Nobody gets the problem they can handle
Nobody gets the problem they can handle. Otherwise, it wouldn't be a problem. Sometimes life throws problems at us. And sometimes it's God! Take the case Ananias, sent by God to heal Saul (who comes breathing murderous threats to destroy Ananias and his church family.) What gives Ananias strength to follow God's will? How can we make similar choices, especially when it comes to bringing peace to times of anxiety, conflict, and change.
Jealousy and Sabotage
Paul brings good news...until he starts stepping on toes. He disrupts the status quo, introducing change that leads to resistance and fear. Similarly, jealousy can escalate into fierce opposition. How do our stories about other people form our attitudes toward them? It's easy to focus on what others are doing wrong, but the Christian walk is about us. We aren’t responsible for the naysayers and know-it-alls. Remember whose you are. Shake off the dust and look for where the Holy Spirit is at work.
Stop, pray and sing
Can people change? Paul grew up saying the morning blessing, giving thanks for being a man and not a woman, free and not a slave, Jew and not a Gentile. Yet in Philippi, these are the very people who first respond to his message. Paul can be hot-headed and reactive, but in prison, he stops, prays and sings, and God works in a miraculous way.
Secrets
The miracle of Pentecost is followed by a community of people who devote themselves to the Apostles’ teaching, shared meals, community, and prayer. It doesn’t take long, though, for tension in the community to express itself. Secrets, whether from God or one another, is a symptom that someone is wrong. It can be a symptom of idolatry, which is deadly.
Triangles
The miracle of Pentecost is followed by a community of people who devote themselves to the Apostles’ teaching, shared meals, community, and prayer. It doesn’t take long, though, for tension in the community to express itself in a “triangle”. Unfortunately, triangles don't address the underlying issues. How will you respond when you find yourself in a triangle? You could (1) put on your superhero cape & save the day! (2) walk away saying, "not my monkey, not my circus", or (3) hand over the keys. We'll look at 3 examples of times when Jesus was drawn into a triangle.
Pentecost
Acts 2 describes the birth of the church. It’s a miracle for people to hear beyond the condemnation and the promise, “I will be your God and you will be my people”. They will still disagree with one another, but will stay together. Can you love someone with whom you disagree? That’s part of growing-up.