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What's your greatest source of joy? The disciples returned from their mission trip exhilarated that "even demons are subject to us in your name!" But Jesus gives a surprising response that challenges our entire understanding of spiritual success and true joy.

Drawing from Luke 10:17-20, this message explores Jesus' gentle rebuke to his disciples when he tells them, "Do not rejoice that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven." It's a profound redirection that speaks directly to our tendency to find identity and satisfaction in what we do rather than who we are in Christ.

We dive deep into what it means that Jesus "saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven," unpacking the cosmic battle between God and the forces of darkness. Satan is a defeated foe with limited power—like a junkyard dog on a leash who can bark fiercely but ultimately cannot harm those protected by Christ.

The most sobering portion examines Jesus' warning in Matthew 7:21-23 about those who performed miracles and cast out demons in his name yet will hear "I never knew you." This reveals the chilling possibility of spiritual giftedness without true relationship—a warning sign for anyone whose confidence rests in religious activities rather than regeneration.

While our culture celebrates having our names on impressive documents—house deeds, academic degrees, business documents, or church signs—these temporal achievements will ultimately burn away. The only document that matters eternally is having your name written in heaven's registry.

Whether you're wrestling with doubt, struggling through hardship, or simply seeking a more enduring joy, this message offers the life-changing assurance that in Christ, your eternal security is the one foundation that can never be shaken. Will you anchor your joy there today?

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We challenge the common practice of giving God our leftovers rather than our best, exploring how the prophet Malachi condemned Israel's polluted offerings and what this means for modern believers.

• Paul Harvey's story about a woman giving a 23-year-old frozen turkey to her church perfectly illustrates our tendency to give God what we no longer want
• The Israelites were bringing blind, lame, and sick animals as sacrifices, which God called evil
• Whatever receives our best time, energy, and resources reveals what we truly worship
• We have three main resources: time, talent, and treasure – how we allocate them reveals our priorities
• The shocking truth that God would rather have the temple doors closed than receive insincere worship
• Francis Chan's sobering words: "Leftovers are not merely inadequate from God's point of view... they're evil"
• God deserves our best not because He needs anything from us, but simply because of who He is
• Everyone worships something – whatever you attribute highest value to becomes your master

We close with a prayer of confession from the Book of Common Prayer, acknowledging our failure to honor God as He deserves and seeking His mercy to live lives that truly treasure Him above all else.

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What would you sacrifice to bring someone eternal life?

This powerful question frames our exploration of Acts 10, where Peter's journey to Cornelius marks the moment the gospel first intentionally crossed cultural boundaries to reach the Gentile world. The staggering reality is that today, 3.5 billion people have virtually no access to the gospel—not those who've rejected it, but those who've never had the opportunity to hear it.

Through Peter and Cornelius' story, we discover the essential framework for global missions: God orchestrates, and believers participate. While God does the heavy lifting of salvation, He invites us into three specific ways of participation—praying, going, and sending.

Prayer forms the foundation of all mission work. When we pray for the unreached, for missionaries, and for more laborers, we align our hearts with God's passion that none should perish. True prayer for missions will transform us, breaking our hearts for what breaks God's heart.

The call to "go" isn't for everyone, but missions requires absolute obedience, often without knowing all the details. When Peter heard God's call, he wasn't given the full picture—just the next step. Those who answer this call face sacrifice: leaving comfort, security, relationships, and sometimes risking their lives to bring eternal life to others. Is it worth it? As one missionary shared after years of malaria, attempted break-ins, and family separation: "While the joys abound, the challenges are manifold."

For those not called to go, sending through generous giving becomes our mission. With missionaries needing $6,700-$10,000+ monthly to serve effectively, our financial support makes their work possible. As two teenagers who walked 100 miles to raise funds for a missionary vehicle said, "We wanted to walk so our missionaries would not have to."

The 3.5 billion unreached are not just statistics—they're individuals with names, families, dreams, and eternal souls. How will you respond to reach them? Start a prayer journal. Consider your calling. Give sacrificially. Together, we can bring Christ's hope to every nation, tribe, and tongue.

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What does it take to reach a world that desperately needs Jesus? In this illuminating exploration of Acts 10, we witness the moment when the gospel first crosses the Jewish-Gentile divide, setting the pattern for how God's message spreads to all nations.

The story centers around a divine encounter between Peter, a Jewish apostle with deeply ingrained cultural biases, and Cornelius, a devout Roman centurion seeking God but missing the key to salvation. Through their divinely orchestrated meeting, we discover the essential truth that effective evangelism begins not with human effort but with God's sovereign initiative.

Many believers feel paralyzed when thinking about sharing their faith. What if I say something wrong? What if they reject me? What if they ask questions I can't answer? These concerns, while valid, miss the profound reality that God goes before us, preparing hearts to receive His message. As we see in Acts 10, the Father initiates by sending an angel to Cornelius, Jesus prepares Peter through a vision challenging his prejudices, and the Holy Spirit guides, empowers, and ultimately converts.

This passage liberates us from the pressure of "converting" others. Our responsibility isn't producing results—it's faithfully sharing Jesus. God does the heavy lifting: going before us, accompanying us, and completing the work after we've spoken. Rather than relying on clever marketing, perfect presentation, or emotional manipulation, we simply need to present Christ through Scripture and let the Spirit do His work.

Ready to make an eternal difference? Identify someone who needs Jesus, commit to praying consistently for them, then courageously share the gospel with them. Remember, you're not responsible for their response—only for your faithfulness in sharing. And the first time you lead someone to Christ, your life will never be the same.

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The radical claim that genuine Christians will be actively involved in a local church isn't just provocative—it's biblically sound. While saving faith comes through Christ alone, transformed hearts inevitably seek Christian community. This message builds a comprehensive biblical case for why church participation matters.

Scripture reveals church involvement as more than optional—it's a consistent pattern throughout the New Testament, an unwavering assumption in the apostles' writings, and even an explicit command in passages like Hebrews 10:24-25. The early believers didn't just casually attend gatherings when convenient; they devoted themselves to fellowship, prayer, and breaking bread together.

But church participation isn't merely an obligation—it's a profound gift of grace. When imprisoned by the Nazis, theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote longingly about the "incomparable joy" of being with other Christians, something many take for granted. The local church provides essential spiritual benefits: encouragement when we're downcast, comfort during suffering, equipping for ministry, and accountability to keep us from drifting.

The dangers of neglecting church are severe. Isolation makes us vulnerable to sin's deception and can eventually lead to apostasy. Our hearts rationalize disobedience when no one challenges our thinking. Additionally, genuine love for other believers—demonstrated through committed church involvement—serves as evidence of authentic faith according to 1 John 3:14.

Church isn't merely about attending services but participating with your whole self. Don't just go to church—be the church by using your gifts, lifting your voice in worship, and investing in relationships. Make Sunday gatherings a priority, join a small group, and consider covenant membership to fully experience what God designed His people to be: a family bound together by Christ's love.

What spiritual growth might you be missing by keeping the church at arm's length? How might God use you to strengthen others through committed participation in your local congregation?

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Through the story of Tabitha's resurrection in Acts 9, we discover three vital ingredients for a healthy, growing church that applies to believers today.

• Walking in the fear of the Lord means having reverence that leads to wisdom and obedience
• The comfort of the Holy Spirit provides power and confidence during difficult times
• Being committed to ministry through prayer and good works opens us to be vessels for God
• Tabitha's dedication to making garments for widows was so valued that people sought her resurrection
• Miracles alone don't convert people – they create openings for the gospel to be shared
• Even small acts of service when done with dedication can have eternal significance
• All believers are called to ministry, not just pastors and leaders
• The church grows when ordinary people use their God-given talents
• Like building the Brooklyn Bridge piece by piece, the kingdom expands through incremental faithfulness

Our goal should be to live as people who fear the Lord, walk in the presence of the Spirit, and serve faithfully for God's glory and for the good of others.

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"Is it worth it?" This question confronts every believer when following Jesus brings hardship rather than ease. Through Paul's remarkable journey from respected Pharisee to persecuted apostle, we discover the profound answer.

Before encountering Christ on the Damascus road, Paul enjoyed status, education, and power. After his conversion, everything changed—but not as our prosperity-minded culture might expect. Rather than comfort, Paul faced rejection from all sides: former Jewish colleagues plotted his death, forcing an escape in a basket through a city wall, while skeptical Christians initially doubted his transformation.

The pattern continued throughout his ministry. Paul endured five floggings, three beatings with rods, one stoning, three shipwrecks, constant dangers, sleepless nights, hunger, and exposure. Yet remarkably, he maintained an attitude of joy, writing from prison: "Rejoice in the Lord always." He counted "everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ."

Paul understood that suffering serves divine purposes: identifying with Christ, developing humility, advancing the gospel, confirming salvation, and producing spiritual growth. His confidence remained unshaken even facing execution: "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."

Like missionary Jim Elliott, who was killed reaching an unreached tribe (and whose widow's forgiveness later led to their conversion), Paul declares that losing everything for Christ isn't foolish when we gain what cannot be lost. Nothing—not persecution, danger, or even death—can separate us from God's love in Christ Jesus.

When you face your own challenges, remember Paul's testimony: following Jesus, despite every cost, is worth it a million times over.

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The dramatic conversion of Saul on the Damascus road stands as one of Christianity's most remarkable transformations—a zealous persecutor of Christians who became the faith's most influential apostle. This powerful story isn't just a historical account; it reveals the anatomy of true spiritual conversion that remains relevant for every person today.

Before encountering Christ, Saul (also known as Paul) was the perfect religious man by external standards—a Pharisee with impeccable Jewish credentials who believed he was serving God by hunting down followers of "the Way." His fury was so intense that Scripture describes him as "breathing threats and murder," painting him as more beast than man in his relentless pursuit. This man would travel 150 miles just to capture Christians and drag them bound to Jerusalem. By modern standards, he would be classified as nothing less than a religious terrorist.

Yet God's grace reaches even the most unlikely candidates. On that dusty road, the resurrected Jesus intercepted Saul with a blinding light and a probing question: "Why are you persecuting me?" This divine encounter illustrates four essential elements of genuine conversion: revelation of Christ's resurrection, repentance from sin, spiritual resurrection from death to life, and visible results that evidence an inward transformation.

The story challenges us to move beyond mere religious observation. "Being a fan of Christ, sitting in the stands watching from a distance can be fascinating, but that will not save a person." True Christianity isn't about moral improvement or religious performance—it's about moving from spiritual death to life through a personal encounter with the risen Jesus.

Whether you're encountering Christianity for the first time or have attended church for decades without experiencing genuine conversion, Paul's story offers hope that no one is beyond God's redemptive reach. The invitation stands open: come to Jesus and experience the same transforming grace that turned history's most notorious Christian-hunter into its most passionate apostle.

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