Category Archives: Word of God

Acts 6 on 10/15 | NT260 — Reading & Growing in Christ

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As the church grew, Greek-speaking widows were being overlooked in the daily help (v. 1). The apostles asked the church to choose seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and wisdom to lead this care so they could keep focusing on prayer and the Word (vv. 2–4). The church chose Stephen, Philip, and five others; the apostles prayed and laid hands on them. The result? God’s word spread and many priests believed (vv. 5–7).

Stephen, full of grace and power, did great signs (v. 8). Debaters from several synagogues couldn’t resist the wisdom and the Spirit in his words (v. 10), so they stirred up false charges against him—saying he spoke against Moses, the law, and the temple (vv. 11–14). As Stephen stood before the council, his face looked like an angel’s—God’s peace and presence were on him (v. 15).

🌀 Reflection:
Where is God asking you to serve so others aren’t overlooked (v. 1)? Pray to be full of the Spirit and wisdom (v. 3), faithful in “small” jobs, and steady under pressure like Stephen (vv. 8–10, 15).

💬 Mission Challenge:
Do one act of outreach to someone who’s often missed: bring a meal to a widow/single parent, help an immigrant neighbor with a task, or invite a different-background believer to your table. If your church has a benevolence or widow care team, offer your time this week.

Acts 5 on 10/14 | NT260 — Reading & Growing in Christ

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Ananias and Sapphira lied about their gift, pretending to give all while keeping some back. Peter said they had lied to the Holy Spirit; both fell dead, and great fear came on the whole church (vv. 1–11). God cares about truth and integrity inside His people.

God kept working: many were healed, and crowds honored the apostles (vv. 12–16). The Sadducees arrested them, but an angel opened the doors and told them to keep teaching in the temple (vv. 17–21). Even locked doors could not stop the gospel (vv. 22–26).

Before the council, Peter said, “We must obey God rather than men” and preached Jesus—crucified, raised, and exalted as Savior (vv. 29–32). Gamaliel advised caution (vv. 34–39). The apostles were beaten, yet rejoiced to suffer for Jesus and did not stop teaching—every day, in the temple and from house to house (vv. 40–42).

🌀 Reflection:
Ask: Where am I tempted to pretend (vv. 1–11) or to go quiet about Jesus (vv. 28–31)? Pray for honesty, holy fear, and courage to keep speaking and living the truth.

💬 Mission Challenge:
This week, take one bold step outward: offer to pray for someone who’s hurting, share a short Jesus story, or invite a friend to read Acts 5:29 with you—and pair it with practical help (a meal, a ride, or a small gift).

Acts 4 on 10/13 | NT260 — Reading & Growing in Christ

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After the healing (ch. 3), Peter and John were arrested for preaching Jesus’ resurrection (vv. 1–4). Before the Sanhedrin, Peter—filled with the Holy Spirit—said the man was healed by the name of Jesus Christ, whom they crucified and God raised (vv. 8–10). He called Jesus the rejected cornerstone and declared, “There is salvation in no one else” (vv. 11–12). Though the leaders tried to silence them, the apostles replied, “We can’t stop speaking about what we’ve seen and heard” (vv. 18–20).

Released, the church prayed for boldness, quoting Psalm 2 and trusting God’s plan (vv. 23–28). God shook the place, filled them again with the Spirit, and they kept speaking God’s word with boldness (vv. 29–31). The believers were of one heart and soul, sharing so no one lacked; Barnabas sold a field to help those in need (vv. 32–37).

🌀 Reflection:
Where do you feel pressure to be quiet about Jesus (vv. 18–20)? Ask the Spirit for courage and clarity today, trusting God’s control when opposition comes (vv. 28–31).

💬 Mission Challenge:
Do one bold, loving act this week: share a brief Jesus story or offer prayer to someone who’s open—and pair it with practical help (a meal, a ride, or a gift) so your words and works line up (vv. 32–37).

Acts 3 on 10/12 | NT260 — Reading & Growing in Christ

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One afternoon, Peter and John went to the temple to pray and met a man who had been lame since birth (vv. 1–2). Every day, he sat at the gate asking for money, but Peter told him, “I don’t have silver or gold, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!” (v. 6). Peter helped him up, and immediately the man’s legs were healed. He began walking, leaping, and praising God as the people watched in amazement (vv. 7–10).

Seeing the crowd gather, Peter used the miracle to point everyone to Jesus. He explained that the man was healed not by their own power, but through faith in Jesus’ name (v. 16). Peter reminded them that they had rejected and killed the Author of life, but God raised Him from the dead (vv. 14–15). He urged them to repent and turn to God, so their sins could be forgiven and times of spiritual refreshing could come from the Lord (vv. 19–20). Peter showed how the prophets, including Moses and Abraham, had foretold these days and that God’s promise of blessing through Jesus was meant for all nations (vv. 22–26).

🌀 Reflection:
Where do you need to trust the power of Jesus’ name instead of your own strength? (vv. 6, 16). Ask God to remind you that true change—whether healing, forgiveness, or courage—comes through faith in Him alone.

💬 Mission Challenge:
Like Peter and John, take time this week for the one person God puts in your path (v. 7). Listen to their need, pray for them, and point them to Jesus. You never know how one act of care might open a door for someone to know Christ.

Acts 2 on 10/11 | NT260 — Reading & Growing in Christ

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When the day of Pentecost came, the believers were all together praying. Suddenly, a sound like a strong wind filled the room, and what looked like tongues of fire rested on each person. The Holy Spirit filled them, and they began to speak in other languages so that people from many nations could hear about the mighty works of God (vv. 1–11). Some were amazed, but others made fun of them (vv. 12–13). Then Peter stood up and explained that this was what the prophet Joel had promised—God was pouring out His Spirit on His people in the last days (vv. 16–21). He told the crowd that Jesus, whom they had crucified, was the One God raised from the dead and made both Lord and Christ (vv. 22–36).

The people were heartbroken and asked what they should do. Peter told them, “Repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (vv. 37–38). That day, about 3,000 people believed and were baptized (v. 41). The new believers learned from the apostles, spent time together, shared meals, and prayed (v. 42). God worked through them with many signs and wonders, and the church became a joyful, generous, and worshipful community. Each day, the Lord added more people who were being saved (vv. 43–47).

🌀 Reflection:
Where do you need the Holy Spirit’s help today? Ask God to fill you with His power so you can share His love and live with joy like the early believers did (vv. 4, 42–47).

💬 Mission Challenge:
Think of someone in your life who doesn’t know Jesus. Pray for them by name and look for a way to tell them what God has done for you (v. 11). Maybe share a verse, invite them to church, or simply tell them how Jesus has changed your life.

Acts 1 on 10/10 | NT260 — Reading & Growing in Christ

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Luke’s “second volume” opens by tying back to “all that Jesus began to do and teach” and showing that the risen Lord continues His work through His people (vv. 1–3). Jesus commands the disciples to stay in Jerusalem and wait for the Father’s promise—the baptism with the Holy Spirit (vv. 4–5). Still thinking in national terms, they ask about restoring the kingdom to Israel, but Jesus redirects them: the timing is the Father’s, their task is witness—empowered by the Spirit—to Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and the end of the earth (vv. 6–8). He then ascends and is taken up in a cloud of God’s presence, with angels assuring that He will return in the same way (vv. 9–11).

Back in Jerusalem, about 120 believers gather in the upper room and devote themselves to unified, persevering prayer—along with the women, Mary the mother of Jesus, and His brothers (vv. 12–14). Peter stands and anchors the community’s next step in Scripture: Judas’s fall fulfilled what the Holy Spirit spoke “by the mouth of David,” and another must take his office (Ps 69:25; 109:8; vv. 15–20). The replacement must be an eyewitness from John’s baptism to the ascension—“a witness to His resurrection.” After praying for the Lord’s choice, they cast lots, and Matthias is numbered with the eleven (vv. 21–26).

Acts 1 shows the church waiting on God’s promise, grounded in Jesus’ mission and Scripture, praying together, and preparing for Spirit-empowered witness (vv. 4–8, 14, 16, 24–26). What Jesus began, He now continues—by His Spirit, through His people—until He comes again (vv. 1–3, 9–11).

🌀 Reflection:
Where are you still asking “when” about God’s plans (v. 7) instead of embracing what He’s already made clear—pray, wait on the Spirit, and witness (vv. 4–5, 8, 14)? Ask the Lord to align your expectations with His mission and to make you a steady, Scripture-guided witness today (vv. 16, 21–22).

💬 Mission Challenge:
Map your “Jerusalem.” Identify one person in your immediate circle (home, class, team, or workplace) and—after praying for them by name (v. 14)—share a simple witness this week: a gospel conversation, an invitation to read John’s Gospel together, or an invite to church or community group (v. 8).

Join Us as We Celebrate 27 Years at Christ Community Church — a Songs for Sunday post

Sunday’s coming, and I’m especially thankful this week.

Not only do we get to gather again as the people of God, but we also get to celebrate 27 years of God’s faithfulness to and through Christ Community Church. That’s no small thing. The local church is one of God’s greatest gifts to His people — where the gospel is proclaimed, disciples are made, and the love of Jesus is lived out in community.

I want to say how personally thankful I am that God has allowed me and my family to be a part of Christ Community. I’ve had the privilege of serving in churches for two decades, but this church has become the church home and faith family we had always hoped for. Candice, Keri, Xander, and I are genuinely grateful — not only to serve here, but to belong here. Christ Community is a gift, and we thank God for it.

That’s exactly the sentiment Paul had in Colossians 1:3-6 when he was opening his letter to the church at Colossae: sharing his gratitude for a gospel-shaped church.

Paul began in v. 3 by saying, “We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you.” He’s not flattering them but pointing to God as the source of their growth and faithfulness. Every local church that stands firm in Christ is a reason to give thanks.

In v. 4, he reflects on what he’s heard about them: their “faith in Jesus” and the love they have “for all the saints”. These aren’t vague religious concepts. Their faith was real, anchored in Jesus. Their love was visible, expressed toward one another. This kind of gospel life is evidence of Christ working.

But where does that kind of faith and love come from? The answer is in v. 5: “because of the hope laid up for you in heaven”. Their faith and love are rooted in something eternal — not wishful thinking, but a secure hope. Their faith and love are rooted in something objective, already laid up, already theirs. That’s our shared hope, too: an imperishable inheritance kept in heaven (1 Peter 1:4), secured not by our own goodness but in Jesus’s blood and resurrection (1 Peter 1:18-21).

Then in vv. 5-6, Paul shifts the spotlight to the gospel itself, “the Word of the truth…which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing…”. You see, the gospel isn’t merely information. It’s power. Wherever it goes — when it’s understood and received by grace through faith in Jesus — it grows, it bears fruit, it transforms lives. That’s what God has done at Christ Community for 27 years, and that’s what we’re asking Him to keep on doing until Jesus returns.

When we gather Sunday, we’ll celebrate that very gospel in song. We’ll sing “Holy Water” thanking God for washing away our sin in His grace and mercy. We’ll sing “Graves Into Gardens” proclaiming the power of Jesus to bring life where there was death. We’ll sing “In Christ Alone” declaring our firm hope rooted in Jesus’s death and resurrection. We’ll sing “Thank You Jesus for the Blood” remembering the precious price He paid to redeem us.

We’ll be reminded of that gospel in our Scripture readings, as in Titus 3:4-7 where we’ll clearly see that our salvation is not in our works but Jesus’s, not in our righteousness (which we don’t have) but His mercy.

We’ll be reminded of that gospel and the Savior it proclaims as John opens up the Word of God and shows us the King of kings, unpacking the value and depth of His sacrifice for sinners like us and the salvation that comes only by grace through faith in Jesus alone.

So, let’s gather together.

Let’s gather on the Lord’s day — on Sunday — not just to mark an anniversary but to lift high the name of Jesus, the One who saved us, who brought us together as a church family, and who is still working in and through us for His glory and our good.

The gospel has borne fruit here, and we pray it continues to do so for generations to come — until Jesus comes.

Won’t you gather with us?

Here are our Scriptures and songs:

4But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to His own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6whom He poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7so that being justified by His grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

18…knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, 19but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. 20He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you 21who through Him are believers in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

Luke 24 on 10/9 | NT260 — Reading & Growing in Christ

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The resurrection changes everything. On the first day of the week, the women discovered the empty tomb, reminded by angels that Jesus had risen just as He said (vv. 1–8). Though the apostles first doubted, Peter saw the evidence and marveled (vv. 9–12). On the road to Emmaus, two disciples met the risen Jesus without recognizing Him until He broke bread with them. He explained how all of Scripture pointed to His suffering and glory, and their hearts burned as they understood (vv. 13–35). Later, Jesus appeared to the disciples, showing His hands and feet, eating with them, and commissioning them to proclaim repentance and forgiveness in His name to all nations, promising the Spirit’s power (vv. 36–49).

Luke closes with Jesus blessing His disciples and ascending into heaven. Their sorrow was turned to joy as they worshiped Him and continually praised God in the temple (vv. 50–53). The story that began in Bethlehem with the birth of Jesus ends in glory with His exaltation—and continues in the church’s mission to proclaim that Christ is risen and reigns forever.

🌀 Reflection:
Jesus’ resurrection is not just an event to know but a reality to live in. Because He lives, our doubts can turn to faith, our despair to joy, and our fear to peace. Where do you need to rest in the power of His living presence today?

💬 Mission Challenge:
Share the good news of Jesus’ resurrection with someone this week. Like the women at the tomb or the disciples on the road, don’t keep silent—proclaim that Jesus is alive and offers forgiveness and new life to all who believe.

Luke 23 on 10/8 | NT260 — Reading & Growing in Christ

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Jesus was brought before Pilate and Herod, though both declared Him innocent (vv. 4, 14–15). Yet the crowds demanded Barabbas’s release instead, and Pilate gave in, handing Jesus over to be crucified (vv. 18–25). On the way to Golgotha, Simon of Cyrene carried the cross, and Jesus warned the women of Jerusalem about coming judgment (vv. 26–31). At the cross, He prayed for His executioners, was mocked by rulers and soldiers, and promised Paradise to the repentant thief beside Him (vv. 32–43). At His death, darkness fell, the temple veil tore, and a centurion declared His innocence (vv. 44–49).

Joseph of Arimathea courageously asked for Jesus’ body and placed it in his own tomb, while the women prepared spices but rested on the Sabbath (vv. 50–56). Luke’s account emphasizes both Jesus’ innocence and His saving work on the cross—dying as the spotless Lamb who forgives sinners and opens the way to God.

🌀 Reflection:
Jesus endured injustice, suffering, and death—not because He was guilty, but because we are. At the cross, we see His heart of mercy, His power to save, and His obedience to the Father. Reflect today on the wonder that the innocent Son of God bore your guilt and gave you His righteousness.

💬 Mission Challenge:
Share with someone this week the hope of the repentant thief—that no one is beyond the reach of Jesus’ mercy. Invite them to trust the Savior who still says, “You will be with me in Paradise.”

Luke 22 on 10/7 | NT260 — Reading & Growing in Christ

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Luke 22 records the night of Jesus’ betrayal and arrest. The chapter begins with the plot of the chief priests and Judas to kill Him (vv. 1–6). During the Last Supper, Jesus redefines the bread and cup as symbols of His body and blood, establishing the Lord’s Supper and pointing to His coming sacrifice (vv. 7–23). When the disciples argue about greatness, Jesus teaches that true greatness is servanthood, even as He promises them a future place in His kingdom (vv. 24–30). He warns Peter of his coming denial but assures him that his faith will be restored (vv. 31–34). In Gethsemane, Jesus prays in deep anguish, submitting to the Father’s will, while His disciples struggle to stay awake (vv. 39–46).

The chapter then turns to Jesus’ arrest by the crowd led by Judas and His healing of the servant’s ear (vv. 47–53). Peter denies Him three times before the rooster crows, fulfilling Jesus’ prediction and leaving Peter in bitter weeping (vv. 54–62). Jesus is mocked, beaten, and brought before the council, where He affirms His identity as the Son of Man who will sit at God’s right hand (vv. 63–71). Luke 22 highlights Jesus’ humility, obedience, and love as He prepares to lay down His life for sinners.

🌀 Reflection:
Jesus shows us what it means to live in full obedience to the Father. He endured betrayal, denial, and suffering while continuing to love and serve. His words at the table remind us that our salvation rests on His sacrifice, not our strength. When we stumble, like Peter, His grace restores us and calls us back to faithfulness.

💬 Mission Challenge:
Think of someone who may feel far from God or burdened by guilt. Reach out with encouragement this week—share that Christ’s sacrifice was for them, too, and invite them to trust in His forgiveness.