Messages by Michael Staley
Who Are You, Lord?
ACTS 9:1:19 When Saul got permission to go to Damascus to pursue Jesus followers, he never expected to meet Him on the way there. Talk about a life changing moment! Scriptures Referenced Acts 7:58 1 Samuel 3:4 Acts 8:1-3 Exodus 20:3
Unless Someone Guides Me
ACTS 8:25-40 Don’t you love divine appointments. Those opportunities to so something that God has planned for you. The things that make a difference. God planned a divine appointment for Phillip to meet and teach an Ethiopian eunuch, and the response was positive, and it was rewarding to the point where everyone involved was rejoicing and praising God. A good day! Scriptures Referenced John 1:1-3 Romans 10:9 Acts 1:8 Revelation 1:3 Deuteronomy 18:10 James 4:8 Acts 16:31 Acts 2:38
Is Belief Enough?
Acts 8:4-25 Simon the magician heard the message, believed and participated in the work of the church before receiving the Holy Spirit. Unfortunately, he misunderstood and though he claimed belief and was baptized in water, he thought that he could buy God’s power. This only leads to a state where a person becomes convinced that they are the owners of that power, and they lose sight of God who is sovereign and owns all. It leads to bad consequences and…
Stephen’s Defense (Part 2)
Acts 7:31-60,8:1-3 It must be hard to be innocent and yet tried for a crime. To think that a man can be tried for a crime where there is no evidence and only unsupported lies as testimony would make you think that anyone in such a position would eventually be exonerated. Unfortunately, that isn’t always true, and some never get justice in this lifetime. Stephen, one of the first deacons of the Christian Church experienced this, but He saw the…
Stephen’s Defense (Part 1)
Acts 7:1-30 It must be hard to be innocent and yet tried for a crime. To think that a man can be tried for a crime where there is no evidence and only unsupported lies as testimony would make you think that anyone in such a position would eventually be exonerated. Unfortunately, that isn’t always true, and some never get justice in this lifetime. Stephen, one of the first deacons of the Christian Church experienced this, but He saw the…
Serving Others
Acts 6:1-15 As disciples of Jesus, we are called to serve others. We do this in different ways, depending on the gifts God has given us and what we are capable of doing. Some of those that serve are called deacons in the church. Stephen was one of the first deacons of the church. He served and God allowed him to perform signs and wonders. But not everyone appreciated Stephen, and it led to false accusations and eventually to his…
Speak The Message of Life
ACTS 5:17-42 There are times in life when even though we are doing the right thing, it still seems like we get in trouble for it. The disciples were doing the right thing when they were preaching and teaching in the temple courtyard, but they were falsely accused, imprisoned, freed, exonerated, punished anyway, and went right back to teaching just like they were told to do. Our prayer is that in similar circumstances, we would do the same. Scriptures Referenced…
Putting the Spirit of God to the Test
Acts 4:32-37, 5:1-16 God takes our words and our actions very seriously. Ananias and Saphira made the mistake of lying to the Holy Spirit during the early days of the church. They conspired together to make something of themselves rather than give an honest gift and let the glory go to God. The consequences weren’t good, but it is a lesson that all Christians should consider. Scriptures Referenced John 11:49-52 Mark 12:29-31 Genesis 4:1-8
Peter’s Second Sermon
Acts 3:1-26 Sometimes, even when we are doing what is right, God has a different plan for us. In Peter’s case, he was heading to the temple for a prayer service. That is a good thing, but along the way, things can change and not always in the way you might expect them to. Peter was forced to detour from his plan when God sent him to heal and then to teach another sermon. Scriptures Referenced Deuteronomy 18:15-22
Peter’s First Sermon
Acts 2:1-47 It is so good to be right with God. The day that Peter preached his first sermon under the power of the Holy Spirit, 3000 devout men heard the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ in their own heart language as Peter and the other disciples spoke to them in languages they didn’t know. God made that happen, they were saved, and it changed their lives. Scriptures Referenced Joel 2:28 Exodus 32:1-35
Introduction to Acts
Acts 1:1-26 With the death of Jesus on the cross, the apostles were left in mourning and confusion, but Jesus spent His time preparing them to serve Him. When Jesus died, was buried, then resurrected and He ascended into heaven, it was all pre-planned. It was God’s plan. But that wasn’t the end of it. God planned to use the people who chose Jesus to be a light to the world so that He and His Son Jesus would be…
Where is our Hope?
Mark 16:1-13 We celebrate the birth of the baby, but that baby grew to be a man, perfect and sinless. He became the sacrifice that saved us from our sins. He did something for us that none of us can do for ourselves, purely out of His love for us. Enjoy the holidays that God gives you. Enjoy the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, but always remember, the baby coming was just the first step He took…