The primary way the scriptures refer to God is as our Heavenly Father. Unfortunately because so many of us have not had good fathers we can struggle with having a positive view of God as our Father. But what if we could begin to see ourselves the way our Heavenly Father sees us? How would our lives change if we truly believed our Heavenly Father was absolutely crazy about us? What if we began to live like we were His beloved child?

On the last day of Easter, something was brewing. Luke writes about the people - from every nation under heaven - that had come together and experienced something truly transformative. What do they do now? Where do they go from here and what will life look like on the other side of the day of Pentecost? It is truly the BIRTH day of the Church and it has been 'growing up' ever since!

We warmly welcome our guest speaker this morning, Ron Frost.

How does the spiritual practice of reading scripture teach us important things about about God, His character and His promises? How does understanding the scriptures makes God's word so personal and active in our lives?

Jesus had promised his disciples that they would receive the Holy Spirit to empower them to be witnesses to all the earth. Get ready, because it’s happening! The event known as Pentecost marks the arrival of the Holy Spirit, where God's presence is intimately experienced by believers and empowers them to fulfill the Great Commission. And wow, what a sight it would’ve been!

Jesus’ apostles could have only had questions… nothing was clear and they were patiently waiting. But waiting for what? They were waiting for Jesus, risen and alive, to make things right and restore His kingdom. How long would they have to wait? What would waiting look like? Very likely, none of them could have even imagined.

It’s hard to let go of our kids. As they get older, they step forward… and away. They assume more responsibility and more autonomy. As parents, we know this has been our most important job - to take these precious gifts from the LORD, and point them in every way we can to Jesus and to a deep and abiding trust in Him.

Moms… we experience all the feels. Love, appreciation, pride… and the accompanying sadness that comes with letting go.

Imagine being so invested in one thing that it's all you can do... all you can think about. You ate it, drank it... lived it. Luke is describing this very thing - a "fellowship of believers" - whose only pleasure was to "praise God and enjoy the favor of all the people" (vs. 47a).

Peter nails it, doesn’t he? After reminding people of Jesus’ ministry - his life, death and resurrection - he tells them how they should move forward. “Repent and be baptized, every one of you… and you will receive the Holy Spirit.” He assured them, for their children and generations beyond, that they would have the same access to Jesus’ saving grace that Peter himself saw first hand. They began living a new kind of life together - one filled with a different kind of joy. How could they not?