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What sustains faith when we're waiting on God? Beholding Jesus turns uncertainty into hope and transforms even death's departure into peace. 
 
SIMEON’S NUNC DIMITTIS 
Luke 2:25–35 
Pastor Philip Miller 
 
Awaiting 
• Living by faith means learning to wait. 
 
Beholding 
• Living by faith means trusting in the middle. 
 
Entrusting 
• Living by faith means surrendering in hope. 
 
Takeaway: Our lives are in His hands.

What sustains faith when we're waiting on God? Beholding Jesus turns uncertainty into hope and transforms even death's departure into peace.

SIMEON’S NUNC DIMITTIS
Luke 2:25–35
Pastor Philip Miller

Awaiting
• Living by faith means learning to wait.

Beholding 
• Living by faith means trusting in the middle.

Entrusting 
• Living by faith means surrendering in hope.

Takeaway: Our lives are in His hands.

Simeon’s Nunc Dimittis | Luke 2:25–35 | Pastor Philip Miller

Like Zechariah, we wrestle with disbelief while God works in the quiet. Then Christ appears as our long-awaited Redeemer, King, and Peace. 
 
A New Exodus 
• Jesus is our Redeemer. 
 
A New Warrior 
• Jesus is our King. 
 
A New Freedom 
• Jesus is our Deliverer. 
 
A New Covenant 
• Jesus is our Savior. 
 
A New Hope 
• Jesus is our Peace. 
 
Takeaway: Jesus is our Everything!

Like Zechariah, we wrestle with disbelief while God works in the quiet. Then Christ appears as our long-awaited Redeemer, King, and Peace.

A New Exodus
• Jesus is our Redeemer.

A New Warrior 
• Jesus is our King.

A New Freedom 
• Jesus is our Deliverer.

A New Covenant  
• Jesus is our Savior.

A New Hope  
• Jesus is our Peace.

Takeaway: Jesus is our Everything!

Zechariah's Benedictus | Luke 1:68–79 | Pastor Philip Miller

When the proud prevail and hope feels thin, Mary sings of a God who sees the humble. Her Magnificat shows how His mercy and justice upends the world. 
 
MARY’S MAGNIFICAT 
Luke 1:46–55 
Pastor Philip Miller 
 
God’s Delight 
• Our God honors the humble. 
 
God’s Strength 
• Our God fights for the feeble. 
 
God’s Justice 
• Our God reckons the wreckage. 
 
God’s Faithfulness 
• Our God keeps His covenants. 
 
Takeaway: God is glorified as we delight ourselves in Him.

When the proud prevail and hope feels thin, Mary sings of a God who sees the humble. Her Magnificat shows how His mercy and justice upends the world.

MARY’S MAGNIFICAT
Luke 1:46–55
Pastor Philip Miller

God’s Delight
• Our God honors the humble.

God’s Strength 
• Our God fights for the feeble.

God’s Justice 
• Our God reckons the wreckage.

God’s Faithfulness 
• Our God keeps His covenants.

Takeaway: God is glorified as we delight ourselves in Him.

Mary's Magnificat | Luke 1:46–55 | Pastor Philip Miller

When darkness overwhelms and evil seems to win, Acts 12 reminds us that God is still sovereign in the shadows. Trusting Him in the night becomes the very path He uses to bring rescue, justice, and victory. 
 
 
Trust God’s Sovereignty 
• In the dark, our God is still King. 
 
Trust God’s Goodness 
• In the dark, our God still loves us. 
 
Trust God’s Wisdom 
• In the dark, our God still knows best. 
 
Trust God’s Justice 
• In the dark, our God is still working. 
 
Trust God’s Victory 
• In the dark, our God is still winning. 
 
Takeaway: In the dark, our God is still trustworthy.

When darkness overwhelms and evil seems to win, Acts 12 reminds us that God is still sovereign in the shadows. Trusting Him in the night becomes the very path He uses to bring rescue, justice, and victory.


Trust God’s Sovereignty
• In the dark, our God is still King.

Trust God’s Goodness 
• In the dark, our God still loves us.

Trust God’s Wisdom 
• In the dark, our God still knows best.

Trust God’s Justice 
• In the dark, our God is still working.

Trust God’s Victory
• In the dark, our God is still winning.

Takeaway: In the dark, our God is still trustworthy.

Trusting in the Dark | Acts 12:1–24 | Pastor Philip Miller

WE ARE FARMERS 
Mark 4:1–20 
Pastor Justin May 
 
1. The Parable 
 
2. The Parable Explained 
 
3. The Part Left Unsaid: How Did the Good Soil Get Good? 
 
4. How to Farm 
 
For more, visit us at https://www.moodychurch.org/

WE ARE FARMERS
Mark 4:1–20
Pastor Justin May

1. The Parable 

2. The Parable Explained

3. The Part Left Unsaid: How Did the Good Soil Get Good?

4. How to Farm

For more, visit us at https://www.moodychurch.org/

We are Farmers | Mark 4:1–20 | Pastor Justin May

What happens when the Gospel reaches the least expected? Unlikely people become world changers through Christ. 
 
UNLIKELY CHRISTIANS 
Acts 11:19–30; 12:25–13:3 
Pastor Philip Miller 
 
Unlikely Diversity 
∙ The Gospel embraces the unlikely. 
 
Unlikely Unity 
∙ The Gospel unites the unlikely. 
 
Unlikely Ministry 
∙ The Gospel pursues the unlikely. 
 
Takeaway: The Gospel is for every unlikely one of us. 
 
• “People sensed in their hearts that Jesus did not mock their respect for the sacred nor their clamor for an invincible Savior, and so they beat their sacred drums for him until the stars skipped and danced in the skies. After that dance, the stars weren’t little anymore. Christianity helped Africans to become renewed Africans, not re-made Europeans.” 
—Lamin Sanneh, Whose Religion is Christianity?

What happens when the Gospel reaches the least expected? Unlikely people become world changers through Christ.

UNLIKELY CHRISTIANS
Acts 11:19–30; 12:25–13:3
Pastor Philip Miller

Unlikely Diversity
∙ The Gospel embraces the unlikely.

Unlikely Unity
∙ The Gospel unites the unlikely.

Unlikely Ministry
∙ The Gospel pursues the unlikely.

Takeaway: The Gospel is for every unlikely one of us.

• “People sensed in their hearts that Jesus did not mock their respect for the sacred nor their clamor for an invincible Savior, and so they beat their sacred drums for him until the stars skipped and danced in the skies. After that dance, the stars weren’t little anymore. Christianity helped Africans to become renewed Africans, not re-made Europeans.”
—Lamin Sanneh, Whose Religion is Christianity?

Unlikely Christians | Acts 11:19–30; 12:25–13:3 | Pastor Philip Miller

Who’s in God’s family? Everyone washed clean by Jesus, welcomed by grace, and sealed by His Spirit. 
 
The Setup 
∙ God is setting up a meeting between Cornelius and Peter, proactively dismantling Old Covenant barriers 
 
The Surprise 
∙ The Gentiles are sealed by the Spirit in the New Covenant through Jesus, without becoming Jewish 
 
The Sorting 
∙ In the New Covenant, Jews and Gentiles alike come directly to the Father, through Jesus alone, by the Spirit 
 
Takeaway: “Ever welcome to this house of God are strangers and the poor”

Who’s in God’s family? Everyone washed clean by Jesus, welcomed by grace, and sealed by His Spirit.

The Setup
∙ God is setting up a meeting between Cornelius and Peter, proactively dismantling Old Covenant barriers

The Surprise
∙ The Gentiles are sealed by the Spirit in the New Covenant through Jesus, without becoming Jewish

The Sorting
∙ In the New Covenant, Jews and Gentiles alike come directly to the Father, through Jesus alone, by the Spirit

Takeaway: “Ever welcome to this house of God are strangers and the poor”

All In The Family | Acts 10:1–11:18 | Pastor Philip Miller

We’re all works in progress living in a world under construction—yet Jesus is still working, healing, and bringing resurrection hope. 
 
Expansion 
∙ Jesus’ work is reaching further 
 
Extension 
∙ Jesus’ work is multiplying wider 
 
Expectation 
∙ Jesus’ work is pointing higher 
 
Takeaway: “I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” – Philippians 1:6

We’re all works in progress living in a world under construction—yet Jesus is still working, healing, and bringing resurrection hope.

Expansion
∙ Jesus’ work is reaching further

Extension
∙ Jesus’ work is multiplying wider

Expectation
∙ Jesus’ work is pointing higher

Takeaway: “I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” – Philippians 1:6

Work In Progress | Acts 9:32–43 | Pastor Philip Miller

Though fear grips tight, faith can take root. What threatens to undo us can become the ground where trust in God grows strong. 
 
 
Elijah’s experience with fear provides several lessons for the church today on how to endure anxieties and setbacks. Discover how our Father in heaven responds to our emotional vulnerability. 
 
 
1. Fear is normal. 
 
 
2. Fear interrupts faith. 
 
 
3. Fear cannot revoke your calling. 
 
 
Takeaway: Fear is the opportunity to experience God’s comfort, restoration, and guidance. Spiritual strength is grounded in unwavering dependence upon God.

Though fear grips tight, faith can take root. What threatens to undo us can become the ground where trust in God grows strong.


Elijah’s experience with fear provides several lessons for the church today on how to endure anxieties and setbacks. Discover how our Father in heaven responds to our emotional vulnerability. 


1. Fear is normal. 


2. Fear interrupts faith. 


3. Fear cannot revoke your calling. 


Takeaway: Fear is the opportunity to experience God’s comfort, restoration, and guidance. Spiritual strength is grounded in unwavering dependence upon God.

Faith Over Fear | 1 Kings 18:30–39 | Pastor Larry McCarthy

In a striking reversal, the persecutor became the persecuted, displaying the Gospel’s power. Only the risen Christ could turn an enemy into an ambassador.  
 
Saul’s Conversion 
• The Gospel confronts and consoles. 
 
Saul’s Community 
• The Gospel changes and challenges. 
 
Saul’s Commission 
• The Gospel compels and confounds. 
 
Takeaways: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for 
salvation to everyone who believes” –Romans 1:16a

In a striking reversal, the persecutor became the persecuted, displaying the Gospel’s power. Only the risen Christ could turn an enemy into an ambassador. 

Saul’s Conversion
• The Gospel confronts and consoles.

Saul’s Community
• The Gospel changes and challenges.

Saul’s Commission
• The Gospel compels and confounds.

Takeaways: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for
salvation to everyone who believes” –Romans 1:16a

The Power Of The Gospel | Acts 9:1–31 | Pastor Philip Miller

Ever feel too broken or unworthy for God? In Jesus, the outsider is embraced, the cut-off are welcomed, and joy overflows. 
 
 
 
A Divine Appointment 
 
• God is going out of His way in pursuit of the Ethiopian Eunuch through Philip 
 
 
 
A Spiritual Pilgrimage 
 
• This Ethiopian Eunuch's longing for hope is riddled with pain. 
 
 
 
A Gospel Breakthrough 
 
• In Jesus, this Ethiopian Eunuch is fully welcomed. 
 
 
 
Takeaways: 
 
• The Gospel is for you. 
 
• Jesus is our way in. 
 
• “What prevents me from being baptized?”

Ever feel too broken or unworthy for God? In Jesus, the outsider is embraced, the cut-off are welcomed, and joy overflows. 

 

A Divine Appointment 

• God is going out of His way in pursuit of the Ethiopian Eunuch through Philip

 

A Spiritual Pilgrimage 

• This Ethiopian Eunuch's longing for hope is riddled with pain. 

 

A Gospel Breakthrough 

• In Jesus, this Ethiopian Eunuch is fully welcomed. 

 

Takeaways: 

• The Gospel is for you.

• Jesus is our way in.

• “What prevents me from being baptized?”

An Unexpected Journey | Acts 8:26–40 | Pastor Philip Miller

When chaos scatters God’s people, does evil win? In Jesus’ hands, persecution spreads the Gospel, reconciles people, and cultivates humility. 
 
The Lord of the Church 
Acts 8:1–25  
Pastor Philip Miller  
 
The Redeemer  
• Persecution in Jesus’ hands becomes Gospel-propulsion.  
 
The Healer  
• Estrangement in Jesus’ hands becomes Gospel-reconciliation.  
 
The Teacher  
• Ego in Jesus’ hands becomes Gospel-humility.  
 
Takeaways: Put it all in Jesus’ hands

When chaos scatters God’s people, does evil win? In Jesus’ hands, persecution spreads the Gospel, reconciles people, and cultivates humility.

The Lord of the Church
Acts 8:1–25 
Pastor Philip Miller 

The Redeemer 
• Persecution in Jesus’ hands becomes Gospel-propulsion. 

The Healer 
• Estrangement in Jesus’ hands becomes Gospel-reconciliation. 

The Teacher 
• Ego in Jesus’ hands becomes Gospel-humility. 

Takeaways: Put it all in Jesus’ hands

The Lord of the Church | Acts 8:1–25 | Pastor Philip Miller

In the darkest persecution, Jesus stands with those who stand for Him. Stephen's witness and martyrdom revealed God’s glory, sparking unstoppable faith. 
 
THE FIRST MARTYR 
Acts 6:8–7:60 
Pastor Philip Miller 
 
Stephen's Charges 
• Blasphemy against Moses, God, Temple, and Law. 
 
His Defense 
• The real blasphemy is rejection of Jesus Messiah. 
 
His Witness 
• Stephen sees and shines Jesus as his final testimony. 
 
Takeaways: 
1. Standing for Jesus has never been easy. 
2. Jesus stands with the ones who stand for Him. 
3. Our greatest sermon is our Christlikeness. 
4. The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church. 
5. To live is Christ, and to die is gain. 
 
Visit us at moodychurch.org

In the darkest persecution, Jesus stands with those who stand for Him. Stephen's witness and martyrdom revealed God’s glory, sparking unstoppable faith.

THE FIRST MARTYR
Acts 6:8–7:60
Pastor Philip Miller

Stephen's Charges
• Blasphemy against Moses, God, Temple, and Law.

His Defense
• The real blasphemy is rejection of Jesus Messiah.

His Witness
• Stephen sees and shines Jesus as his final testimony.

Takeaways:
1. Standing for Jesus has never been easy.
2. Jesus stands with the ones who stand for Him.
3. Our greatest sermon is our Christlikeness.
4. The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.
5. To live is Christ, and to die is gain.

Visit us at moodychurch.org

The First Martyr | Acts 6:8–7:60 | Pastor Philip Miller

What if conflict strengthened the church? The early church’s growing pains led to Spirit-filled unity that empowered diverse leaders and multiplied impact. 
 
GROWING PAINS 
Acts 6:1–7 
Pastor Philip Miller 
 
The Problem 
• The Problem: Distortion & Distraction 
 
The Solution 
• The Solution: Integrity & Intentionality 
 
The Result 
• The Results: Mutuality & Multiplication 
 
Takeaway: The more we become what we believe, the more the world beholds the Gospel’s beauty.

What if conflict strengthened the church? The early church’s growing pains led to Spirit-filled unity that empowered diverse leaders and multiplied impact.

GROWING PAINS 
Acts 6:1–7 
Pastor Philip Miller 

The Problem 
• The Problem: Distortion & Distraction 

The Solution 
• The Solution: Integrity & Intentionality 

The Result 
• The Results: Mutuality & Multiplication 

Takeaway: The more we become what we believe, the more the world beholds the Gospel’s beauty.

Growing Pains | Acts 6:1–7 | Pastor Philip Miller

The Moody Church in Chicago gathers each Sunday at 10 A.M. (Central Standard Time). If you’re in the area, we invite you to come join us in-person. 
https://www.moodychurch.org/live-stream 
Connect with us today at: 
https://www.moodychurch.org/connect 
 
God's Ways And Our Prayers | 2 Kings 6:1–23 | Pastor Justin May 
 
A Weird Prologue 
The story begins with the sons of the prophets, a humble community serving the Lord. When a borrowed iron axe head falls into the Jordan, Elisha miraculously makes it float. Though small and strange, this miracle shows that God cares deeply for the problems of ordinary people—even when those problems don’t affect history. God delights to bless and intervene, no matter how insignificant our crises may seem. 
 
A Blind King 
The king of Syria repeatedly tries to ambush Israel’s king, but Elisha warns him each time. Frustrated, the Syrian king suspects betrayal, until he learns that Elisha, God’s prophet, reveals his plans. Blind to reality, the king foolishly attempts to capture Elisha. His blindness highlights not physical sight but a failure to grasp God’s power and sovereignty. 
 
A Blind Servant and a Blind Army 
Elisha’s servant panics when they are surrounded by the Syrian army. But Elisha prays, and God opens the servant’s eyes to see an unseen angelic host of fiery chariots all around. Elisha then prays for the enemy to be struck with blindness, leading them into Samaria. This demonstrates that God’s power invades the ordinary through prayer and that true sight requires faith. 
 
Another Blind King 
The king of Israel, Jehoram, is eager to kill the captured Syrians. But Elisha commands him instead to feed them and send them home. Though Jehoram sees his enemies delivered to him, he is blind to the deeper truth—that YHWH alone is worthy to be obeyed and feared. By showing mercy rather than slaughter, Israel gains peace, revealing God’s heart for nations and His ways that are better than ours. 
 
Application 
 
God cares for you. He cared about a lost axe head, about kings, armies, and even enemies. Nothing is too small or insignificant for His notice. 
 
God is capable. Whether crises are small or international in scale, both are equally manageable for Him. 
 
This world is a lot stranger than we think. Like Elisha’s servant, we are often blind to the unseen spiritual reality around us. 
 
Our prayer life should reflect all 3 of these realities. Pray as though God cares, as though He is capable, and as though His solutions may be unexpected or unusual. 
 
Takeaway: God’s power invades the world of the ordinary because of the prayers of His people.

The Moody Church in Chicago gathers each Sunday at 10 A.M. (Central Standard Time). If you’re in the area, we invite you to come join us in-person.
https://www.moodychurch.org/live-stream
Connect with us today at:
https://www.moodychurch.org/connect

God's Ways And Our Prayers | 2 Kings 6:1–23 | Pastor Justin May

A Weird Prologue
The story begins with the sons of the prophets, a humble community serving the Lord. When a borrowed iron axe head falls into the Jordan, Elisha miraculously makes it float. Though small and strange, this miracle shows that God cares deeply for the problems of ordinary people—even when those problems don’t affect history. God delights to bless and intervene, no matter how insignificant our crises may seem.

A Blind King
The king of Syria repeatedly tries to ambush Israel’s king, but Elisha warns him each time. Frustrated, the Syrian king suspects betrayal, until he learns that Elisha, God’s prophet, reveals his plans. Blind to reality, the king foolishly atte

God's Ways And Our Prayers | 2 Kings 6:1–23 | Pastor Justin May

Be encouraged you have reasons to rejoice. 
Believers are commanded to rejoice always. Joy is deeper than happiness and is not dependent on circumstances but rooted in remembering what we have in Christ. In Him we have acceptance, adoption, forgiveness, hope, grace, salvation, love, and the sealing of the Spirit. Remembering these truths fuels rejoicing and brings encouragement. 
 
Be encouraged you have access to God. 
Prayer is ongoing communication with God and an awareness of His presence and dependence on Him. We are told to pray without ceasing, trusting that God always hears and answers, even when the answer is “no.” Through the Holy Spirit we are taught, strengthened, and guided. Prayer is like spiritual breathing, sustaining our relationship with God. 
 
Be encouraged in everything. 
God calls us to give thanks in all circumstances. Even in trials and hardships, we can trust His sovereignty and power. Every situation is used for our sanctification, shaping us to serve and share. Nothing is too great for God; while we may ask Him to remove mountains, He promises to walk with us as we climb them. 
 
Takeaway: Saved to serve and share. 
When saved, believers are summoned to serve and share Christ. Service unites the body of Christ and flows from the meaning, purpose, and joy found in Him. We must stop living between “if” and “when” and embrace the truth of the gospel today. Whether we know Him, need restoration, or have yet to believe, the call is the same: be encouraged, Jesus died for you, loves you, and offers reconciliation with God.

Be encouraged you have reasons to rejoice.
Believers are commanded to rejoice always. Joy is deeper than happiness and is not dependent on circumstances but rooted in remembering what we have in Christ. In Him we have acceptance, adoption, forgiveness, hope, grace, salvation, love, and the sealing of the Spirit. Remembering these truths fuels rejoicing and brings encouragement.

Be encouraged you have access to God.
Prayer is ongoing communication with God and an awareness of His presence and dependence on Him. We are told to pray without ceasing, trusting that God always hears and answers, even when the answer is “no.” Through the Holy Spirit we are taught, strengthened, and guided. Prayer is like spiritual breathing, sustaining our relationship with God.

Be encouraged in everything.
God calls us to give thanks in all circumstances. Even in trials and hardships, we can trust His sovereignty and power. Every situation is used for our sanctification, shaping us to serve and share. Noth

Be Encouraged | 1 Thessalonians 5:16-19 | Pastor Larry McCarthy

Jesus and the Agony of an Unanswered Prayer 
Mark 14:32–42 
Pastor Erwin Lutzer 
 
Four Questions That Beg for an Answer 
1. What was the Cup? 
2. Who Gave Him the Cup? 
3. What was Jesus’ Request? 
4. What was Jesus’ Response? 
 
Five Lessons for our own prayer life 
1. Today’s prayerless Christians are tomorrow’s backsliders 
2. Unanswered Prayers are not unheard prayers 
3. Our “cup” must be accepted from the hands of God 
4. Our Redemption was founded on an unanswered prayer 
5. Jesus was abandoned so we will always be welcomed

Jesus and the Agony of an Unanswered Prayer
Mark 14:32–42
Pastor Erwin Lutzer

Four Questions That Beg for an Answer
1. What was the Cup?
2. Who Gave Him the Cup?
3. What was Jesus’ Request?
4. What was Jesus’ Response?

Five Lessons for our own prayer life
1. Today’s prayerless Christians are tomorrow’s backsliders
2. Unanswered Prayers are not unheard prayers
3. Our “cup” must be accepted from the hands of God
4. Our Redemption was founded on an unanswered prayer
5. Jesus was abandoned so we will always be welcomed

Jesus and the Agony of an Unanswered Prayer | Mark 14:32–42 | Pastor Erwin Lutzer

UNSTOPPABLE LIFE 
Acts 5:17–42 
Pastor Philip Miller 
 
The Book of Acts reveals how the life of Jesus is unstoppable, advancing through His people despite every form of opposition. Acts 5:17–42 answers the question of how Jesus works through us to change the world, showing a divine partnership between God’s power and our participation. This passage presents four key ingredients that demonstrate how we join Jesus on His mission. 
 
1. Unexpected Power 
In Acts 5, the apostles are imprisoned by jealous religious leaders for boldly preaching about Jesus. But during the night, an angel miraculously releases them and instructs them to return to the temple and keep proclaiming the message. Despite their weakness and powerlessness, God demonstrates His strength by freeing them and continuing His work through them. The apostles’ imprisonment becomes the stage for God’s unexpected and undeniable power. 
 
- Through weakness, God reveals His strength 
 
 
2. Undaunted Witness 
When brought before the Sanhedrin, the apostles refuse to back down. They boldly declare that they must obey God rather than men and proclaim Jesus as the crucified and exalted Savior. Their courageous witness, empowered by the Holy Spirit, confronts their accusers with both truth and invitation. Despite pressure and threats, their obedience becomes a testimony to God's supreme authority and unmatched worth. 
 
- Through obedience, God displays His supremacy 
 
 
3. Unfading Endurance 
The council is enraged and wants to kill the apostles, but Gamaliel, a respected Pharisee, advises caution. He points to past failed movements and argues that if this movement is from God, it cannot be stopped. His words prove prophetic, as the gospel spreads across the world, showing the endurance of God’s purposes through His people. The apostles keep showing up—faithfully living, proclaiming, and enduring—and through them, God proves the lasting truth of His mission. 
 
- Through perseverance, God proves His purposes 
 
 
4. Unquenchable Joy 
After being beaten and warned not to speak in Jesus’ name, the apostles leave rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer for Him. Their suffering doesn’t discourage them—it deepens their joy. It proves the authenticity of their faith, draws them closer to God, strengthens their character, and displays Jesus as their highest treasure. Their joy in suffering highlights the incomparable worth of Christ, who is more valuable than comfort, safety, or reputation. 
 
- Through suffering, God unveils His worthiness 
 
 
Takeaway 
Through our weakness, obedience, perseverance, and suffering, the unstoppable life of Jesus continues to transform the world. We each have a role to play in bringing this life to others. 
- Through our weakness, obedience, perseverance, and suffering, God’s unstoppable Life is changing the world.

UNSTOPPABLE LIFE
Acts 5:17–42
Pastor Philip Miller

The Book of Acts reveals how the life of Jesus is unstoppable, advancing through His people despite every form of opposition. Acts 5:17–42 answers the question of how Jesus works through us to change the world, showing a divine partnership between God’s power and our participation. This passage presents four key ingredients that demonstrate how we join Jesus on His mission.

1. Unexpected Power
In Acts 5, the apostles are imprisoned by jealous religious leaders for boldly preaching about Jesus. But during the night, an angel miraculously releases them and instructs them to return to the temple and keep proclaiming the message. Despite their weakness and powerlessness, God demonstrates His strength by freeing them and continuing His work through them. The apostles’ imprisonment becomes the stage for God’s unexpected and undeniable power.

- Through weakness, God reveals His strength


2. Undaunted Witness
When brought before the Sanhed

Unstoppable Life | Acts 5:17–42 | Pastor Philip Miller

A Severe Mercy 
Acts 4:32–5:16 
Pastor Philip Miller 
 
The early church was growing rapidly, marked by unity, generosity, and powerful witness. But as momentum built, a new threat emerged, not from external persecution, but from within the community itself. Ananias and Sapphira’s deceit revealed a spiritual attack designed to corrupt the church from the inside. This passage confronts us with sobering questions about holiness, sin, and the seriousness with which God protects His people. 
 
What is going on here? 
• The early church is under spiritual attack from within. 
As the church grew rapidly in unity and generosity, Satan shifted his tactics from external persecution to internal sabotage. While believers were sacrificially caring for one another, Ananias and Sapphira conspired to lie about their offering. Motivated by pride and a desire for recognition, they pretended to give the full amount from a land sale while secretly keeping part back. Their deceit wasn’t just a personal sin, it was a direct lie to the Holy Spirit and a threat to the spiritual health of the entire community. God responded immediately by striking them dead, exposing their hypocrisy and protecting the church from the internal decay of duplicity and pride. 
 
Why is it such a big deal? 
• God is purifying His church through a severe mercy. 
This moment is a big deal because it reveals both the holiness of God and the deadliness of sin. God is utterly holy and will not be mocked or approached with pretense. Like in other moments at the start of major redemptive eras, such as with Nadab and Abihu, Achan, and Uzzah, God acts decisively to set a precedent. His swift judgment shows that He is serious about sin, especially in the formative days of His church. At the same time, the sin of Ananias and Sapphira was far more than a minor misstep. It was deliberate, deceptive, satanic, and corrosive. If left unchecked, it would have poisoned the church’s unity, witness, and trust. In His severe mercy, God cut off this threat before it could metastasize. Though He judged them physically, it may be that He preserved their souls, protecting both them and the church through a hard but merciful act. 
 
How should we respond? 
• God is holier than we realize. 
God’s holiness is awe-inspiring and demands our reverence. He is not tame or to be taken lightly. We must approach Him with sincerity, obedience, and humility, recognizing His glory and our unworthiness apart from Christ. 
 
• Sin is deadlier than we realize. 
Sin is not just personal weakness, it is spiritual poison. It dulls our conscience, spreads like cancer, and endangers not only ourselves but our communities. God’s patience with our sin should not be mistaken for approval; it’s a call to repentance. 
 
• Mercy is greater than we realize. 
The fact that we are not judged instantly for our sin is evidence of God’s incredible mercy. Jesus absorbed the full wrath of God on the cross so we wouldn’t have to. Even the judgment on Ananias and Sapphira points to mercy, God’s grace in preserving the church and possibly their souls. We must never take that mercy for granted.

A Severe Mercy
Acts 4:32–5:16
Pastor Philip Miller

The early church was growing rapidly, marked by unity, generosity, and powerful witness. But as momentum built, a new threat emerged, not from external persecution, but from within the community itself. Ananias and Sapphira’s deceit revealed a spiritual attack designed to corrupt the church from the inside. This passage confronts us with sobering questions about holiness, sin, and the seriousness with which God protects His people.

What is going on here?
• The early church is under spiritual attack from within.
As the church grew rapidly in unity and generosity, Satan shifted his tactics from external persecution to internal sabotage. While believers were sacrificially caring for one another, Ananias and Sapphira conspired to lie about their offering. Motivated by pride and a desire for recognition, they pretended to give the full amount from a land sale while secretly keeping part back. Their deceit wasn’t just a personal sin, it wa

A Severe Mercy | Acts 4:32–5:16 | Pastor Philip Miller

Boldness For Jesus 
Acts 4:1–31 
Pastor Philip Miller 
 
 
In our secular, pluralistic culture, there is constant pressure to keep our faith private and stay silent about Jesus. But this goes against His commission to make disciples of all nations, we are called to boldly share the Good News. True boldness for Jesus must be gracious, loving, and rooted in a desire to speak the truth with humility and courage. 
 
 
Saving Name 
• Jesus is the only Name that saves. 
Peter and John boldly proclaimed that Jesus is the only Name that saves. Even when arrested and brought before the same powerful leaders who condemned Jesus, they declared that the crippled man was healed by Jesus Christ of Nazareth, crucified and risen. Peter explained that Jesus is the Cornerstone, rejected by people but essential for salvation, because there is no other name under heaven by which we must be saved. They found courage knowing that Jesus alone perfectly bridges the infinite gap between sinful humanity and a holy God. 
 
Supreme Authority 
• God is the only Authority that matters. 
When ordered by the authorities to stop speaking about Jesus, Peter and John refused, appealing to God’s supreme authority. They recognized that they answered to the One who made heaven and earth, who rules over every earthly power. Knowing they had been with Jesus and were commissioned by the Highest Authority gave them confidence to keep speaking, no matter who told them to stay silent. 
 
Spiritual Power 
• The Spirit is the only Power we need. 
After being released, the believers gathered to pray, not for safety or less opposition, but for continued boldness. They trusted the Holy Spirit to empower them to keep proclaiming the Gospel, even as threats increased. God answered by shaking the place they met and filling them with the Spirit, enabling them to continue to speak the Word of God with boldness. They knew that the Spirit’s power, not human strength, was the source of their courage. 
 
Takeaway 
“Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” 
— Joshua 1:9

Boldness For Jesus
Acts 4:1–31
Pastor Philip Miller


In our secular, pluralistic culture, there is constant pressure to keep our faith private and stay silent about Jesus. But this goes against His commission to make disciples of all nations, we are called to boldly share the Good News. True boldness for Jesus must be gracious, loving, and rooted in a desire to speak the truth with humility and courage.


Saving Name
• Jesus is the only Name that saves.
Peter and John boldly proclaimed that Jesus is the only Name that saves. Even when arrested and brought before the same powerful leaders who condemned Jesus, they declared that the crippled man was healed by Jesus Christ of Nazareth, crucified and risen. Peter explained that Jesus is the Cornerstone, rejected by people but essential for salvation, because there is no other name under heaven by which we must be saved. They found courage knowing that Jesus alone perfectly bridges the infinite gap between sinful humanity and a holy God.



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