The martyrdom of Stephen set off a larger persecution in the city of Jerusalem. We take a closer look at how the church responded, and God used even the persecution to spread the gospel far beyond the city of Jerusalem. 

The opposition had been growing in Jerusalem, even as the church continued to add new believers to its numbers. A conflict arose between Stephen and one of the synagogues. Through false witnesses, they dragged Stephen before the Jewish leaders,...

As the church continued to grow, it faced new challenges. Questions about money and fairness began to form lines of division. The apostles called all the disciples together to address the issue. As we look at Acts 6, we get not only a warning a...

The apostles and Christians continue to face threats. They had been commanded to stop speaking about Jesus, but they would not obey. Instead, they continued to meet in the temple and tell people about Jesus. And again, they found themselves arr...

While the early church was marked by unity and the power of the Spirit, they not only continued to face external persecution but internal temptations. The story of Ananias and Sapphira reminds us that the same spirit that brings power also dema...

Having been threatened by the religious leaders, Peter and John returned to their friends. They gathered together to pray. But they didn't pray for protection or vengeance. They reminded themselves of God, his promises, and the work of Jesus, a...

As Peter and John's preaching began to draw a crowd in the temple, the Jewish rulers had them arrested and questioned. But Peter was not intimidated. He spoke the truth with a boldness and clarity that astonished the leaders. As we study the pa...

In Acts 2, Luke offered a summary of the first Christians worshipping together and seeing the Spirit work in miracles. In Chapter 3, Luke offers an example of one of those events, as Peter and John met a crippled man outside the temple. What fo...

While the opening chapters of Acts are full of spectacular moments, Luke is careful to conclude with a summary of the humble commitments of God's people. Having received the Spirit, they committed themselves to a particular set of acts that sha...

Last week, we examined the coming of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2. We will continue this study this week by examining Peter's speech before the crowds. We'll see how the gift of tongues fulfilled Joel's prophecy that all God's people might become ...

As the disciples waited in the upper room, God's Spirit came down. We take a close look at what is one of the most important passages in the Bible and see how the events of Acts 2 shaped the disciples, the church, and us today. 

Jesus asked his disciples to wait. But their wait wasn't wasted time. Waiting changed their perspective as they began, by the Spirit and scripture, to better understand what God was doing around them. Waiting also allows us to make room for wha...

Acts begins at one of the most important moments in history. Jesus sent his disciples out to witness to the world. But before they could turn the world upside down, Jesus commanded them to wait. The work begins with waiting. We take a closer lo...

In our final sermon of the Values series, we discuss the role of a local church in the broader work of the church's mission. Having a perspective on what God is doing around the world is crucial for the support and work to which we commit ourse...

As we continue our series, guest speaker Donna Barrett, explores the importance of community and how our fellowship reflects the life and health of the church.

What is it that a church does when it meets together? In Acts 2, the church commits itself to teaching, fellowship, communion, and prayer. These have often been called the four marks of the church. We look at the importance of these marks and h...

As we continue our series looking at the values of Bent Oak Church, we come to an unexpected value: the church as an institution. There are two temptations when it comes to the organization of the church. We are tempted either to make it an ido...

As we continue our series on the values of Bent Oak, Pastor Barry unpacks the importance of worship and why worship should be the response to everything the church does and receives together.

In the second part of our series on the values of Bent Oak Church, we take a look at how scripture and the gospel anchor in life. It was because the early church was dedicated to the teaching of the apostles that they could share all things in ...

In the first sermon of our values series, we're looking at what it means for a church to live life together and how the church should fit with our common life. 

In our final passage of Luke, we take a look at Jesus's appearance to his disciples and the surprising details that Luke includes. Jesus told his disciples to touch his hands and asked them for something to eat. 

Having found Jesus's tomb empty, his disciples weren't sure what to make of it. In their disappointment, two of those disciples set out for home. Their discouragement blinded them from seeing that it was Jesus who joined them on the road. We ta...

On this Easter Sunday, we're looking at Jesus' resurrection and the disciples discover that the tomb was empty. Though Jesus had told them he would rise on the third day, his disciples still struggled to understand. The angels came with the mes...

Upon Jesus's death, Luke introduces us to a new and unexpected character: Joseph of Aramethia. A Jewish leader, Joseph, took a risk in requesting Jesus's body. Having received approval from Pilate, Joseph hurried to bury Jesus with dignity befo...

We have been working slowly through the arrest, trial, and crucifixion of Jesus. In this week's passage, we come to Jesus's final moments and his death. We'll also look at the responses of those gathered beneath Jesus's cross.