Here is a clip from Sunday's choir anthem.
I just finished reading through the Book of Acts as a part of my morning devotions. In the King James version of the Bible the book was known as the Acts of the Apostles. I've heard some say it might better be described as the Acts of the Holy Spirit. Whatever we call it, it is a powerful story of God's Holy Spirit working through people in the early formation of the Christian Church.
The Book of Acts end with this verse "Boldly and without hindrance he preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ." He, in this case, is the apostle Paul. After reading it, I wrote in my journal "Lord may it be said of me that, like Paul, I taught about Jesus boldly and without hindrance."
Of course, what it means to proclaim the story of Jesus boldly is different from situation to situation and from person to person. I think we sometimes equate bold with brash, or even aggressive. But if you read the whole of the Book of Acts, you will find that Paul approached different people in different ways.
Paul Colman being interviewed by Dan Elliott at the start of the concert on Sunday.
A few weeks ago, in the Reboot series, we talked about overcoming fear that hinders us from doing and being all that God has called us to. To me, to be bold is to be courageous. It is to allow our love for people to overcome our fear of rejection so we can share Jesus without hindrance. Everyone Needs Jesus. As the ones who have been entrusted with the gospel, it is now up to use to share that good news with others.
Next week I want to talk a little bit more about Paul's approach to sharing Jesus. I believe there is so much we can learn from him. On another note, I want to update you on our Newburyport project. For personal reasons, Pastor David has asked to step back from leading that launch. However, we still believe that this is a community where we can have a significant impact for the Kingdom of God. So we are in conversation with our District Superintendent about how we can continue the ministry under new leadership from within our ministry. I will keep you up to date as we have more information.
Something to Celebrate, A team is just coming back from a week serving orphans in Honduras in the name of Jesus.
This Sunday we are starting a new series entitled Real Life. We will be digging deep into the Book of James. James is one of the most practical, real life applicable, books of the New Testament. This is the kind of series where you might want to have your Bible or your phone app with you and open as we go through it. It is going to be awesome!
God Bless,
Pastor Steve
