God’s Promise You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you. — Acts 1:8 I have a bargain for you to consider, a really great deal on a new tripod. It is top of the line, weather resistant, and lightweight. It folds up to fit in a backpack. It adjusts to secure any…
You Will Be My Witnesses
Your gifts are designed to reach the world for Jesus. So what’s holding you back? You will be my witnesses. ~ Jesus (ACTS 1:8) Yes, you’re a man of many talents. When I was converted to Christianity, I waited as the phone rang. My best friend picked up on the other end. “What’s up, man?” “Nothing.…
I Am Clothed
I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high. — Luke 24:49 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I…
Receiving and Releasing His Power in Prayer
Receiving and Releasing His Power in Prayer I heard about a little boy who went to his dad and said, “I want a little brother.” His dad looked up from his newspaper. “Well, son,” he said, “maybe you ought to pray about that.” So the little guy prayed every night for one month. And nothing happened. He…
Power in Weakness
Several years ago, I (Jamin) had the joy of vacationing in Greece. The drive from Athens to Corinth took about an hour. The drive is so beautiful you almost forget about your destination. The brilliant blue water of the Aegean Sea is visible nearly the entire way. The city of Corinth is strategically positioned…
The Prayer of Blessing
One year I gave my six-year-old daughter, Amanda, a small, decorative box. Inside it I put a small piece of jewelry that she had been wanting for a long time. When she unwrapped the gift and saw the box, she squealed and remarked on every detail. “Oh, Mommy, this is so beautiful! Look at the…
Evangelism: Back to Basics
But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. — Acts 1:8 Once, the legendary football coach Vince Lombardi and his Green Bay Packers lost a football game that…
Apprenticed to Reach the World for Jesus
Big Idea: Missional movement begins by becoming an apprentice of Jesus. If a movement is to start with you and your friends, then it all begins with your becoming an apprentice. The core competency of any movement is apprenticeship. Apprenticeship is a fundamental principle of reproduction, yet it is so often overlooked. A gifted communicator…
Jesus Calls the First Four Disciples
Matthew 4:13–22; Mark 1:16–20; Luke 4:31a (Matthew) MT — And leaving Nazareth Some time elapsed between Matthew 4:12 and Matthew 4:13. Jesus’ stay in Nazareth ended abruptly when He was violently rejected by the people of Nazareth, who tried to murder Him (see Luke 4:16–30). (Luke) LK — He went down MT — and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea,…
Holy Spirit Power
On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice… “Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.” By this He meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had…