community, Lord willing, we will lift our eyes to the throne, beginning with Psalm 24, asking “Who is this King of Glory?” and joyfully answering, “The LORD of hosts, He is the King of Glory!” (Psalm 24:10)
And then, together, we’ll join the worship of heaven found in Revelation 4 and 5 where saints and angels cry out that Jesus alone is worthy of worship and “holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty”!
You may not feel worthy to approach His throne—I know I don’t. So let’s settle that here: we’re not. But He is. He is worthy of worship, worthy of being sought, worthy of glory, praise, and honor. And He, the Worthy One, has invited us.
He wants us to approach. Because He “has passed through the heavens” (Hebrews 4:14) and sympathizes “with our weaknesses” (Hebrews 4:15). Because He loves us and cares for us and wants to give us the mercy we need and to help us find the grace we need “to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).
He wants us.
And because He does, we can approach His throne with the confidence of a toddler approaching their mommy or daddy’s bed to ask for water at three in the morning. If earthly parents and caretakers can show grace like that, how much more will our “great God and Savior Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13)?
So let’s approach together. Let’s lay our burdens down. Let’s seek Him and make much of Him. We may not always feel like it. Everything in life may seem to be pulling us back. But we get to do this. And we need to—if for no other reason than that He wants us to.
1The earth is the LORD’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein, 2for He has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers.
3Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD? And who shall stand in His holy place? 4He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully. 5He will receive blessing from the LORD and righteousness from the God of his salvation. 6Such is the generation of those who seek Him, who seek the face of the God of Jacob. Selah.
7Lift up your heads, O gates! And be lifted up, O ancient doors, that the King of Glory may come in. 8Who is this King of Glory? The LORD, strong and mighty, the LORD, mighty in battle! 9Lift up your heads, O gates! And lift them up, O ancient doors, that the King of Glory may come in. 10Who is this King of Glory? The LORD of hosts, He is the King of Glory! Selah
8And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say,
“Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!”
9And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, 10the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying,
11“Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”
8And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 9And they sang a new song, saying,
“Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, 10and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.”
11Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, 12saying with a loud voice,
“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!”
13And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying,
“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!”
14And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped.
Just Keith Harris 