New Year's Day - C

Contents
"Witness to These Things" by Peter Andrew Smith
"Grateful and Free" by Keith Wagner
"Faith for the Skeptic" by Keith Wagner


Witness to These Things
by Peter Andrew Smith
Acts 5:27-32

“You need to stop,” Jodi said. “You’re embarrassing yourself.”

Cindy looked up at the three girls surrounding her table in the High School cafeteria. “What are you talking about?”

“Thomas answered Him, 'my Lord and my God!'”(v. 28)

Good morning children,

Did you know it is still Easter? Yes it is. So Happy Easter! (to the congregation)

Happy Easter! (get a response) It is still the Easter season for the fifty days following Easter Sunday. Yaaay!

This Sunday’s lessons proclaim that God and his resurrection have their way with us.

Historically the Sunday after Easter was the first Sunday when newly baptized members could be admitted into the fellowship as full members of the church. Consequently the theme of having life determined by something bigger than we are (the resurrection of Jesus) is most appropriate.


Acts 5:27-32

Acts 5:27-32
This lesson is the story of what the Holy Spirit can do to change lives, the courage the Spirit gave Peter to witness to authorities, the courage given to the Church today to stand up to the powers that be. Regarding the Holy Spirit modern Latin Evangelical theologian Zaida Perez has written:

I shall never forget that moment on February 11, 1990 when Nelson Mandela was freed after nearly 30 years in captivity in South Africa. It was one of those magic moments shared, thanks to television, with the whole world.

There have been a number of occasions in my life where I have had the opportunity to make a complete fool of myself, and sad to say, I have generally taken full advantage of each one of those opportunities as they came along. I suppose I could prove the point by regaling you with dozens of pertinent stories, but for the sake of preserving your time and my dignity, I will tell you just one.