Saturday, August 19, 2023
Speaker:
Andy Rectenwald, Oregon Campus Pastor
Then Peter replied, "I see very clearly that God shows no favoritism. In every nation he accepts those who fear him and do what is right. This is the message of Good News for the people of Israel—that there is peace with God through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.
Cornelius's Vision: Acts 10:4b-6
And the angel replied, "Your prayers and gifts to the poor have been received by God as an offering! Now send some men to Joppa, and summon a man named Simon Peter. He is staying with Simon, a tanner who lives near the seashore."
He saw the sky open, and something like a large sheet was let down by its four corners. In the sheet were all sorts of animals, reptiles, and birds. Then a voice said to him, "Get up, Peter; kill and eat them."
"No, Lord," Peter declared. "I have never eaten anything that our Jewish laws have declared impure and unclean."
But the voice spoke again: "Do not call something unclean if God has made it clean." The same vision was repeated three times. Then the sheet was suddenly pulled up to heaven.
Bottom Line:
Knowing God's Love for Us Moves Us to Love Strangers.
Song Links:
We Praise You
Overcome
Promises
Discussion Questions:
Icebreaker: Share a time when you had an awkward experience with a stranger. Did you extend God’s love to them in the situation? Why or why not?
- What makes loving strangers challenging sometimes?
- What do you learn about God and his love for us in Acts 10:34-35?
- What is something you can do each day this week to remember God’s love for you and to love others well because of it?