Acts: Boldness for Jesus

Acts 4

We continue on our series in the book of Acts by looking at chapter four. Peter and John are questioned by the Jewish high council about whose authority gave them the privilege of performing a healing miracle and preaching about Jesus. Focusing in on vv. 11-13, there are three points of Peter’s response to the leaders—Jesus has become the Cornerstone of our life foundation, He is the only way to God, and He is the constant that empowers the apostles to perform miracles and preach the gospel boldly. This message reminds us what bold acts of faith are all about: the one who was crucified but raised by God—Jesus Christ of Nazareth.

Acts: The Purpose of Miracles

Acts 3

The value of miracles comes not from the miracle itself but in the faith it produces. In Acts 3, the healing of the crippled man enables us to believe that Christ has risen from the dead and is also a sign of God's promise to restore all things to peace and wholeness in the future.

Acts: The Gift of the Spirit

Acts 2

Scott tells the story from Acts 2 of the birth of the Church. The place where the disciples were meeting shook, the Spirit came like a mighty rushing wind, and tongues of fire rested on each of them. Scott highlights that the gift of the Holy Spirit was not given to just apostles or pastors but to all. The promise of the Spirit extends to all Christians everywhere in every generation.

Acts: Wait for the Promise

Acts 1

Pastor Scott starts off a new series in Acts 1. This passage begins with the disciples waiting for the promise from Jesus about the coming of the Holy Spirit. Scott encourages us to urgently seek God until He moves, until the Holy Spirit falls afresh on His people and brings what He promised.

Easter 2022: Jesus Has His Ways

Luke 24

This message walks through the twenty fourth chapter of the gospel of Luke, looking specifically at the personalized ways that Jesus made himself known to people after the resurrection. Despite the fact that his disciples viewed the idea of Christ being raised as an idle tale, Jesus gets through to them. We see throughout the gospel accounts that Jesus employed interesting, personal, and even playful means to bring doubting individuals to a place of faith. This work of Jesus transforming unbelievers into fully persuaded followers of Christ continues to this day. Toward the end of the message Scott discusses some of the unique ways Jesus works to get through to people today.

Palm Sunday 2022

Luke 19:28-48

This message tells the story of Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem, his weeping over those who rejected him, and the cleansing on the temple. What comes through these accounts is the fact that the glory of Jesus separates. Some receive him. Some do not. One day Christ will judge all humanity. It will be a great separation of sheep and goats, the redeemed and the lost. Scott gives an urgent admonition at the end of his talk to be ready.

Jerusalem Journey

Luke 9:51

Many of us are familiar with Jesus’ birth and final week of His life, death and resurrection, but rarely do we consider much of his final road trip from Galilee to Jerusalem. Much of the Gospel of Luke is devoted to this final journey that would climax at Jesus’ death of the cross. And He knew it. During the journey, we consider the emotional, mental and spiritual pressure He must have felt. Jesus knew He was born to die. So even amidst the stress, the distractions, the confusion, the rejection, the sorrow, sadness and agony, “When the days drew near for him to be taken up, He set his face to go to Jerusalem.” (Luke 9:51). With steely determination, Jesus fulfilled what He came to do. He was clear about His mission. Jesus also exemplified how to fulfill our ultimate mission and how to walk forward in our faith journey.

Paradigm Shift: Ordinary Believers

In this last message of the Paradigm Shift series, the Reverend Most Holy Pastor Scott J. Axtmann talks about the unhealthy chasm between clergy and laity. Ordinary believers can turn the world upside down. God has seen fit in the Church age to empower common Christians to do great exploits. God has put the indwelling Spirit in every believer and has endowed them with everything they need to be effective ministers in the church and missionaries in the world.

Paradigm Shift: Money + Mission

In this message we look at Bible passages that show how the early Church spent money in generous ways. Pastor Scott asks us these questions to discuss:  What kinds of things would you love to see local churches use their money for? How can churches creatively increase the amount of their overall income to dedicate it to local and global mission? 

Paradigm Shift: Big versus Small

In this message, Scott asks the church several questions about the size and location of church community: where should Christians gather to practice church life? Are church buildings sacred? What is the ideal size of a church gathering? What kinds of spaces have we met in for worship gatherings? Which ones seemed to work best and why? What are the pros and cons of large churches? Of small churches? At what point numerically is a church too large to know everyone? If we experienced sudden dramatic numerical growth—what should we do? Bigger building? Multiple services? Or do we plant churches?