In Sermons: showing 136-150 of 234

Drawing Comfort From God's Sovereignty

Contributed by Jon Mackinney on Jun 7, 2007

We can find ourselves in precarious positions where we wonder what will become of us. And yet our sovereign God is using even our weakness to accomplish His purposes.

Passage: Acts 23:12-35 Intro: Our lives are filled with questions. 1. when we were seniors in college and not in a serious relationship, we asked “who?” 2. all of our lives we are asked, “What are you going to be…?” 3. and when we are in trouble, we ask two questions: “When is this going to end, ...read more

Scripture: Acts 23:12-35

Denomination: Evangelical Free

A Clear Conscience

Contributed by Jon Mackinney on Jun 7, 2007

Paul is on trial for his life, and his accusers are playing hardball. How does he stand up against these scurilous attacks? How can we?

Passage: Acts 24:1-27 Intro: Can you imagine being on trial for your life, with a group of accusers who had researched your life and were putting it on display? 1. that kind of idea gives us the creeps. 2. and some people more than others would avoid that kind of scene at all costs. 3. but ...read more

Scripture: Acts 24:1-27

Denomination: Evangelical Free

The Sovereignty Of God

Contributed by Jon Mackinney on Mar 6, 2007

This is a great example of how the sovereignty of God is seen in a very real event. God is in charage of every detail!

Passage: Acts 22:23-23-11 Intro: “When every choir member was late” Pau Lee Tan book, #2024 1. many of us have stories, maybe not so spectacular, of God’s sovereign protection 2. and many we don’t even know about 3. our god is beyond time, sees all of time as a whole, and works with perfect wisdom ...read more

Denomination: Evangelical Free

When We Are In Trouble

Contributed by Jon Mackinney on Mar 6, 2007

Paul was always in trouble in the book of Acts. And here we find a great example of how he handled it.

Passage: Acts 21:37-22:22 Intro: We have a foosball table in our house 1. I’m very good when I play by myself. 2. but when I play against Caroyl Johnson, or my son-in-law Brycen, “The stonewall”, things are different. 3. in the Christian life, persecution either snuffs out our life or makes it ...read more

Denomination: Evangelical Free

How Paul Died To The Flesh

Contributed by Jon Mackinney on Mar 6, 2007

Dying to self, dying to the flesh, are not particularly popular concepts today, even in the church. But the apostle Paul is a great example of doing just that, and his accomplishments are legendary. How did he die to self?

Intro: I’m beginning to understand why it is easier just to avoid the book of Acts. 1. not all the geography or history. 2. but the example of the Apostle Paul that scares the living daylights out of us. 3. here we find Paul on his last journey, sailing and walking steadfastly to imprisonment and ...read more

Scripture: Acts 21:1-16

Denomination: Evangelical Free

Paul's Words To Every Church

Contributed by Jon Mackinney on Mar 6, 2007

Paul ended his statement to the Ephesian elders with some intensely personal remarks. They are applicable to every church and every believer down through the centuries.

Passage: Acts 20:28-38 Intro: There are statements people make that are listened to very carefully. 1. some of the most powerful are departing statements. Il) “dying declaration” definition. 2. now Paul is not dying here, but he will never see these men again on earth. 3. and so he is “passing the ...read more

Scripture: Acts 20:28-38

Denomination: Evangelical Free

The Confident Servant

Contributed by Jon Mackinney on Mar 6, 2007

Paul is addressing the elders at Ephesus as he heads for Jerusalem, and in doing so he gives us a great picture of what makes a servant of God confident in what he is doing.

Passage: Acts 20:13-28 Intro: Once in a while, when things are a little overwhelming in my life, I have what Jan and I call “the church dream.” 1. I’m here, though the room is usually a little larger, with a lot more people. 2. the service is underway as I walk in, but I don’t recognize the ...read more

Scripture: Acts 20:13-38

Denomination: Evangelical Free

Sheep And Shepherds

Contributed by Jon Mackinney on Mar 6, 2007

Each of us are either a sheep or a shepherd. And some of us sheep and shepherds as well! Paul was a shepherd, and we can gain a good understanding of what a shepherd does by looking at his life.

Passage: Acts 20:1-12 Intro: We are used to the common Biblical concept of sheep and shepherds. 1. Jesus certainly referred to Himself as the “Good Shepherd”, and we as his sheep. 2. but he also appointed people to be shepherds after him, and others to be sheep. 3. but I believe that all of us ...read more

Scripture: Acts 20:1-12

Denomination: Evangelical Free

Tail Of The Tiger

Contributed by Jon Mackinney on Mar 6, 2007

As Paul went about preaching the gospel, there was a predictable reaction from the enemy of that gospel. This passage helps us understand why the gospel angers people, how they express that anger, and the way that anger is calmed.

Passage: Acts 19:23-41 Intro: Poewr Point picture of a tiger. 1. would you go up and twist the tail of this animal, or stick your finger in its eye? 2. if you did, you would expect a reaction. 3. most of us avoid doing things that make other people angry. 4. but as we are discovering in Acts, our ...read more

Scripture: Acts 19:23-41

Denomination: Evangelical Free

God's Game Plan

Contributed by Jon Mackinney on Dec 7, 2006

No team goes into a game without a plan. And God has one too, for ministering His Word to a lost world.

Passage: Acts 19:1-22 Intro: At the upper levels of sports, no team goes into any game without a game plan. 1. football, baseball, basketball, the team studies its opponent and devises a plan based on the strengths and weaknesses of their own team and the other. PP) Muhammed Ali did this in a ...read more

Scripture: Acts 19:1-22

Denomination: Evangelical Free

Our Problems, And God's Solutions

Contributed by Jon Mackinney on Dec 7, 2006

Ministry will be full of problems. And as we walk with God and seek to do His will, our frailty will catch up with us. Let’s look to God for His solutions!

Passage: Acts 18:18-28 Intro: There are three ways of dealing with the real world. 1. one is to try and leave it, to pull out of it 2. another is to pretend it doesn’t exist; that it is an illusion. Il) Mary Baker Eddy, “matter man” 3. the third way is to deal with it with the tools that God ...read more

Scripture: Acts 18:18-28

Denomination: Evangelical Free

Ministry Can Be A Struggle!

Contributed by Jon Mackinney on Dec 7, 2006

There is no doubt that when Paul arrived, alone, in the sinful city of Corinth, it was a little bit of a shock. Worn down, lonely, discouraged, he needed the provision of God.

Passage: Acts 18:1-17 Intro: When we read Acts, we get a picture of Paul in our minds. 1. we picture him striding powerfully from one rejection to another, brushing off the effects of this beating or that imprisonment. 2. but here in Corinth, it seems to have caught up with him. 3. many miles on ...read more

Scripture: Acts 18:1-17

Denomination: Evangelical Free

The Faces Of Opposition

Contributed by Jon Mackinney on Dec 7, 2006

We should not be surprised that the gospel is opposed. We’d like to think that everyone will just accept this wonderful news, but that is not the case. Let’s look at the faces of that opposition.

Passage: Acts 17:1-33 Intro: One of the recurring themes of Acts is opposition. 1. mostly from the Jews, but others as well. 2. it was as well as recurring theme in the life of ministry of Christ. 3. we can draw this principle; that where the gospel goes, opposition will arise in one form or ...read more

Scripture: Acts 17:1-34

Denomination: Evangelical Free

Handling The Power Encounter

Contributed by Jon Mackinney on Dec 7, 2006

As Paul and his team went out into a dark world, it was no surprise that there were times when the light came smack up against the darkness. These "power encounters" are inevitable. How do we handle them?

Passage: Acts 16:16-41 Intro: When we hear the word power, certain pictures come to mind. 1. huge guns, bombers, nuclear warheads. 2. human beings are obsessed with power, we love to be the ones with more. 3. every Sunday in the Fall, teams walk onto the football field for a “power encounter,” to ...read more

Scripture: Acts 16:16-40

Denomination: Evangelical Free

Ministering In Diversity

Contributed by Jon Mackinney on Dec 7, 2006

The situation was tense. A disagreement that threatened to divide the early church, a personal spat that threatened to divide friends. What should we do when it happens to us?

Passage: Acts 15:36-41 Intro: Have you ever noticed that not everyone agrees with you all the time? 1. how can so many people be so consistently wrong so often? 2. things had been going well for Paul and Barnabas. 3. church in Antioch healthy, Jerusalem council decided in favor of Gentiles. 4. in ...read more

Scripture: Acts 15:36-41

Denomination: Evangelical Free