I’ve been thinking a lot this week about one of the most powerful words in the English language. It’s the word “should.” Today, we are going to see what happened in the early church when one group of Christians start "shoulding" another group of Christians and how it all works out.

Now, as we fulfill our assignment as ambassadors taking Jesus to our friends, neighbors and nations, what should we expect will happen? 

We’re continuing in our Acts series this morning so make sure you have your Bibles open to chapter 13. Jesus said, in chapter 1, that His followers would be His witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and to the ends of the earth (v 8). That’s what we’re going to see today—faithful Jesus followers taking the good news to people who live far from them.

Today our story in Acts 12 reminds us of some incredibly important news and some incredibly refreshing news that can counter the threatening sense that evil seems to rule the day. 

Dr. John H. Morgan, Founder and President of People Prosper International, speaks about unleashing the global church to solve poverty, save souls, and change the world.

If you recall the narrative from last week, we know what Cornelius’ family did. They heard about who Jesus was, and what he did and accepted the gift that Jesus provides. In the process of doing so, they were filled with the Holy Spirit. This captured Peter’s attention “They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.” But as we continue the narrative into Chapter 11, we learn that it not only captured the attention of Peter, but also the Jews scattered all throughout Judea.

What we are going to learn from Acts chapter 10 is that the price Jesus paid includes more than Peter thought as he interacts with a guy named Cornelius.

I love stories about God’s relentless pursuit of someone because He wants to draw them close. This morning we’re going to witness the amazing transformation of a guy who wanted nothing to do with Jesus. And we’re going to see how Jesus can grab the least likely person in the world and turn them into a fully devoted follower. This guy’s name is Saul. For many, he’s better known as Paul.

On Friday and Saturday, we had our annual Worldview Seminar here at Foothills Church. This year, the seminar theme was "Unfractured: Staying Together While Society Falls Apart." We had special guest speakers Monique Duson and Jonathan McKee help us address some important, current topics from a Biblical worldview.Today, we have the privilege of continuing these conversations with Monique Duson.

Evangelism is a loaded word for people. However, despite how we feel, evangelism played an essential role in the spread of the Gospel in establishing the early church. What we are going to see in Acts chapter 8 is evangelism at work. And my hope this morning is that you become more aware of what evangelism is and what it might look like in your life. This morning we are going to look at key principles of effective evangelism. My hope is that you can take these principles and apply them in your life today.