Message Us!

Is there a difference between hearing God's Word and truly listening to it? This powerful message explores Acts 13:13-52, revealing how our engagement with Scripture determines its impact on our lives.

Pastor Chris begins by challenging us to examine our tendency to passively hear rather than actively listen, using Abraham Lincoln's wisdom that listening carefully trumps speaking eloquently. Through Paul's sermon at Antioch in Pisidia, we discover three crucial elements required for transformative listening: remembrance, recognition, and response.

When we remember that history has divine purpose—that God actively worked through Israel's story from the patriarchs through King David—we understand that events aren't random but divinely directed. Every moment in history points toward Jesus, giving our own stories profound meaning within God's redemptive narrative.

True listening also requires recognizing Jesus as the promised Messiah. Paul demonstrates how Christ fulfilled hundreds of detailed prophecies—an astronomical mathematical impossibility unless Jesus truly is who He claimed to be. The resurrection stands as the cornerstone of this truth, with eyewitness testimony that changed the course of history.

Most critically, genuine listening demands response. The gospel offers forgiveness that the law could never provide, but it also brings warning—you can love Christ and follow Him joyfully, or reject Him and face judgment, but neutrality is impossible. The contrasting reactions of Jews and Gentiles in Antioch demonstrate these stark alternatives.

This message strikes at the heart of superficial Christianity. Do we walk away from sermons nodding in agreement but unchanged? Or does our encounter with God's Word lead to transformation that lasts beyond Sunday morning? The gospel welcomes everyone—regardless of background, ethnicity, or past—but it requires more than passive acknowledgment.

Whether you're questioning faith or have heard sermons for decades, today is the day to truly listen. The eternal King invites your response. What will yours be?

Support the show

Message Us!

The people we surround ourselves with shape who we become. Pastor Ben takes us through Acts 13:4-12, exploring the powerful confrontation between Paul and Bar-Jesus, a false prophet who opposed the gospel message despite his impressive-sounding credentials.

Drawing from the timeless wisdom that "show me your friends and I'll show you your future," this message examines how the influences in our lives—whether people, media, or entertainment—can either draw us closer to Christ or pull us away. Through personal stories and biblical insights, Pastor Ben challenges us to evaluate whether what we allow into our lives is moving us toward spiritual growth or hindering our journey.

Are you surrounding yourself with people and influences that make you more like Christ? Join us as we explore how to build a life centered on godly influences and become life-giving influences for others.

Support the show

Message Us!

Discover the transformative spiritual practice that's hiding in plain sight throughout Scripture yet rarely discussed in modern churches. Fasting—mentioned over 60 times in the Bible and practiced by Jesus himself—has largely disappeared from our spiritual conversations despite its profound impact on our relationship with God.

What makes this ancient discipline so powerful? Unlike other spiritual practices, fasting uniquely demonstrates our desire for God above all else by temporarily setting aside His good gifts (typically food) to focus more fully on Him. As Augustine wrote, fasting is "for Christians what exercise is for the athlete," strengthening us for life's battles and sharpening our spiritual sight.

Our journey through Acts 13 reveals how the early church at Antioch was "worshiping the Lord and fasting" when the Holy Spirit directed them to commission Paul and Barnabas for missionary work. This pivotal moment in church history—the launching of the first missionary journey—emerged directly from a time of corporate fasting. The text mentions fasting twice in just three verses, highlighting its significance in hearing God's voice with clarity.

Will you accept the challenge to rediscover what generations of faithful believers have known? Your spiritual journey might be transformed by what you discover when you fast.

Support the show

Message Us!

Prayer is not just a religious ritual but a transformative force that can break chains, open prison doors, and change seemingly impossible situations. This message dives deep into the power of intercessory prayer—the practice of fervently taking others' needs before God—as dramatically illustrated in Acts 12.

The message tackles challenging questions about prayer's relationship to God's sovereignty. Why was Peter rescued while James was executed? If God is sovereign, why pray at all? Through exploring these questions, we gain deeper insight into how prayer doesn't change God's mind but rather activates His power as He has designed prayer to be one of the means through which He accomplishes His purposes.

Whether you're new to prayer or have been praying for decades, this message will reignite your passion for intercession by revealing how your earnest prayers for others can bring about supernatural intervention. Join us Wednesday nights at 7pm as we put these principles into practice together and watch God move in power.

Support the show

Message Us!

Every human being is a disciple of someone or something. Whether consciously or unconsciously, we're all being shaped by the voices we listen to most—political ideologies, entertainment, social media, or Christ himself. Discipleship is power: it shapes our individual lives, our homes, nations, and the world.

Whether you're a new believer or a seasoned Christian, this message challenges you to evaluate who's discipling you and how you're discipling others. The discipleship journey isn't measured by comparing yourself to others, but by asking: "Do I look more like Christ today than I did yesterday?" Join us as we explore how the ancient church's discipleship practices can transform our lives and communities today.

Support the show

Message Us!

What's your greatest source of joy? The disciples returned from their mission trip exhilarated that "even demons are subject to us in your name!" But Jesus gives a surprising response that challenges our entire understanding of spiritual success and true joy.

Drawing from Luke 10:17-20, this message explores Jesus' gentle rebuke to his disciples when he tells them, "Do not rejoice that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven." It's a profound redirection that speaks directly to our tendency to find identity and satisfaction in what we do rather than who we are in Christ.

Support the show

Message Us!

We challenge the common practice of giving God our leftovers rather than our best, exploring how the prophet Malachi condemned Israel's polluted offerings and what this means for modern believers.

• The Israelites were bringing blind, lame, and sick animals as sacrifices, which God called evil
• Whatever receives our best time, energy, and resources reveals what we truly worship
• We have three main resources: time, talent, and treasure – how we allocate them reveals our priorities
• The shocking truth that God would rather have the temple doors closed than receive insincere worship
• God deserves our best not because He needs anything from us, but simply because of who He is
• Everyone worships something – whatever you attribute highest value to becomes your master

Support the show

Message Us!

What would you sacrifice to bring someone eternal life?

This powerful question frames our exploration of Acts 10, where Peter's journey to Cornelius marks the moment the Gospel first intentionally crossed cultural boundaries to reach the Gentile world. The staggering reality is that today, 3.5 billion people have virtually no access to the gospel—not those who've rejected it, but those who've never had the opportunity to hear it.

Through Peter and Cornelius' story, we discover the essential framework for global missions: God orchestrates, and believers participate. While God does the heavy lifting of salvation, He invites us into three specific ways of participation—praying, going, and sending.

The 3.5 billion unreached are not just statistics—they're individuals with names, families, dreams, and eternal souls. How will you respond to reach them? Start a prayer journal. Consider your calling. Give sacrificially. Together, we can bring Christ's hope to every nation, tribe, and tongue.

Support the show