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The people we surround ourselves with shape who we become. Pastor Ben takes us through Acts 13:4-12, exploring the powerful confrontation between Paul and Bar-Jesus, a false prophet who opposed the gospel message despite his impressive-sounding credentials.

Drawing from the timeless wisdom that "show me your friends and I'll show you your future," this message examines how the influences in our lives—whether people, media, or entertainment—can either draw us closer to Christ or pull us away. Through personal stories and biblical insights, Pastor Ben challenges us to evaluate whether what we allow into our lives is moving us toward spiritual growth or hindering our journey.

The contrast between Bar-Jesus (whose name ironically means "son of salvation") and the missionary team of Paul and Barnabas reveals how deceptive appearances can be. While one group spread authentic faith, the other actively opposed it despite religious credentials. This tension culminates in a dramatic spiritual confrontation that ultimately leads to the conversion of Sergius Paulus, the local authority.

Perhaps most encouraging is the redemptive story of John Mark, who abandoned the missionary journey but later became the author of the Gospel of Mark. Through Barnabas's mentorship and second chances, we see how positive godly influences can restore those who have stumbled in their faith.

This message offers four practical applications: eliminate negative influences, be a positive influence to those who need it, aspire to faithful service like Paul and Barnabas, and support missionaries spreading the gospel worldwide. Whether you're struggling with unhealthy relationships, questioning your media consumption, or seeking to deepen your faith commitment, this teaching provides biblical wisdom for navigating the influences that shape your spiritual journey.

Are you surrounding yourself with people and influences that make you more like Christ? Join us as we explore how to build a life centered on godly influences and become life-giving influences for others.

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Discover the transformative spiritual practice that's hiding in plain sight throughout Scripture yet rarely discussed in modern churches. Fasting—mentioned over 60 times in the Bible and practiced by Jesus himself—has largely disappeared from our spiritual conversations despite its profound impact on our relationship with God.

What makes this ancient discipline so powerful? Unlike other spiritual practices, fasting uniquely demonstrates our desire for God above all else by temporarily setting aside His good gifts (typically food) to focus more fully on Him. As Augustine wrote, fasting is "for Christians what exercise is for the athlete," strengthening us for life's battles and sharpening our spiritual sight.

Our journey through Acts 13 reveals how the early church at Antioch was "worshiping the Lord and fasting" when the Holy Spirit directed them to commission Paul and Barnabas for missionary work. This pivotal moment in church history—the launching of the first missionary journey—emerged directly from a time of corporate fasting. The text mentions fasting twice in just three verses, highlighting its significance in hearing God's voice with clarity.

Many believers find themselves at a crossroads, needing direction for major life decisions or breakthrough in persistent struggles. Fasting offers a path to spiritual clarity that's often missing in our overstuffed lives. As David Platt and Francis Chan note, "The weakness of our hunger for God is not because He is unsavory, but because we keep ourselves stuffed with earthly things. Perhaps the denial of our stomach's appetite for food might increase our soul's appetite for God."

Ready to incorporate this powerful discipline into your spiritual life? Start small—try fasting one meal and using that time for focused prayer instead. Remember that effective fasting must be coupled with prayer, holiness, and acts of charity. The goal isn't personal misery or spiritual merit-earning but expressing our deepest desire: to hunger for the Bread of Life more than the bread of this world.

Will you accept the challenge to rediscover what generations of faithful believers have known? Your spiritual journey might be transformed by what you discover when you fast.

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Prayer is not just a religious ritual but a transformative force that can break chains, open prison doors, and change seemingly impossible situations. This message dives deep into the power of intercessory prayer—the practice of fervently taking others' needs before God—as dramatically illustrated in Acts 12.

When Herod Agrippa I executed James and imprisoned Peter, the situation seemed hopeless. Peter was bound in chains between guards with execution looming. But verse 5 contains the pivotal turning point: "earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church." What followed was nothing short of miraculous—an angel appeared, chains fell off, and prison doors opened by themselves.

From this remarkable account, we discover five qualities of effective intercessory prayer that can revolutionize our approach to bringing others' needs before God. Effective prayer is earnest (passionate and fervent), specific (clear about what's being requested), corporate (unified with other believers), continual (persistent until breakthrough comes), and perhaps most encouragingly, imperfect (God honors our hearts even when our faith wavers).

The message tackles challenging questions about prayer's relationship to God's sovereignty. Why was Peter rescued while James was executed? If God is sovereign, why pray at all? Through exploring these questions, we gain deeper insight into how prayer doesn't change God's mind but rather activates His power as He has designed prayer to be one of the means through which He accomplishes His purposes.

Whether you're new to prayer or have been praying for decades, this message will reignite your passion for intercession by revealing how your earnest prayers for others can bring about supernatural intervention. Join us Wednesday nights at 7pm as we put these principles into practice together and watch God move in power.

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Every human being is a disciple of someone or something. Whether consciously or unconsciously, we're all being shaped by the voices we listen to most—political ideologies, entertainment, social media, or Christ himself. Discipleship is power: it shapes our individual lives, our homes, nations, and the world.

Whether you're a new believer or a seasoned Christian, this message challenges you to evaluate who's discipling you and how you're discipling others. The discipleship journey isn't measured by comparing yourself to others, but by asking: "Do I look more like Christ today than I did yesterday?" Join us as we explore how the ancient church's discipleship practices can transform our lives and communities today.

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What's your greatest source of joy? The disciples returned from their mission trip exhilarated that "even demons are subject to us in your name!" But Jesus gives a surprising response that challenges our entire understanding of spiritual success and true joy.

Drawing from Luke 10:17-20, this message explores Jesus' gentle rebuke to his disciples when he tells them, "Do not rejoice that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven." It's a profound redirection that speaks directly to our tendency to find identity and satisfaction in what we do rather than who we are in Christ.

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We challenge the common practice of giving God our leftovers rather than our best, exploring how the prophet Malachi condemned Israel's polluted offerings and what this means for modern believers.

• The Israelites were bringing blind, lame, and sick animals as sacrifices, which God called evil
• Whatever receives our best time, energy, and resources reveals what we truly worship
• We have three main resources: time, talent, and treasure – how we allocate them reveals our priorities
• The shocking truth that God would rather have the temple doors closed than receive insincere worship
• God deserves our best not because He needs anything from us, but simply because of who He is
• Everyone worships something – whatever you attribute highest value to becomes your master

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What would you sacrifice to bring someone eternal life?

This powerful question frames our exploration of Acts 10, where Peter's journey to Cornelius marks the moment the Gospel first intentionally crossed cultural boundaries to reach the Gentile world. The staggering reality is that today, 3.5 billion people have virtually no access to the gospel—not those who've rejected it, but those who've never had the opportunity to hear it.

Through Peter and Cornelius' story, we discover the essential framework for global missions: God orchestrates, and believers participate. While God does the heavy lifting of salvation, He invites us into three specific ways of participation—praying, going, and sending.

The 3.5 billion unreached are not just statistics—they're individuals with names, families, dreams, and eternal souls. How will you respond to reach them? Start a prayer journal. Consider your calling. Give sacrificially. Together, we can bring Christ's hope to every nation, tribe, and tongue.

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What does it take to reach a world that desperately needs Jesus? In this illuminating exploration of Acts 10, we witness the moment when the gospel first crosses the Jewish-Gentile divide, setting the pattern for how God's message spreads to all nations.

The story centers around a divine encounter between Peter, a Jewish apostle with deeply ingrained cultural biases, and Cornelius, a devout Roman centurion seeking God but missing the key to salvation. Through their divinely orchestrated meeting, we discover the essential truth that effective evangelism begins not with human effort but with God's sovereign initiative.

This passage liberates us from the pressure of "converting" others. Our responsibility isn't producing results—it's faithfully sharing Jesus. God does the heavy lifting: going before us, accompanying us, and completing the work after we've spoken. Rather than relying on clever marketing, perfect presentation, or emotional manipulation, we simply need to present Christ through Scripture and let the Spirit do His work.

Ready to make an eternal difference? Identify someone who needs Jesus, commit to praying consistently for them, then courageously share the gospel with them. Remember, you're not responsible for their response—only for your faithfulness in sharing. And the first time you lead someone to Christ, your life will never be the same.

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