Element Christian Church of Santa Maria

We are near the end of the first half of the book of Acts! We have seen the early church witness the power of God moving in miraculous ways throughout the book. Today we are looking at a Savior that delivers us.
Chapter 12 in the book of Acts starts with the death of James. This is a time of intense persecution for the church. Peter was sure to be next, but the church prayed earnestly for Him, and God delivered him.

We are nearly two-thirds of the way through our verse by verse journey in the first half of the book of Acts. We are slowly making our way through the book of Acts in order to help us better understand the early church, their calling, their ministry, and their mission so we will also be able to use that knowledge to inform us about how a Church should ideally operate.

No matter what life circumstance you come from, being a parent should be first centered on Jesus before anything else. Our relationship with our children should flow out of our relationship with our God.

While Mother’s Day should be a time of celebration and appreciation, it can remind others of hurt, frustration, and loss. Each of us faces hardship in certain areas and seasons of our lives, and it is important to know how to frame those experiences in light of the Gospel. Jesus knows us and truly empathizes with our suffering in a way no one else can. While He does not promise us an easy, comfortable life (John 16:33), He does promise us that He has overcome and will be with us always (Matthew 28:20). We may be tempted to believe that God is not good when we face difficult times, but the character of God is steadfast and unchanging--He is good and defines what is good for us. By surrendering our own desires (no matter how good) for His, we can learn to trust Him as we face the uncertainties of life.

When we see the suffering in the world and realize Jesus’ heart for the suffering world, we get a glimpse of hunger and thirsting for righteousness.