After he ascended into heaven, Jesus gave the disciples a task that was beyond their ability. But at Pentecost, the Holy Spirit filled them and gave them power to do things they previously could only have dreamt of. And the same Holy Spirit promises to fill, empower, and guide us today.
At some point, we all realize that what got us here will not get us where we need to go. Jesus' disciples faced that situation when he ascended into heaven, and he gave them a mission that was beyond anything they had ever done before. Their response teaches us how we can respond when we enter uncharted territory.
What do you do when you pour out your heart to God in prayer, but you hear nothing in response? Dr. Mark Foster shares about when God's answer to prayer is "Yes," "No," and "Not Yet," and he talks with Acts 2 member Cathy Meyer about her experience with God through struggle and loss.
God is more ready to talk to you than you are ready to listen. You can learn to hear the direct, loving, weighty voice of God through scripture. Over thousands of years, God’s voice is consistent. Pastor Mark shows us how we can know God’s voice today.
Every day, we are bombarded by voices that compete for our time, attention, and our hearts. In a sea of competing voices, how do we discern the one voice that leads to abundant life?
On Friday, Jesus was crucified, and his followers were overcome with pain. On Saturday, they waited, and nothing made sense. But on Sunday, Jesus rose from the dead, and they experienced deliverance. Whether you find yourself in a time of waiting or pain, Easter means that Jesus still delivers us from death to life, hope, and love.
Sloth is painful to watch, but easy to fall into. When we give in to sloth, we become indifferent to those around us. But throughout his life, Jesus models a better way—the way of diligence.
While it's easy to see greed as a temptation only for the very rich, the desire for more affects all of us. Instead of accumulating as much as possible and holding on for dear life, though, Jesus teaches that generosity sets us free from greed and lets us live lives of blessing for others.
Whether it's food, shopping, or scrolling on our phones, we all struggle with wanting more than is good for us, and the excess leads to ruin. But God desires our freedom, and through the virtue of temperance, helps us trust that Jesus is enough. Find sermon notes and more at https://acts2umc.org/sermons/gluttony-and-temperance/.
Lust can wreck our relationships and reduce our capacity for love. The virtue of chastity helps us overcome lust so that we no longer see others as object for our use, but as people with whom we can have real relationships.
