This past Sunday we concluded our fall sermon series on the book of Acts by looking at the story of Philip and the Ethiopian found in Acts 8:26-40.  If you were using a modern translation like the NIV or ESV you may have noticed something peculiar – verse 37 is skipped.  The passage jumps straight from verse 36 to verse 38.  However, if you were using a KJV translation, you might have thought that I skipped verse 37, because the KJV includes it! Here is the “controversial” ve

Good morning,   Thank you to everyone who provided food for the fellowship meal on Sunday and a big thank you to the kitchen committee for all of their hard work! You may be wondering how in the world I am going to finish up the sermon series on Acts with the Advent season upon us.  It is going to be easy…I am planning to preach for 10 hours on Sunday.  Pack a lunch! On Sunday we will wrap up this portion of the series as our thoughts start to turn to Christmas.  I am plannin

Good morning,   This past Sunday we looked at how Stephen’s witness for the Gospel comes to an end with his death.  But as Stephen’s story ends Saul’s story is beginning. And it begins with him as the young man who watched over the garments of the witnesses as they stoned Stephen. There is no indication that Saul (who, of course, will later be known as Paul) himself actually lifted a stone, but he was in total agreement with what the Sanhedrin had instigated.  Luke mentioning

Good morning,   This week we are going to be looking at the story of Stephen, the first Christian martyr. Stephen’s story is found in Acts 6 & 7.  If you know Stephen’s story, you know that it ends with him being stoned by a mob.   According to Jewish literature, there seems to have been two different methods of stoning.  One was more a formal method within the Jewish legal system and one was more of a “mob” method.  The mob method is one that is more well-known – a group of