Have you ever been really wrong? I mean really, really wrong? Have you ever been outspoken or opinionated about a subject and then made a huge discovery that radically shifted your position? Imagine in our ongoing study of the book of Acts, just what it must have been like for Saul of Tarsus. In an instant, on the road to Damascus, Saul discovered that he was completely wrong about Jesus. Imagine how that felt. He had not only been outspoken against the Church and its message about Christ, but he was violent in his opposition to Jesus. He had approved of the stoning of Stephen to death. He had arrested and beaten and imprisoned numerous men and women. He had threatened many and was bent on stomping out this movement called The Way. Then, he met Jesus. And he realized that he was wrong. All discipleship begins with an acknowledgement: I was wrong. Really wrong. For some, we have to acknowledge that our lives were filled with sin and willful rebellion. For others, like Saul, our lives were filled with hypocritical religion and self-righteous superiority. We were wrong about ourselves. We were really blind to the depth of our need for Christ. Conversion (coming to faith in Jesus) begins the process of a radical reorienting our lives around the truth of who Jesus Christ really is and why we need Him so much. We need deep and perpetual recalibration. That’s our sermon title for this week: A Life of Transformation. I think this is deeply encouraging as we discover that we are all in the School of Christ if we are believers and because of His forgiveness and grace, we can continue to learn what it means to live our lives by faith in Him.

Scripture References: Acts 9:19b-25

From Series: No Other Name | More Messages from Kevin Dibbley

From Series: "No Other Name"

The book of Acts is a careful recording of the advancement of the kingdom of God into the Gentile world despite hostility and hardship. We constantly need to be encouraged and reminded that the mission of God happens through the unlikeliest of people (ie., Saul of Tarsus) in some of the most hostile environments. This happens precisely because our God reigns. Where are some of the hardest places that we least expect the gospel to advance? Who are you least hopeful would respond to the message of Christ? Waterbrooke Church’s mission statement is this: Waterbrooke seeks to be a gospel-centered multi-ethnic family that is captivated by Jesus, compelled to love others, and called to make disciples to the glory of God. What brings more glory to God than the salvation of the least likely people and peoples?

"A Life of Transformation" | Acts 9:19b-25

Last Sunday, we saw that the mission of Jesus Christ is counter-intuitive. The gospel will inevitably evoke hostility. However, hostility does not mean a closed door to ministry. We are called to love our enemies. Loving our enemies is where the gospel is often best displayed because that is what Jesus did in his life and death on the cross. I stated last week that the battlefield of the gospel is the place where God does some of his most powerful surgery, in his enemies and in our hearts. So, in this sermon, we looked at what Jesus tells his disciples about their own hearts when they are loving those who are less than lovable. We all need to hear this because this is what Jesus did for us and what He wants to do in and through us. Let’s pray for all of us to have receptive hearts to the Word and the way of Jesus as he calls us to display “Scandalous Mercy.”

Scripture References: Luke 6:31-38

From Series: Glorious Disruption: A Study in the Gospel of Luke |

From Series: "Glorious Disruption: A Study in the Gospel of Luke"