Acts 2 Umc

C.S. Lewis wrote, “There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, ‘Thy will be done,’ and those to whom God says, in the end, ‘Thy will be done.’ All that are in Hell, choose it.” In this message, Dr. Mark Foster looks at God’s will versus Jonah’s will when it comes to the people and animals of Nineveh. Much of knowing what to do starts with knowing who you are and who God is. Download the sermon notes. (https://acts2umc.org/wp-content/uploads/sermons/2020/01/2020-Jan-26-A2.pdf) Watch the sermon. (https://youtu.be/11pIUY137Ss?t=1752) Watch the full worship service. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11pIUY137Ss) Follow Acts 2: Website (https://acts2umc.org) Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/acts2umc) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/acts2umc) Youtube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTjMQ3C5r50E8PGLwMvwuGQ) Twitter (https://www.twitter.com/acts2umc)

Download the sermon notes. (https://acts2umc.org/wp-content/uploads/sermons/2020/01/2020-Jan-19-A2-.pdf)

Discernment performed alone can become delusion. How can you tell if the voice in your head is from God or from a dark place? In “Rock Bottom,” Dr. Mark Foster takes a look at the life of Jonah as an example of what God does, how God does it, and how to know if it is truly God or not. The good news is we have a God of second chances and we have thousands of years of brothers and sisters in the faith leading us to the way that leads to life. Download the sermon notes. (https://acts2umc.org/wp-content/uploads/sermons/2020/01/2020-Jan-12-A2.pdf)

Direction without confirmation is delusion. How do we know what God wants us to do? How can we confirm what God is showing us individually and for our common mission? In “Seeing 2020” Dr. Mark Foster draws from the teaching and practice of the early church in helping us see how to discern what God is showing us. God is always speaking. Our question is, “Do we want what God wants?” or do we just “Want God to give us what we want?" Download the sermon notes. (https://acts2umc.org/wp-content/uploads/sermons/2020/01/2020-Jan-5-A2.pdf) Watch the sermon (https://youtu.be/HmEUgMyl3Os?t=1926) Watch the full worship service (https://youtu.be/HmEUgMyl3Os) Follow Acts 2: Website (https://acts2umc.org) Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/acts2umc) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/acts2umc) Youtube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTjMQ3C5r50E8PGLwMvwuGQ) Twitter (https://www.twitter.com/acts2umc)

It's the most wonderful time of the year...for some of us. For others, this time of the year can be filled with disappointments and unmet expectations. In Matthew 2, we see that the first Christmas ever did not go how Mary and Joseph had expected. When we, too, find ourselves in difficult, unexpected places in life, we can rest in God's love and find comfort in community. Download the sermon notes. (https://acts2umc.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/2019-Dec-29-A2-1.pdf) Watch the sermon (https://youtu.be/5gAGhZ8RepI?t=1719) Watch the full worship service (https://youtu.be/5gAGhZ8RepI) Follow Acts 2: Website (https://acts2umc.org) Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/acts2umc) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/acts2umc) Youtube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTjMQ3C5r50E8PGLwMvwuGQ) Twitter (https://www.twitter.com/acts2umc)

Longing for light, we wait in the darkness remembering that God does his best work in the dark: the darkness of a womb and the darkness of a tomb. God is always working for your good. Watch the sermon (https://youtu.be/raAZ9y-fAkk?t=2601) Watch the full worship service (https://youtu.be/raAZ9y-fAkk) Follow Acts 2: Website (https://acts2umc.org) Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/acts2umc) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/acts2umc) Youtube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTjMQ3C5r50E8PGLwMvwuGQ) Twitter (https://www.twitter.com/acts2umc)

Mother Teresa said the hunger for love is much more difficult to remove than the hunger for bread. The love we all long for has arrived, and it has a name--Jesus. But to understand the love that Jesus brings, we first have to understand what love is not. Dr. Mark Foster shares what God's love is and is not, and how the love incarnate in Jesus changes everything. Download the sermon notes. (https://acts2umc.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/2019-Dec-22-A2-Sermon-Notes.pdf) Watch the sermon (https://youtu.be/aaPz-lZiC6A?t=1612) Watch the full worship service (https://youtu.be/aaPz-lZiC6A) Follow Acts 2: Website (https://acts2umc.org) Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/acts2umc) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/acts2umc) Youtube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTjMQ3C5r50E8PGLwMvwuGQ) Twitter (https://www.twitter.com/acts2umc)

Aim at joy and you’ll miss it. Joy happens while we are busy serving others, in the quiet of a forest, or in the prayer of thanks for another day of grace from Jesus. In this sermon, Dr. Mark Foster looks at joy as described in the Bible from the prophet Ezra through the words of Jesus and the actions of the early church. If you need joy, this message is for you. Download the sermon notes. (https://acts2umc.org/wp-content/uploads/sermons/2019/12/2019-Dec-15-A2.pdf) Watch the sermon (https://youtu.be/kMX3eSqXk1c?t=1481) Watch the full worship service (https://youtu.be/kMX3eSqXk1c) Follow Acts 2: Website (https://acts2umc.org) Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/acts2umc) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/acts2umc) Youtube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTjMQ3C5r50E8PGLwMvwuGQ)

We long to find peace in the midst of struggle, and not only as individuals, but in our communities and world as well. We are called to be people of peace in a chaotic world. The good news is Jesus makes peace in this life possible. Dr. Mark Foster explores the Bible's teaching and how to live a life of peace. Download the sermon notes (https://acts2umc.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/2019-Dec-08-A2.pdf) Watch video of the full worship service (https://youtu.be/27gFF-f5wow) Follow Acts 2: Website (https://acts2umc.org) Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/acts2umc) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/acts2umc) Youtube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTjMQ3C5r50E8PGLwMvwuGQ)

The season of Christmas lays bare the deepest longings of our heart, and in a world of violence, division, and suffering, we’re desperate for hope. In the 8th century BC, the prophet Isaiah spoke of the birth of a ruler who would establish peace and rule with justice and righteousness, and who continues to give us hope today. Download the sermon notes. (https://acts2umc.org/wp-content/uploads/sermons/2019/12/2019-Dec-01-A2.pdf)

Though we're familiar with the word, we don't think much about what it means to say "amen" at the end of a prayer. When we say "amen" to God's will in our lives, we may fear losing control, but we gain immeasurably more by allowing God's loving desires to be realized in us. Download the sermon notes. (https://acts2umc.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/2019-Nov-24-A2-Web.pdf)

For some moments, "Wow" is the only word we can muster. Yet we find it difficult to stop and notice the beauty of the world around us. When we practice stillness with God and cultivate our sense of wonder, we can experience the glory of God that suffuses the world and gratefully pray, "Wow!" Download the sermon notes. (https://acts2umc.org/wp-content/uploads/sermons/2019/11/2019-Nov-17-A2.pdf)

We all want to be more grateful, but it's often difficult. Yet when we recognize that everything we have is a gift from God, we can't help but feel grateful. And as we develop a rhythm of thanking God, gratitude fills us with joy and changes the way we experience the world. Download the sermon notes. (https://acts2umc.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/2019-Nov-10-A2.pdf)

“Help” is a complete sentence and perhaps the most concise and effective prayer in the world. The great preacher Charles Spurgeon said, “Whether we like it or not, asking is the rule of the Kingdom.” A new life starts with surrender when we say, “Here, God. I can’t, but you can. Help." Download the sermon notes. (https://acts2umc.org/wp-content/uploads/sermons/2019/11/2019-Nov-3-A2.pdf)

It's easy to hold on to what we have in order to feel secure. But God is the source of all our gifts, and when we are generous with those gifts, God uses our generosity to change our hearts and the world. Download the sermon notes. (https://acts2umc.org/wp-content/uploads/sermons/2019/10/2019-Oct-27-A2.pdf)

It's easy to fall into the belief that we can find happiness in jobs and achievements, but when we seek fulfillment in those things, we find them unfulfilling and empty. In Philippians, Paul teaches that knowing Christ is of highest value, and when we live for him, we find a fulfillment the world cannot offer. Download the sermon notes. (https://acts2umc.org/wp-content/uploads/sermons/2019/10/2019-Oct-20-A2-.pdf)

The things we worry about compete for mastery of our lives. When put God first, we are free from worry. When we trust God, we are free to leave the results of our obedience to our loving, merciful, glorious savior, Jesus. Download the sermon notes. (https://acts2umc.org/wp-content/uploads/sermons/2019/10/2019-Oct-13-A2.pdf)

God is love, and God's love for us has been revealed perfectly in Jesus. As loved people who are created in God's image, we respond to God's love by loving others and being generous. Download the sermon notes. (https://acts2umc.org/wp-content/uploads/sermons/2019/10/2019-Oct-6-A2-.pdf)

Is the New Testament reliable? Rev. Brandon Blacksten explores the challenges of the New Testament's origins and consistency, and concludes that, ultimately, we can trust the New Testament account of the Good News of Jesus. Download the sermon notes. (https://acts2umc.org/wp-content/uploads/sermons/2019/09/2019-Sept-29-A2-.pdf)

Homosexuality is the most divisive issue facing Christianity today. Of the more than 31,000 verses in the Bible, less than 8 potentially relate to homosexuality. Dr. Mark Foster explores these passages and casts a vision for a community that is grounded in the love of God, even in the midst of differences. Download the sermon notes. (https://acts2umc.org/wp-content/uploads/sermons/2019/09/2019-Sept-22-A2.pdf)