Mystery & Wonder | Spirit Filled Community, pt. 9.a There are many indescribable moments in Acts 1-5. And all the people saw him walking and praising God: And they knew that it was he which sat for alms at the Beautiful gate of the temple: and they were filled with wonder and amazement at that which had happened unto him. Acts 3.9-10 A couple of terms have been generally used to describe moments like this: mystery and wonder. A leading theologian,... Read more
Worship | Spirit Filled Community, pt. 8 Think about the history of worship in the last couple generations You may have heard about the hippie movement that started in the 1960’s. American music went through the Big Band Era in the 1930’s and 40’s [love it]. Rock and roll started in the 50’s as bands scaled down and guitars were used more. Then the 60’s came along and we’re still trying to figure out what happened. Music was changed radically, everything was. Have... Read more
Sharing a Common Life | Spirit Filled Community, pt. 7 We just talked about the Spirit Filled Community, and how they were constantly Sharing Their Lives. Now we’re going to follow the Early Church a step farther than sharing their lives. We’re going to see how they are marked by Sharing a Common Life. The Passages we’ll look at are considered to be the 2 great summary statements of Luke. This is what the Early Church is known for. Before we get... Read more
Sharing Their Lives | Spirit Filled Community, pt. 6 In the Spirit Filled Community, the Early Church (E.C.) knows how to share. There are a couple of passages that tell us about all the Church shared (Acts 2.41-47; 4.32-5.12). Luke highlights the Early Church to inspire other Churches around the Roman Empire. When we think of Spirit-filled living, we may think of spiritual formation. We may also think of spiritual formation in individualistic terms like personal discipleship, private devotions, interior life,... Read more
Growth | Spirit Filled Community, pt. 5 Think back with me about communication, before any of our modern ways of communication: FaceTime or Zoom or Skype; texting, instant messaging, chat rooms, or social media; wifi, mobile hotspots, and even before the internet; cell phones, before “land lines” (we just called them phones); telegraph machines and morse code; before any of our modern ways of communication. The Early Church started with the Disciples. They didn’t have any of these advantages. In... Read more
Steadfast Unity | Spirit Filled Community, pt. 4 And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common. Acts 4.32 “We are so inclined in the West to think in terms of individualism and self-sufficiency that it is difficult to adjust our thinking – and therefore our actions – to grasp and enter... Read more
The Spirit’s Power | Spirit Filled Community, pt. 3 Before, we discuss the power of God, do we even need it in this day and age? This is a question that is plaguing the American Church. Philip Jenkins observes the Churches in America: “Mainline churches may offer healing services, or pray for a patient’s recovery, but direct religious intervention is rarely in prospect. How many seminaries, even those with conservative or evangelical leanings, offer courses on spiritual healing, leave alone exorcism?”[1]... Read more
Christ’s Authority | Spirit Filled Community, pt. 2 Our two main presuppositions or assumptions are that the Early Church (E.C.) is Pentecostal and a community. We will focus on ways the Holy Spirit (H.S.) impacted the E.C. development. What made the E.C. become so successful? We are going to look at the development of the Church from the Great Commission until Stephen. We’ll look at some observations about the first Church, some characteristics that we can adopt. “Within the four years... Read more
The 2 Great Assumptions | Spirit Filled Community, pt. 1 We are going to explore the role of the Holy Spirit in our lives and Church. This material is from years of study of the Holy Ghost. 1st study: Wind, Fire, & Tongues: Elements of the Introduction to the Holy Spirit 2nd study: Catch the Spirit Both of these studies outlined the role of the Holy Spirit (H.S.) in the life of the Believer. However, I have grown in my understanding... Read more
Sometimes It Just Takes 1 Song, pt. 2 May Waltz https://t.co/0F3euwDw3z via @YouTube@brookefraser Sometimes I don’t know why a song needs to be on repeat loop. But with this one I do. I am in such a place of solitude, being separated, I long for someone like this: gentle, wooing. And people are saying I deserve it. — Jared Ingle (@JaredIngle2022) July 18, 2023 First of all, let me deal with that last sentence. It almost sounds arrogant or narcissistic.... Read more
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