40. Meet Barnabas: The Son of Encouragement

Long-Term Fruitfulness (Acts 14:21-8)

Speaker: Zach Sparkman / Series: Acts: The Church on Mission • One of the hardest parts of making spiritual investments is not being able to see the results of our labors, so we grow impatient. Paul and Barnabas concluded their first missionary journey by encouraging and setting up leadership in their church plants before returning to Antioch to report on what God did. Since the local church is God’s chosen headquarters for Great Commission work, your long-term fruitfulness is directly tied to your commitment to and participation in a healthy, Bible-preaching, missional local church.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (Acts 14:8-20)

Speaker: Zach Sparkman / Series: Acts: The Church on Mission • God’s power is one of the first attributes children are taught, yet adult believers can live as if they are ignorant of God’s unlimited power. Paul’s ministry in Lystra demonstrated God’s power as the only true and living God, who healed a lame man and raised Paul up after being stoned. We need childlike faith to believe that God’s almighty power is always working, whether in the good, the bad, or the ugly times of life.

43. Messy Ministry (Acts 14:1-7)

Speaker: Zach Sparkman / Series: Acts: The Church on Mission On any given Sunday, dozens of us gather with heavy hearts for one reason or another. God used Paul and Barnabas in Iconium to demonstrate the gospel’s power while protecting them from violent opposition. Living for Christ will come with highs and lows, but through it all, God watches over His people to accomplish His purposes.

42. God's Ministry Partners (Acts 13:42-52)

Speaker: Zach Sparkman / Series: Acts: The Church on Mission • Because you have the privilege of being God’s partner in His redemptive work, you must embrace your role and be content to let God do His. As a result of Paul’s preaching, the Word continued to grow as some believed, though opposition did arise.

41. The Gold Testament (Acts 13:16-41)

Speaker: Zach Sparkman / Series: Acts: The Church on Mission • Many Christians don’t know how to discover and collect this treasure for themselves. Far too many Christians have an awkward relationship with the OT. Paul preached Jesus as the promised Savior the Old Testament looked toward. Because all Scriptural roads lead to Jesus, we must learn how to properly read and interpret the Old Testament to deepen our faith.