It's a powerful story from the days of Elisha, an Old Testament prophet. The Syrians, have laid siege to Samaria, Israel's northern capital, cutting off its food supply. When starvation begins to turn the people into dry sticks, four lepers decide to turn themselves over to the enemy. The worst that could happen is that they will kill them, but they might just give them something to eat. They arrive at the Syiran Camp and get the surprise of their lives. There's enough food and supplies for thousands, but no soldiers. The four lepers begin to gorge themselves on the food, but then they remember the starving people back in the city. They return and share the good news. Today's message from Acts 10 faces us with the question facing the lepers, ”Will we gorge ourselves on Christ's forgiveness through Calvary or will we break out of our "in" group and share the incredible news?”

Truth Encounter: Acts - Impacting Our World

Breaking Out of the In Group II (10:9-48)

Though the baby boomers never dreamed they would become old, millions are now entering their sixties. What's their responsibility to the younger generations? It's time to grow up and mentor and the Apostle Paul shows us how to do it. Turn to Acts 16 and let's see how Paul chose a young Timothy to disciple and lead to servant leadership in the Church.

The Mentor and the Mentoree (15:41-16:5)

I just heard the other day that another prophecy guru has put together the feasts of Israel and some other info from the Old Testament and they know the date and time Jesus will return. It's a great way to sell books but is it the truth? Would you like to know how the resurrected Jesus answered the question about times and dates? Turn to Acts chapter one and let's listen.

Stargazers or World Witnesses (1:4-11)

Nobody wants to go to a medical doctor who makes up stories about your health just to make you feel good. If you want the truth from you doctor, why don't you demand the same from your minister? As we begin our study of the fifth book of the New Testament a first century medical doctor begins his history of the church with a strong claim—there are convincing proofs that Jesus of Nazareth rose again from the dead. Read Acts 1:1-4 for yourself, listen, and then decide for yourself what you believe about the resurrection.

Convincing Proofs (1:1-4)

One-a-day multiple vitamins--the idea is that you can pop one of these pills once a day down the hatch and you can be on the way to health and vitality. The problem with many followers of Christ is that they use this same approach in their faith, only this time it is not once a day, but once a week, Sunday, spirituality. But authentic Christianity has to become far more than simply attendance as a spectator at church. Instead, Jesus wants us to get totally involved, to be willing to risk even our lives for the fact that He is alive. How can we know this is the truth?

Resurrection: Madness Or Reality? (Acts 26)

Death is the absolute end so it is the cessation of all feeling. As birth took place out of non-existence, so death leads us back to non-existence. Therefore everything needs to be focused on this life. One must "seize the day." This is a dominant secular viewpoint but the truth is that this was the philosophy of Epicurus who lived more than three hundred years before Christ. He taught that death ended our existence; therefore, no one needed to worry about it. But we do worry about it and this denial of the immaterial side of our existence leads not to life, but to hopelessness and despair. Isn't there a better answer? Can we find a secure basis of hope in life after death?

Is It Light In The Darkness or Madness? (Acts 25:23-26:32)

Forty years of experiments, billions of dollars, and 6000 physicists working feverishly to discern the data finally exposed the elusive "God Particle." It's called the Higgs Boson after Peter Higgs, the Edinborough physicist who predicted its existence along with five other physicists in some incredible theoretical physics papers back in 1964. Does this discovery prove the materialists are right when they preach that Genesis 1:1 has been proven wrong? Is God as elusive as the "God-Particle"? Turn to Acts 17 and let's find out what Paul had to say to the atomists of his own day at the University of Athens.

A Tough University Crowd 2 (Acts 17:16-26)

Life is still fragile. Right when we think our technology and the prosperity it brings have made us safe, two minutes of crazy shaking and watching sky scrapers sway tosses our security away. Is there a Creator who promises to steady things? Is there a "shaking" that believers in Christ need as we pray for all those suffering in Japan from the earthquake and tsunami and those in Northern Africa and the Middle East who now face social and political insecurity? Listen

Shaking in the Spirit (4:23-31)

Just when the economy began to show signs of resuscitation, an earthquake and tsunami hit Japan and the stock markets all get jittery again. What do close ties in a church family that genuinely treat each other like brothers and sisters have to do with hard times in the job market? Listen

Struck Down in Church (Acts 4:32-5:11)

True Grit proved that the Western is not dead and what could be more exciting in a good cowboy story than a lynching! In the first century world of the book of Acts they didn't use ropes. They picked up stones. Will we join with the mob or with the Prophet Stephen? ...Don’t jump to a conclusion. Listen. You might discover that the mob looks a lot like us.

Stoned for Christ (6:8-7:60)

Billions watched William and Kate make their vows and heard that Jesus Christ is the hope for life in the life to come. It's obvious that the Jesus movement didn't die out quickly in the 1st Century, but what should this tell you about who you should trust?

Arresting the Miracle Workers (5:12-42)

Silencing Salvation (4:1-22)

If the crowd that killed Jesus can be forgiven by His Father, then there is nothing that you have done that can't be wiped clean. We can know this is true because we can listen to Peter as he preaches only a couple months after the crucifixion to the crowd that yelled "Crucify him!" This message will help you learn how even murderers can dance.

The Murderers Who Learned to Dance (3)

Twenty days into the New Year and Christmas is long behind us. Hopefully your kids received some gifts that still work and still satisfy them. Most things that produce that initial surge of happiness soon fade away in forgotten memories. But there is a gift that keeps on giving -a gift that does go on forever?

The Gift Goes On (28:17-31)

Have you ever heard the expression "snake bit?" Every time you turn around something else catastrophic happens. Well the truth of the matter is, the entire world has been snake bit. We live in a culture that spends its youth trying to get wealth, and then its wealth trying to get youth. What is the root of all this tedious hopelessness? When we believe in Jesus does this end life's problems? Many media preachers make this promise, but examine the biblical documents for yourself. Are bad circumstances and hard times evidences of God's displeasure?

Snake Bitten (28:1-15)

120 frightened, discouraged people huddled in an upper room, hunted by the authorities, mocked by religious leaders—who would ever suspect that they would take part in the most powerful revolution in history—a revolution still bringing freedom and hope throughout the world? It's the most riveting comeback story you could ever hear, and you can drink in every detail in the only first century history we have of the explosion of the Jesus movement. We want you to discover with us the power that can change the human heart anywhere, anytime.

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Truth Encounter: Acts - Impacting Our World

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