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When God Rocks your World (The Philippian jailor) (Acts 16:16-34) ------------------------------------------------------- We need to open ourselves completely to God so that we can release our problems to Him. Jesus died for all (II Cor 5: 11-15; Luke 4: 16-21). Acts 16: 16-34 is more about the Philippians jailor being freed from sin rather than about Paul and Silas being freed from jail. Application points: -- Remember Who has real power. God alone. We should give our worries to Him (I Peter 5:7) -- Trust God for and with your family. -- Suicide is never the answer. -- Jesus wants you too!! Believe in Him.

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Using our Resources for Eternal Investment (Lydia) (Acts 16:11-15, 40; Phil 4: 10-20) ------------------------------------------------------- Our investment can make a difference in God’s Kingdom. Lydia, a wealthy business woman, understood that she had resources that Paul and others didn’t have and they had knowledge that she didn’t have. She influenced her household and others to think about God and was willing to support Paul and others in their mission. Lydia was bold in her invitation. She set the precedent of eternal investment. Like Lydia, we are to invest in disciple-making and be messengers. Paul’s joy was not tied to circumstances, but instead through a relationship with Christ. He went through great turmoil and poverty, was rejected or put into prison, and was still content with what he had. His gratitude (vs 7) was because he knew that the giver would be blessed, not because he received the gift. Today, people come and remain in the church not because of programs, but because the people share life with each other. When investing generously in eternal investment, there is no need to worry about if we will have enough. Our God will supply all of our needs (Phil 4: 19). When we support the Kingdom by serving Jesus, by investing our money, time, skills, and abilities in disciple-makings. God loves us trusting Him and will reward our part in the mission. Application points: -- Give significantly of your time, treasure and talent. Share your life with others. -- Be generous to those of particular callings. Make good choices with what you support. -- Prepare for “space invaders”. You may need to change your schedule to make room in your life to encourage people in Christ.

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The Power of Influence (Paul) (Acts 16:10; Luke 1: 1-4; Acts 1: 1-3; 2 Tim 4: 11) ------------------------------------------------------- Every choice we make moves us closer to or away from Christ, and we influence those around us. Within our own self (whether introvert, extrovert, etc), we can all affect the world for Jesus. In fact, our different ways let us influence more people to Christ. Paul was not perfect, but he understood that he represented Christ every day. We never really know when God will use us to change someone’s eternity because they see Jesus in us. God knows what He made us to be. As we become more like Jesus, we will discover our true self as God made us to be. We need to influence everyone we can for Christ … we never know what they’ll do. Application points: -- Keep a “come and see” attitude. It is beautiful to see people living out their faith. Be who we are in Christ. -- Disciple who we can and influence people to Jesus. -- Remember that God is at work. We don’t know and see everything. We might influence people and never know it.

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When Zero plus Zero Equals Everything 3 sermons – Acts 2, 13, 17 2 testimonies – Acts 23, 27 2 visions- Acts 7, 9 ------------------------------------------------------- The empty cross + the empty tomb = everything (infinity). We need to voice the HOPE of life! There were more than 500 witnesses to Jesus’ resurrection, which is more proof than anything else in history. The resurrection changes EVERYTHING. Jesus was born into the world, lived a perfect life, and then died for us so that we can be right in God’s eyes. He transformed death (John 11: 25-26). Our bodies that we cling to may die, but death has no victory. He is our example, our sins are forgiven and our hope is restored. Application points: -- Live the truth and let it permeate your life. -- Say “Yes” to salvation -- Say “Yes” to mission -- Embrace life; keep the sound of hope I your voice.

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Christ. Is. Risen!!! Whether here at Celebration or somewhere else, go rejoice today - Jesus is alive!

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Don’t Give Up on Your Loved Ones (Acts 15:12-35; I Cor 15:7) (James) ------------------------------------------------------- We need to be careful that we don’t come across as having “arrived.” Instead, we should share with humility because none of us deserve to be in God’s family. We should be amazed at how great God is and always have that tone when we share the good news. We should love them too much not to do all that we can to share Jesus – not because we are trying to fix them, but want to share Jesus with them because He is better than ANYTHING. If you have lovingly been sharing Jesus with your loved one, don’t get discouraged. Even if you don’t see it, the power of Jesus Christ is doing its work. Trust Him! Keep showing your “James” the savior. (Ro 6:4-5) God and Jesus want it more than you do. You are not alone. Application points: -- Don’t despair; keep on. (Despair doesn’t look good on Christians). Trust that Jesus still moves in extraordinary ways. He will bear testimony through you.. -- Show Jesus clearly. (They already see Him, but pray for an eye-opening moment. -- Salvation is the beginning. (Read the conversion story of C. S. Lewis)