Acts 4:13 "The members of the council were amazed when they saw the boldness (CONFIDENCE) of Peter and John, for they could see that they were ordinary men with no special training in the Scriptures. They also recognized them as men who had been with Jesus."
Feeling ordinary these days? Peter and
John had the distinction of not just feeling ordinary but of being called
ordinary. I don't know if ordinary was the best label for these guys, but I do
know that there are two distinctions in this verse that stand out even more to
me. The first is that they had a bold confidence as they spoke and the second is
that they had been with Jesus.
This last Sunday we spoke to this issue
of confidence. We recognized that when we lack confidence in God, we are
vulnerable. Lacking confidence in God is not a statement against God . . . it's
a statement about us. We don't need to be vulnerable-we can be strong and
confident. We can have a bold confidence because we have been with Jesus.
I want you to remember that we are all in
a process of gaining confidence in God, and He does prove Himself to us. We
would do well to admit our lack of confidence to God and others as we seek their
help and prayer. Denying it will not be a help to us. God can handle our doubts.
"He has His big boy pants on."
And then, gather with the strong every
chance you get. Make the small effort to be in church each week you are town
because frankly, we need to gather with the strong often. When we gather with
the strong we get stronger! This coming Sunday we will finish talking about how
to restore confidence in God. It will be a meaningful talk for us all. Take a
look at Acts 1:1-8.
Also, I want to invite you to share in a
two-day discussion being held this Sunday and Monday nights, June 9 (4:30-8:00
pm) and June 10 (5:30-8:00 pm). These will be talks for advanced planning for
the church. We have limited seats left. It is mandatory you attend both nights
to be a participant. If you are interested, please email jen@baysidech.com to
reserve a seat.
Don't forget, Summer
Splash is coming and there will be a couple of hundred kids-we would love to
have your help in hosting them at our church the last week of June. Please
contact our Children's Ministry Team for details at
carriep@baysidech.com
We look forward to seeing you this coming
Sunday . . . bring a friend!
Pastor
Craig, Becky, Seth, Hannah and Riley the dog
