In Acts 11, we see that God uses unnamed believers from Cyprus and Cyrene to start a missionary movement that changes history. Considering that God uses ordinary people for extraordinary purposes, how might He want to use your unique skills, relationships, or experiences right where you are to help advance the Gospel?

God saves all kinds of people, even people we don't expect! Acts 10 helps us examine our own lives and possible ways that our beliefs may be too self-focused. We will not just look at a shift that God wants us to make, but how that shift could begin to play out practically for each of us.

As we look at Paul’s life  in the book of Acts, we see ups and downs—heartache, shame, and restoration. Perhaps you can see yourself in this story because Jesus has called you out of our broken world so that you can go back into it to bring about positive change. One particular area to focus on is your oikos—the relational world that God has placed in your life.  

As Christ-followers, we see in Acts that any opposition we face—while not pleasant—makes sense. Jesus taught it, and the Bible records it. Acts is much like the Bible’s playbook for what to do with our faith in Jesus.  That is to believe it, hold tight to it, and spread and share it with others.   

As we see in Acts, for those who seek to live a Christian life, credibility and compassion matter. We’re called to live changed lives, marked by moral consciousness, selfless compassion, and a passion to spread the love of Jesus.   

Last week, we missed a moment that was human and needed the gospel. So, we’ll address and explore that in this sermon. We’ll also see that the book of Acts is both comfortable with miracles and is obsessed with sharing the gospel — a powerful reminder and encouragement for us.

As we see in Acts, the same spirit and the same mission given to the first disciples are given to us today. So, how will we act on it?  When the spirit comes and the gospel is preached, the Church is born.  And this is what we, as followers of Jesus, are called to.  

As we begin our Acts series, you’ll see that the Book of Acts is preoccupied with Gospel advancement. Watch for God to move in the miraculous, the Church to move in conflict, and individuals to move to their oikos.   

Today marks a special milestone in the life of Hill Country Bible Church, as we plant two new churches — Lakeview Bible Church and One Mission Bible Church. Moving forward, Hill Country will be a single-site church with the continued mission and focus of saturating greater Austin with the love of Jesus.

Your faith should positively impact the people you choose to invest in. If this is not the case, you need to keep growing your faith because we’re meant to cultivate relationships that either shepherd or shape.