Acts Volume 2

About This Series:

The Gospel's trajectory explodes beyond its Jewish roots in Acts 10-17. Peter's miraculous encounters with Gentiles, the growth of the church in Antioch, and Paul's first missionary journey propel the message of Jesus Christ into new territories. In "The Gospel Spreads," Stephen Davey unpacks these pivotal chapters, showing us how the early church navigated challenging cultural barriers and expanded the Kingdom of God.

Key Themes

Breaking Down Barriers: Peter's vision of the unclean animals and his interaction with Cornelius, a Roman centurion, shatters religious and cultural biases. This prepares the way for Gentiles to be fully embraced within the Church.
The Antioch Church: A Model for Diversity and Mission: The church in Antioch becomes a thriving center of faith where Jews and Gentiles worship together. This church serves as a powerful model for unity and a launching pad for missions.
Paul's Missionary Journeys: We'll follow Paul on his first missionary journey, witnessing the establishment of new churches and the challenges he faces as he preaches a crucified and risen Savior to diverse audiences.
Embracing Controversy: The Jerusalem Council (Acts 15) addresses a major controversy: must Gentile converts adhere to Jewish laws? This event highlights the early church's process of determining essential doctrine and practices.

Series Goal

Stephen Davey's goal for this series is to:

Remind believers that the Gospel is for everyone, regardless of background or social status.
Challenge us to examine our own potential biases and work towards creating inclusive communities of faith.
Inspire a passion for missions and outreach, understanding that God desires to reach people from every nation and culture.
Provide insights on how to address theological and practical disagreements within the Church, seeking unity under the banner of Christ.

Sermons In This Series

(Acts 10:1–48) The Drama of Change

Did you know that when speaking of God, there are two words you can't use in the same sentence? ('No' and 'Lord') He is either Lord of your life, or He isn't!

(Acts 11:1–18) The Church that Changed

What's the difference between your personal convictions and God's commands? Stephen reminds us in this message that being fully in God's will requires learning the difference.

(Acts 11:19–30) The Antioch Example

What does grace look like? It looks like people coming to faith; people praying; people giving to help others; people accepting others, regardless of color or national origin. Have you seen grace in action lately?

(Acts 12:1–9) The Answer Came Knocking

Sometimes expecting the worst may prevent us from experiencing God's best. In this message Stephen reminds us why our faith in God should be a little more optimistic.

(Acts 12:20–25) Glory to God . . . Alone!

Jesus spoke about Hell almost twice as much as He spoke about Heaven. Maybe we would talk about it a lot more, too, if we took Christ's words seriously.

(Acts 13:1–12) Wrestling Rasputins

One of Satan's strategies is to dilute the Gospel just enough so that it loses its transforming power. Sharing about God's love and neglecting to discuss God's wrath dilutes the gospel.

(Acts 13:13–52) The Message

God tells us that 'from out of the heart a man speaks.' Every time Paul opened his mouth, the gospel came pouring out. Rehearse the message of the gospel in this lesson.

(Acts 14:1–20) Missionary Memoirs

Paul's missionary journeys often resulted in opposition -- whether it was from government officials, townspeople, or nature itself. But Paul was less concerned about his trials and more concerned about how great his God is. What's your concern?

(Acts 14:21–28) Phases of Effective Ministry

An effective church will always be birthing new ministries and at the same time reproducing itself around the world. That's what the early church did, and this lesson teaches you why they were so successful.

(Acts 15:1–12) The First Reformation, Part 1

What do the scriptures say? That question could settle most debates when Christians disagree. Dividing God's truth from man's opinion was the cry of the reformation. The scriptures alone answer the question, "What must I do to be saved?"

(Acts 15:13–35) The First Reformation, Part 2

The dividing line between truth and error is the cry of the reformation: "Sola Scriptura!" The Bible alone tells us what is sufficient for faith and practice.

(Acts 15:36–41) Stubborn Servants . . . Second Chances

Disagreements are a part of life. The question is not how do we avoid them, but rather how do we deal with them when they occur?' In this lesson, Stephen addresses conflict and resolution.

(Acts 16:1–10) And He Shall Direct Your Stops

Has God ever halted your plans? What should we do when he tells us to 'stop?' Closed doors in our Christian lives are painful. Take courage in the fact that the same God who orders our steps also orders our stops.

(Acts 16:11–21) A Tale of Two Women

What does a wealthy business woman and a poor, demon-possessed girl have in common? Both are slaves to sin. Both need the Savior.

(Acts 16:19–34) Amazing Grace, Part 1

In a world full of suffering and death, what is the greatest question we could ever ask? A Philippian jailor asks it in Acts 16:30: "What must I do to be saved?"

(Acts 16:35–40) Amazing Grace, Part 2

What must I do to be saved? Mankind is still asking that question today. Nothing's changed. And there are a myriad of different answers. What is your answer?

(Acts 17:1–9) Have You Upset Your World Today?

Acts 17 is more than an account of one of Paul's missionary endeavors . . . it's one of the most interesting descriptions of Christianity in all the Bible. No wonder God used this man to start a spiritual revolution.

(Acts 17:10–15) A Plea For Judges

You've seen the COEXIST bumper stickers and you've experienced political correctness. So what is the role of truth? Learn why the modern mantra "Don't judge me," just isn't Biblical.

(Acts 17:16–24) More Than a Monument

When Paul arrived in Athens, it was the philosophical center of the world and the birthplace of the democratic system. It had discovered many truths, but not THE Truth. Paul changes that!

(Acts 17:24) Introducing the Creator

In Athens, Paul found a monument to an Unknown God. He took the opportunity to stand up and proclaim who this God was. What happened as a result? Find out.

(Acts 17:25–26) The Almighty Mover & Shaker

There's a song that says 'He's Got the Whole World in His Hands!' Paul once stood before a crowd of polytheists and atheists and explained why the simple truth found in that song is so pivotal to the Gospel.

(Acts 17:26-29) Stumbling over Elephants

Voltaire once wrote: 'God created man, and man returned the favor.' He was right. God has become downsized, trivialized, and re-defined in our generation. It's time to be re-introduced to our great and powerful God!

(Acts 17:30-34) Judgment Day

It's the topic no one wants to talk about. It's the bad news of the Gospel. There is coming a day when Jesus will judge the world and people will either face eternity with Him or apart from Him. What will your judgment be?

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