First Champaign-urbana

"Once we’ve found freedom in Christ, we help others strengthen and find theirs."

Strong disciples grow in their knowledge of God. Strong disciples have changed hearts. Strong disciples strengthen one another.

The Gospel changes everything, not just eternity.

Prayer is how we tune into the goodness and power of God.

History-making churches don't pursue history-making, they pursue the History-Maker: King Jesus.

You don't have to understand everything about God in order to trust that He is working in your life. Acts Chapter 10

Acts Chapter 9 | Unleash the Mission of Jesus by First Christian Church Champaign

Ever wonder what it would have been like the day after a world-changing event? The commotion, buzz, and energy would be palpable. So, what about a promised moment of thousands of years coming to fruition? Let’s look into Acts 8 and imagine what “church” would have been like the following week!

Are you a bad news first or good news first type of person? In chapter 7 of The Book of Acts, we see the first person to share the Good News, but leads them to an untimely “bad news” situation. The first witness to take the gospel with him to the grave! But like beauty from ashes, there’s encouragement to be found!

What makes for a good team? Whether in sports, theatre, or organizations, the best teams aren’t made of people of all the same types or talents. Rather, the best teams have diversity unified by a single goal or mission - and the church is no different! Chapter 6 of The Book of Acts shows how church is a team sport, not a solo act.

For the first few weeks or even months, the Apostles were cruising in their mission of helping new and more people follow Jesus. But, it was not always rainbows and butterflies. It’s one thing to get what you deserve, yet a whole other thing to get what you don’t deserve. For the apostles - and even disciples today - the question is not will it happen; rather, what will you do when it does?

What is your go-to response in celebration when something amazing happens? Maybe you throw a big party or tell as many people as possible?! In chapter 4 in the book of Acts, we will see the two primary responses the disciples run to amid an exploding movement of God!

A popular phrase goes something like, “show me your friends, I’ll show you your future.” It’s no secret or surprise we all begin to act or think like the people we hang around the most. So, after spending three straight years with Jesus - what might be said of the apostles? In week 3 of our study through Acts, we will see the simple yet unique answer to this question.

After Christmas and Easter, what’s the next biggest day in the life of the church? Pentecost! Arguably the day ‘the church’ was born. Join us in our study through the book of Acts as we look at the story of the first-ever ‘Christian church’ service happening after the resurrection of Jesus!

Something extraordinary happened roughly 2,000 years ago, and it’s still going on today! Before we get too deep into what happened, we must start with why it was written and accounted for in the first place. In week one of our study through Acts, we answer the question of why we should lean into what the rest of this account has to show us.

Saying, "I'm sorry," isn't easy for any of us, but it is so good for all of us. When we get honest about the condition of our hearts, we realize very quickly we need help. Jesus gives us the gift of repentance to alleviate the burden of sin and to protect our relationship with Him.

"Get rich or die trying" was a big motto of a hip-hop artist in the early 2000s. But - what if getting "rich," by the world's standards, wasn't actually worth it? When we live our lives purely for ourselves at the expense of those around us, the payout might look different than expected. Instead, Jesus calls us to be "rich toward God."

They say that “sex sells.” Unfortunately, you don’t have to look far or hard to see this type of advertisement on display. When we surrender to lust, we are literally risking our very lives. Jesus calls us to recognize where lust begins and where it leads so we can fight against it.

When we live our lives trying to gain everything the world says is most important, we miss out on the one thing Jesus provides. Jesus calls us to surrender our lives to Him - and that is how we begin to win at the game of life!

Easter 2022 by First Christian Church Champaign