Dive into weekly sermons and take time to reflect on what you're learning.
The Church was not our idea, it is God’s plan.
The church is not a building — it’s the body of believers who are committed to following Jesus and sharing His message. Not only does God call us to maturity as individuals, but to maturity as the church. What does a mature church look like? Instead of walking in the dark, we can be sure of our next step, walking convinced, connected, and commissioned. Tune in as we kick off a new collection of talks called "Mature Church" with Pastor Dakota Duron's message, "When You Love Jesus but Not the Church."
A mature church understands that both life and God move suddenly.
We often believe that God is slow, but when God is ready to move, He moves quickly. A mature church understands that waiting for God means we obey, prepare, and pursue Jesus. Tune in as Pastor Rich Wilkerson Jr. continues this collection with his message, "Today Could Be the Day."
If we're going to mature, we have to be devoted. The early church's devotion to the apostles' teaching, fellowship, breaking bread, and prayer is the same devotion we should hold today.
Lean in as we continue our collection of talks "Mature Church" with Pastor Rich Wilkerson Jr.'s message, "Sustaining the Spirit."
One of the boldest prayers we can pray is for God to lead us out of the upper room and into the world. As culture tells us to go against God’s word, we are charged to stand firm and speak boldly. If the world is loud about sin, hate, and revenge, the Church must be loud about salvation, love, and forgiveness. The world is in need of what we have – all we need to do is extend our hands and expect a miracle.
It’s wise to learn from experiences; it’s wiser to learn from the experiences of others. As we continue to study the early church, we discover that God removes what we think we need so He can reveal what we actually need. Divine subtraction makes way for correction, protection, and reflection in our lives.
All throughout our lives, there are moments in life when we take a stand. When our favorite team scores, when we sing along with our favorite artist at a concert, when our political views are shared – we often stand in agreement to show our support. As we continue to study the book of Acts, Stephen’s life is a picture of what it looks like to take a stand. As the first Christian martyr, he was willing to lay down his life for the Gospel. As followers of Jesus, there are moments when we, too, take a stand all alone for His sake.
Do you ever feel small and insignificant? In a world that views success as bigger and better, it’s easy to feel like we don’t measure up. But God’s measure of success isn’t more — it’s obedience. Tune in to Pastor Rich Wilkerson Jr.'s latest message, "What You Got Going Big?" as we study the early church. For Philip and the eunuch, one small moment of obedience on a desert road led to the Gospel spreading through an entire continent. The people who are willing to do something small are often the ones who accomplish something big.
Have you ever experienced a moment that changed your life? On the road to Damascus, a man named Saul, who was known for persecuting Christians, had a radical encounter with Jesus. He said, “...as I was on the road, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, blazing around me.” In one moment, Saul’s life was changed and he became Paul. He went from a murderer to a powerful preacher and wrote nearly half of the New Testament. His life became evidence of his encounter with light.
What’s the best gift you’ve ever received? Maybe it was a surprise party, a thoughtful note, or an exciting trip. Whatever comes to mind, the gift was likely an unexpected and undeserved surprise. The same is true about God’s grace. Grace means unmerited favor — we don’t deserve it, and we can’t earn it, but God freely gives it. Grace is not a principle, it’s a person, and His name is Jesus.
It goes without saying that life is full of highs and lows. If we aren’t careful, navigating challenges can leave us feeling like life is unfair. But in the middle of the chaos is always a silver lining — just because our circumstances might be bad doesn’t mean God is not good. Every challenge is an opportunity to walk by faith and not by sight.
Success isn't measured by if we fall, it's measured by if we get up. Tune in for a special Father’s Day message as Pastor Rich Wilkerson Jr. sits down with his dad, Pastor Rich Wilkerson Sr., for a conversation around life, faith, and lessons along the way.
Worship is a weapon in our hands, but any weapon is rendered useless if we don’t access the power it carries. In an instant, worship can usher God’s presence and power into our lives, breaking our chains and setting us free. We don’t have to stay bound to our problems – our freedom might just be on the other side of our praise.
When we walk through a challenging situation, it’s easy to wonder how we’ll ever overcome it. The truth is that our testimony is powerful proof that we’ve already overcome. In our last talk of the Mature Church collection, Pastor Nick Del Vento explores the question, “How Do We Overcome?”
Jesus Commissions His Disciples and Ascends to Heaven
Jesus’ final 40 days
What was his promise to us?
What were the last words of Jesus to his followers? What are his words to us?
Pentecost in Jerusalem and the Birth of the Church
How to hear from the Holy Spirit
How to live by the Spirit
The new covenant
The Jesus Community Becomes an International Movement
Making disciples
How to evangelize/share our faith
What does it mean to be part of the capital C church?
Mission to Israel and Clashes with Roman Culture
Living in exile (we are part of a different kingdom)
On earth as it is in heaven. What does it look like to suffer well / represent the kingdom of heaven in this world?
Paul Arrested in Jerusalem and Imprisoned in Rome
Living for eternity
Standing firm
Finding peace in chaos through the Holy Spirit
How to pray for our world
How To Study The Bible
Schedule your reading
Set aside a time and a place to meditate on God’s word. Create a distraction free environment to dive deeper into the scripture.
Pray before you read
Ask God to reveal his truths as you read. Pray for discernment and understanding.
Read with a friend
Read with someone that will hold you accountable to your daily reading. Proverbs 27:17 says, "As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another."
Read with a Bible concordance + commentary
A Bible concordance is a list of Biblical words sorted alphabetically, with any scriptures that include that word. Commentary Bibles allow us to gain a Bible scholar’s perspective on the scripture you are reading.
Open your Bible to your reading for the day. Take time to read and allow God to speak to you. When you are done, look for a verse that stood out to you and write it in your journal.
What do you feel God is saying to you in this scripture? Ask the Holy Spirit to teach you and reveal Jesus to you.
Personalize what you have read by asking how it applies to your life right now. Perhaps it’s instruction, encouragement, a new promise, or correction for a particular area of your life.
Ask God to help you understand this scripture and how to apply it to your life. Ask for greater insight into what God might be revealing to you. Remember that prayer is a two-way conversation with God, so take time to listen to what God wants to say to you. Write down what you hear and experience.
“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”
“The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.”
“ ‘Come now, and let us reason together,’ ” says the Lord, ‘Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool’ ”
“There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit”
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”
“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for peace and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”
“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
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Continue learning with these additional resources.
Guide to the Book of Acts
Key Information and Helpful Resources
Blue Letter Bible provides powerful tools for an in-depth study of God's Word through our free online reference library, with study tools that are grounded in the historical, conservative Christian faith.
In the book of Acts the story of Jesus begun in the Gospel of Luke broadens into the story of the Holy Spirit, guiding the fledgling church to proclaim the saving reality of Jesus.
Written in a readable style, with more detailed interaction with scholarly discussion found in the various excursuses, this commentary draws on the best new insights from a number of disciplines
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Salvation is a gift from God. You are saved from the eternal consequences of your sin and given eternal life. Salvation is about what God has already done for you – not what you can do for Him.
The VOUS Blog is a space for discovery with resources and reflections, curated by the VOUS community and team, to encourage you on the journey.
