Acts 4:12,20,23-31

There are a lot of excuses, but they usually all boil down to fear! Phil Ware continues his series on Catch and Release as we seek to have the courage and boldness to share Jesus with others.

"As soon as they were freed, Peter and John returned to the other believers and told them what the leading priests and elders had said. When they heard..."

Where can I get a good dose of boldness and power? Phil Ware continues his series on Greater Things from Acts 3-4 and this one focuses on The Boldness Prayer of Acts 4:23-31.

What would you have prayed for in this circumstance? Under persecution and difficulty, we most often need to pray for boldness instead of protection and ease!

What do you really know about prayer? Rubel Shelly helps us think about the mystery of prayer.

"Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and..."

"[After Peter and John were released from prison and threatened, the disciples fervently prayed,] "And now, O Lord, hear their threats, and give us,....."

"[The disciples praying after Peter and John were released from jail:] "Now, Lord, ... enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out....."

"[The disciples continued their prayer:] "And now, O Lord, hear [the threats of the rulers and people], and give us, your servants, great boldness in....."

"As soon as they were freed, Peter and John returned to the other believers and told them what the leading priests and elders had said. When they heard..."

When people indicate they are open to talking about Jesus, I had better take the opportunity. There might not be another one. Phil Ware and Demetrius Collins bring us this week's ToGather with a focus on being bold and not ashamed of Jesus or his gospel, the good news our world needs in these dark times.

"Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."

"[The evil men who killed Jesus] did what your power [O God,] and will had decided beforehand should happen. "

"After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly."

"After [the disciples'] prayer, the meeting place shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. Then they preached the word of God with boldness."

"[About the disciples in Jerusalem after Peter and John were threatened and then released from prison, Luke wrote:] While they were praying, the place where they..."

"[Disciples praying to the Lord after Peter and John were released from jail:] "You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David:..."

"After [the disciples'] prayer, the meeting place shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. Then they preached the word of God with..."

Inspirational illustration of Acts 4:28 -- They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen.

Inspirational illustration of Acts 4:31 -- After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.

Inspirational illustration of Acts 4:12 dev -- His name is the only one in all the world that can save anyone.

Jesus - His name is the only one in the world that can save anyone. - Acts 4:12(CEV)

"Peter and John replied, "Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God's sight to obey you rather than God. For we cannot help speaking about what we have..."

"[Peter, addressing the council, continued,] "For Jesus is the one referred to in the Scriptures, where it says, 'The stone that you builders rejected..."

"[When Peter and John were being tried before the council of Jewish leaders, Peter emphasized,] "There is salvation in no one else! God has given no....."

Inspirational illustration of Acts 4:19-20 -- Peter and John replied, Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God's sight to obey you rather than God. For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.

Inspirational illustration of Acts 4:19-20 niv -- Peter and John replied, "Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God's sight to obey you rather than God. For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard."

Behind every move made by disciples in the book of Acts, Jesus was The Mover! Phil Ware continues his series called 8GHT -- Eight Truths that Turned the World Upside Down! from Acts 1:1-11, this week focusing on Jesus as the Message, Motive, Model, and Mover in the early days of the church.

Behind every move made by disciples in the book of Acts, Jesus was the mover! Phil Ware continues his series called 8GHT -- Eight Truths that Turned the World Upside Down! from Acts 1:1-11, this week focusing on Jesus as the Message, Motive, Model, and Mover in the early days of the church.

"It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth... Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be..."

The Bible and the early church were both exclusive and inclusive about salvation and fellowship. James Nored and Phil Ware remind us of both the exclusive claim of Jesus as the only way to God and the inclusive fellowship of welcoming all people who truly believe in him.

When are we going to let him into every area of our lives? Phil Ware shares the values of his dad with his children and emphasizes to them how Jesus is everything.

So what is our faith really about? Phil Ware talks about what is most important about the Bible and the focus of Scripture and the answer is simple: Jesus must be the center of everything.

So how do we get to what really matters? Phil Ware finishes his series on the I AM sayings of Jesus with the focus on the way, the truth and the light.

One way to heaven? That's outrageous! But you see, there are times when we have to face the truth that not every option is equal and not every choice is valid. When it comes to eternal life, to salvation, to having a relationship with God, there's only one way: through Jesus Christ.

Have you been saved in every way a person can be saved? The movie Titanic gripped our hearts, but only Jesus offers permanent love, rescue, and salvation.

What would keep you from doing what you need to do? We must not let critics intimidate us into being silent about the truth of Jesus.

Don't you hate to have to choose! Phil Ware talks about Jesus' identity, our reluctance to choose, and how we have to choose one way or the other about Jesus' identity.

When Jesus taught on prayer in the Sermon on the Mount, he shifted from individual prayer in private to prayer shared with others Phil Ware, with the help of Grady King, reminds us that prayer is a together experience in much of experience and God calls us to share this experience together, then Grady King gives us some added insight and an exercise to help us through the next week.

"The members of the council were amazed when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, for they could see that they were ordinary men with no special..."

Why do we run after other things to add to Jesus? Phil Ware continues his messages out of Colossians; this one focuses on Jesus being enough and anything added to Him is less.

What is the place of faith in the public square? Patrick Odum shares insights on sharing our faith in the public square using the reaction to Rick Warren's prayer at President Obama's inauguration.

"Dear Beloved, Your world is filled with many influences that vie for the control of your heart and the practice of your faith. In the multi-cultural...."

So is it really better to be safe than sorry? Phil Ware talks about the old adage, better to be safe than sorry, and shows what Jesus says about it: the follower who takes this approach will be condemned.

Can folks tell you've been in His presence? Sure people will be touched by The Passion, but will they be touched by what they see of Christ in us?

Would Timothy make it, and if he did, would he be faithful? Phil Ware uses Timothy's release from prison to be an opportunity to look at how we are to live in a culture opposed to Christianity.

"Dear Faithful Follower, Yesterday, I asked you to read about the paralyzed man that I healed through Peter and John. I wanted you to see the..."

What rock are you striking? Learning to make arrowheads is a lesson in perseverance and how we must keep trying!

Are we really willing to make Jesus the center of our life. Phil Ware reminds us that Jesus is the center of everything, our salvation, our time, our hope, but will we make Jesus the center of our lives?

All anyone wants to talk about is Jesus! Phil Ware concludes his series on Inviting Jesus back to church with this message on Jesus being our center.

Jesus knew the sting of sarcastic ridicule and unbelief from his family Phil Ware continues his Resurrection 2.0 series reminding us this week that Jesus' own family did not believe until after his resurrection.

We believe in God the Father, the resurrection of Jesus the Son, and the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. We choose to let nothing move us from our faith! Demetrius Collins and Phil Ware lead us in a virtual, DIY, worship through words and music using YouTube videos to remind us that our faith is rock solid and built on the foundation of eyewitnesses and the indwelling Holy Spirit.

We must not forget to punch that little red button and make sure the current of heaven's grace and power flow to us and flow through us to the world. Phil Ware continues his series called 8GHT, focusing on eight principles out of Acts 1:1-10, today his focus is on the Holy Spirit being the power behind the early church.