Acts 3:1-17

I really love the messages I hear at my church.  I really love the things they get me thinking about... the way the continue to challenge me.  I thought I might start typing my notes into a blog.  It may not be complete thoughts or even complete sentences; it will just be the notes I take on Sunday morning's.

Today was on Acts 3:17 - Belief unlocks the power.
1. In the midst of the mass spiritual awakening, God is concerned with the hurting individual.  God sends his messengers away from the excitement that's going on in and around the church to the individuals in need.
2. Peter and John reached the lame man in the streets as individuals, normal people, not as ministers in the church.  The church is not where God does the majority of his ministry and miracles.
*Who am I ministering to individually?  Do I pray about it, plan for it, and work strategically to minister to individuals?  Am I deliberate?
3.  Ministry in the streets is what amazed the community in these verses.  The community needs to see.  Jesus' works demonstrated the word.  We should persuade with our message and amaze with our works.
How?
A. With miraculous answers to prayer.  Do we believe God enough to pray big?
B. With radical generosity.
C. With joy in the midst of persecution.  Do I live well and suffer well?
C. With the love/unity within the church.  The early church displayed unity among ethnicities, fasted regularly that there would be more food for the hungry, brought in babies that were left on doorsteps unwanted, took in refugees who needed shelter.
*If all followers of Christ committed to giving back to God the first ten percent of what he has given them, would there be a need for medicaid and medicare, would we need to put our faith in the government to take care of so much?  what would it mean for the homeless or orphans?  Would each local church then be able to support it's community?  Would the world look radically different?

Our pastor, JD, has five people groups that he believes God has put on his heart for this church to find a way to make a difference: the homeless, orphans, unwed mothers, prisoners, and high school dropouts.