THE PODCAST

There is wisdom for us in understanding and aligning ourselves with the purposes of God. There is incredible foolishness in and consequences for aligning ourselves against Him.

By Acts 11, the seed of the gospel that started in Jerusalem was spreading rapidly throughout the known world, with Antioch soon becoming a hub, bursting at the seems with new converts. The church in Jerusalem sent a man to train and encourage these recently converted former pagans. They sent a "good man" named Barnabas, who was known as an encourager.

Prejudice is the grouping of people by a particular character trait deemed as lesser. It is human nature to be prejudiced towards those who are perceived as different. However, there is absolutely no place for prejudice in the Christian life. We are all sinners before God, and we are all the objects of His love as demonstrated in the life and death of Jesus Christ. God forbid that we say, "God forbid" to someone who needs His love.

Tabatha was an exceptional woman who left an incredible legacy and hole in her absence. She walked worthy of her calling as a Christian, and we are to do the same. We should consider our legacies and walk worthy of our calling.

The success of the gospel can be credited to the membership of the church. The strength of Eastland is directly tied to the missional mindset of each and every member.

Stephen was a man of faith so filled with grace that those murdering him saw in his face the countenance of an angel. They saw not hatred, anger, or pain but the manifested grace of God. The grace of God allowed Stephen to overcome unbelievable abuse and hardship. Mastering self is life’s hardest task. God’s grace enabling us to take abuse and hurt is a miracle in itself. We must ask ourselves: to what degree do we have power over our own selves? By whom and what are you controlled?

God is a God of order; that is clear in creation. He expects there to be order in the church. However, the church is not a business, and if you remove the Holy Spirit, the church becomes worthless. We must be both organized and Holy Spirit filled. We must be people of God who walk with God, and we must get our hands dirty in the service of the church. The church will be hurt by a neglect of the spiritual and the organizational. We all must do both, and we all must do our part.

The miracles of the early disciples were done within the context of sharing the gospel. Multitudes of people found healing, and this healing gave opportunity for preaching. All of Jerusalem was filled with the doctrine of the early church. This preaching of the gospel led to imprisonment by the religious establishment on multiple occasions. However, the early church was determined to obey God rather than man and they went right back the preaching the gospel, which is what had led to their imprisonment in the first place. God has given the church a singular mission, and it is vital that we keep the main thing the main thing.