Author: Tim

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Sermon Audio: A Tale of Two Lives
Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Acts 12:18-25
Duration: 24:35
Size: 11.5 MB

Acts: Life In The Spirit
A Tale of Two Lives
Acts 12:18-25

In fact, the house of Herod would make shows like Desperate Housewives or the worst Soap Operas look pretty tame. There was incest, betrayal, adultery, and many other gross sins.

I’d like to borrow two opposing thoughts from Psalm 1 that will provide a framework for discussing our scripture. Psalm 1:6 says, For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.

I. The Lord Watches Over the Path of the Righteous
The physical welfare of the righteous is linked to the purposes of God.

If you struggle with this whole idea of how to reconcile suffering, sickness, and death with God’s care for us, it helps to remember that He alone is sovereign and knows what He is doing.

II. The Path of the Wicked Leads to Destruction
Josephus, a Jewish historiographer, writes about this same event, giving us a few more details than Luke does.

Now, here was Agrippa willing to commit the same kind of sin that Great Grandpa had fought so hard against.

I don’t know what you are going through today, but I am hoping and praying that you will come to a place where you can turn your life completely over to God, and start doing things His way.

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Sermon Audio: Prison Break
Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Acts 12:1-17
Duration: 23:44
Size: 16.3 MB

Acts: Life In The Spirit
Prison Break
Acts 12:1-17

We might feel like we are locked in our problems and life situations.

The Lord rescues and delivers those who put their trust in Him. How is such a prison break possible in our lives?

I. Bound by Two Chains
No doubt those were two physical chains used to restrain Peter from escape, but let’s look at two things that the chains could represent.

They wanted him to be bound up, not only in physical chains, but in emotional chains of hatred and despair.

II. Strengthened through a Praying Church
God often burdens others to pray for us, and sometimes He even uses them to help meet our need.

As we will see next, prayer not only brought comfort and freedom to Peter’s heart and mind, but it also brought about his physical freedom.

III. Rescued by a Loving God (The chains fell off!)
God wants us to be free…free from sin and bondage and free to do His will.

IV. Astonished by God’s Miraculous Deliverance
Have you ever been surprised by God? Has He ever worked so quickly and powerfully in your life that you were astounded?