Available Series Preview
Hey Church, this Sunday we are back in Acts!
In August of 2022 we started walking through the book of Acts together. We kicked off on August 28, 2022 with Acts 1 talking about the Holy Spirit. This series in Acts followed our study of Luke together.
If you’re wondering “why the book Acts?” Well this is a book Luke authored and it really is sort of a book 2 to the Gospel of Luke. Not part 2, but book 2. Same author, same direction, same historical and Biblical message pointing us to the Gospel of Jesus!
As we jump into Acts, you may be new to Refuge and have missed all of that. You may be entering halfway through or you just need a good recap so you can freshly jump back in. Below I have outlined some good places to start and then I will share where we are going in Acts this fall.
Good places to start, restart or refresh:
1 - If you were around last fall, I would encouraged you get out your ACTS ESV Scripture Journal where you took notes and review. I would encourage you, before September 10, to read the first 9 chapters of Acts as a review.
2 - If you jumped in, in the middle or somewhere along the way, you should have an ACTS ESV scripture journal. Pull it out and review. If you notice some gaps, perhaps go back and listen or watch those messages you missed. Take some notes in your journal and get caught up.
3 - If you’re new and missed ALL of Acts, start first by reading the first 9 chapters of Acts with the idea of being available in mind. On Sunday 9/3 we will have the ACTS ESV Scripture Journals available if you do not have one. That’s a great resource we provide to you to help you read, study, and take notes in.
”I don’t have time to read 9 chapters”… Before you give me all your reasons that you don’t have time to read 9 chapters, can I encourage you to consider how long it will take, and how you might be making a mountain out of a molehill. This fall many of us will watch 3 hour Jaguar football games or 3 hour college football games (usually longer than that). In comparison it will take you less than 30 minutes, for the slowest readers, to read those 9 chapters. So set aside some time and maybe even put it in your calendar. Our whole theme in Acts is the idea of being available, so maybe start there. Be available to read 9 chapters.
This fall, starting in September, much like last fall, we will spend 2 months in Acts covering chapter 10-15. If you were around last year, one of the things that came out of our study was the idea of being AVAILABLE. Available was a theme we continued to see as we navigated our way together through the first 9 chapters of Acts. As we open to chapter 10, we will continue to see that theme. When we say available here is what we are saying:
-Am I available to God?
-Am I available to meet with God?
-Am I available to hear from God?
-Am I available to be used by God?
As we study chapters 10-15 together this fall, this will be one of the continued themes we will see. As we turn the calendar into October we will add a word to our Available theme… the word “Together.”
Available Together.
The idea being as we continue to move forward as a church, being built together as a church, believe the gospel with each other as a church, sharing the gospel as a church - that we will do so together. That God will not use us only as individuals, or meet with us as individuals, but that we would be Available Together. Available Together in meeting with God together and on mission together.
We study the Bible verse by verse most often at Refuge, and this is why we are walking through Acts at the pace we are. Going verse by verse, ideally removes much of man’s agenda and causes us to hear from God and His Word. Even at times, covering and studying passages we normally would not have chosen on our own. I would encourage you to jump in with us. If you’re behind, get caught up but take the time doing so. What Jesus did in His early church (the book of Acts) we want to see here! For God to save, to transform and to Send. Let’s open this book together this fall and hear how he might do that.
See you Sunday!
Josh Glymph
Pastor Refuge Church