Sermons on Acts

This Sunday we celebrate Pentecost, recalling the coming of the Holy Spirit, what’s often referred to as “the birthday” or “the beginning” of the church. What changed with the inbreaking of the Holy Spirit? How did it empower people of faith to connect with one another, across all their differences? And does the Holy Spirit still have that power today?

This Sunday is Ascension Sunday, a day in the life of the church that is baffling, awe-inspiring and rich with meaning and invitation.  What can this peculiar account of Jesus being “taken up” into the clouds mean for us, the church in Southern California in 2026?

This week our text from Acts reconnects us to Paul and his ministry. He and his companions encounter folks, like Lydia, who enter into “uncharted waters” by way of their baptism. To what uncharted waters are we, as individuals and the church, being called today?

Peter reports on his vision of “flying pigs” and how the Spirit sent him to a Gentile household. What did this event mean for the early church and how might the Spirit move through this text, bringing guidance and inspiration to us, the church today?

Continuing today in the Book of Acts, we hear how Peter was summoned and Dorcas was returned to life. What does this account tell us about kindness? About calling forth life and the power of joining hands to make that happen?  

During the month of May we’ll focus on readings from the Book of Acts, more formally known as The Acts of the Apostles.  How did the Spirit move in those early days of the church, navigating in and among those who were very receptive and those who were NOT?  How did those early Christians act and how should we?

Today is Pentecost Sunday. How do we encounter the Holy Spirit today? Can and will we be amazed and transformed? And if so, what difference might that make…in us and to the world around us?