This week we conclude our series in Acts (for now) by looking at Paul, Silas, Timothy and Luke’s experiences in Thessalonica and Berea. We see how the enemy ignites opposition to the gospel, so much so that even in the town of “more noble character”, Berea, Paul has to flee down the coast to Athens to escape persecution. Prior to this we read that many of the Jews in Berea were receptive to the gospel and confirmed Paul’s teaching by reading through the scriptures for themselves. This is something we can learn from: don’t take teaching at face value, go and confirm it for yourselves by reading the Bible.

Ant leads the rest of the service whilst Mike leads our sung worship.

Chris continues with our series in the book of Acts. This week we look at the circumstances surrounding Paul and Silas’ imprisonment in Phillipi and their miraculous route to freedom. We regularly discuss Holy Spirit but don’t always mention those spirits (small ‘s’) of evil. In Phillipi we see Paul and Silas dealing with such a spirit in posession of a slave girl. This is not like the films, they don’t make a fuss or use any form of incantations or chanting. How can we use their response as a model for our own?

James leads the rest of the service as we think about the women of the church on Mother’s Day. Pete and Nick lead our sung worship.

This week Chris carries on looking at our series in Acts. As Paul, Silas and Timothy continue their journey through modern-day Turkey we see that – after visiting the churches that were planted when Paul visited the first time – may of their options for onward travel are intentionally blocked by the Spirit, directing them towards the coastal city of Troas and across the sea into Macedonia. In this journey God directs them not by speaking directly to Paul or through any kind of prophecy but through gentle nudges and the closing of doors to them. How often has that been our experience?

Susan leads the rest of the service as we invite Tasha, director of the local YFC centre, to speak about their work with young people in schools and churches in the local area and how we can support them in prayer. Pete and Nick lead our sung worship this week.

Last week in our Acts series we saw the church in Jerusalem discussing whether the Gentile believers should have to conform to Jewish Law. This week Chris looks the letter they sent to Antioch in response. Alongside their response Paul, Barnabas, Silas and Judas were also sent to vouch for its authenticity. In the letter, and in the rest of the New Testament, we see that through Jesus’ fulfilment of the purpose of the Law the non-Jewish believers are not required to conform to the Laws of the Old Testament. Instead we are given the ability (through the words of the Bible and the Holy Spirit) to discern and cast off the things that, as individuals and as a community, separate us from God.
Ant leads the rest of the service, speaking a little about trusting in God whilst Pete and Nick lead our sung worship.

We return to our series in Acts, with Chris this week focussing on Paul and Barnabas’ return to Jerusalem and the discussion in the early church as to whether Gentile believers should have to conform to the Jewish Law of the Old Testament. It is clear that disagreements in church governance are nothing new! We see the Apostles listening to both sides of the argument and together the church ultimately discerning God’s way forwards, giving us a model that we still strive to follow today.

Karen leads the rest of the service as James brings an update on our mission of the month, Asia Link, and Pete and Nick lead our sung worship.

This week we return to our semi-regular series in Acts, looking at the conclusion of Paul and Barnabas’ missionary journeys through Galatia. In this passage we see them re-tracing the steps that they had taken over the previous 2 years and revisiting many of the churches they planted, before returning to Antioch and reuniting with…