DRAW ME CLOSE is the Bible Teaching Ministry of Whitestone Christian Fellowship, taught by Pastor Bob Lawrenz. We pray that the audio bible teachings will bless and encourage you in your Christian walk. It is our desire that you draw ever so close to our Savior, our Redeemer and Lord.

"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord." ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Colossians 3:16⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

The Bobservations' Column is written each week by Pastor Bob Lawrenz, and correlates to our weekly Sunday Morning teachings. To hear the full message just click on the following link: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Book of Acts - playlist by Whitestone Christian Fellowship | Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

This week's Bobservations' Column is written in correlation Acts chapter 11:1-18 details a watershed moment in early church history where Peter defends his ministry to the Gentiles before the critical Jewish-Christian leadership in Jerusalem. It tells the story of the Apostle Peter defending his decision to preach to, baptize, and share a meal with Cornelius (a Gentile) and his household (chapter 10).

Jewish believers in Jerusalem criticized Peter not just for speaking to non-Jews, but for breaking traditional kosher and purity laws by entering a Gentile home and eating with themPeter calmly retold the story of his rooftop vision from Acts 10, where God declared that no person or food is "common or unclean". He explained that while he was speaking, the Holy Spirit fell upon the Gentiles in the exact same way it did on the Jewish believers at Pentecost.Peter asked a defining rhetorical question: "If God gave them the same gift he gave us..., who was I to think that I could stand in God’s way?"

The critics stopped objecting, praised God, and recognized a massive paradigm shift: "So then, even to Gentiles God has granted repentance that leads to life, through faith in Jesus Christ.