Henry Ford said "obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal". For us as followers of Jesus, we look towards Him not only our goal, but as our example.
RELEASE OF MINISTRY Pam Scott-Cook
The extraordinary growth of the Church in Acts brought strain on the structure of the early Church. One of the signs of strain was some of the vulnerable people in the Church feeling overlooked. It also meant that the Apostles were becoming a bottleneck and that they were neglecting their primary callings. These kinds of pressures are familiar ones in any growing organisation but can really hinder kingdom growth. On the other hand, this kind of growth can also be an opportunity to release significant kingdom ministry.
Bible Ref. Luke 4:31-40
OVERCOMING OBSTACLES: Persecuted Church, Dave Mitchell 12/06/16
Persecution has been part of the Church from its beginning as these chapters in Acts show. Persecution is also on the increase. Open Doors estimate that in 2015 7,000 Christians were killed for their faith, but millions of Christians are affected by lower level persecution and discrimination. What can we learn from the biblical record of persecution, and learn from the global persecuted Church today? Bible Ref. Acts 7 8:4
OVERCOMING OBSTACLES: Global Partnership Sunday, Tim Dobson & Charmian Arevalo-Squire 19/06/16Acts chapter 8 describes the mission of the early Church across the first national boundary, the neighbouring country of Samaria. This is followed immediately by the story of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch, where the good news of Jesus is conveyed by him to the heart of another more remote nation. The great commission of Jesus is being fulfilled, and we stand in a long line of witnesses to the nations of the world as we think about our own place in the global Church. Bible Ref. Acts 8
OVERCOMING OBSTACLES: The Power of Encouragement, Rob Scott-Cook 26/06/16
Acts chapter 9 describes the conversion of Saul who has been a chief persecutor of the church. Saul has a vivid encounter with Jesus on the Damascus road but understandably encounters suspicion in the Church family. The key to him being accepted by the Church in Jerusalem, who haven’t witnessed the change in him first-hand, is the role of Barnabas whose name means ‘son of encouragement’. Bible Ref. Acts 9
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