DISCLAIMER: This text is not a verbatim transcript. Communication Access Real Time Translation (CART) is provided in order to facilitate communication credibility and may not be a totally verbatim record of the proceedings. >> Just search for "First Colony Church of Christ" in the App Store or on Google Play. The app is a great resource where you can stay connected to First Colony Church. Thank you for joining us today. We're glad you're here. ? >> Thank you for joining us today. We want to let you know about a few items of interest. First, go to our website, firstcolonychurch.org, and go there often. You'll find links to war our worship services; Bible study options; online giving; and our podcast, Anchor Point. You can also download our church ap.. Just search for "First Colony Church of Christ" on the App Store or Google Play. The app is a great resource where you can stay connected to First Colony Church. Thank you for joining us today. We're glad you're here. >> Grant: Well, good morning and welcome to the First Colony Church of Christ, where it is our mission to honor God and to lead people into a growing relationship with Him. My name is Grant Wright, outreach and missions minister here at church, and we're privileged to be together, to be able to worship the Name of the Lord, as He is our God, our Refuge, our Fortress in Whom we trust so let's get to enjoy Him and who He is this morning as we enter into worship today. (God So Loved playing) good morning, everybody! Let's praise the Lord together! You know the world words! You know the words. ? >> Amen, church! Yes, welcome to worship this morning? Chico, I don't have anything in my ear. Let's address the elephant in the room. Richard Bowling is out, today, and I'm Kyle. You know these worship songs so let's worship together. ("Who You Say I Am" playing) >> Kyle: Yes, thank you for your worship, church! Let's have a seat. >> Corey: Whoa, I thought the first crowd was tough! Hey, good morning, my name is Corey Waters, campus minister of Cornerstone Christian Academy. I say I don't like going after Joel because I'm a magician and can't do it. I love and hate him at the same time. That's that kind of a relationship. I had something else picked out for today, but last night God switched gears on me. My kids love me and I still can't figure them out. I have been working on this thing for hours and days and still can't figure it out. I may get one piece of the puzzle together but can't get the whole thing. That's like life. See, in our life sometimes we can't get the whole thing together. Pieces move around; it's stressful; we don't know what to do; sometimes you want to throw it across the room. But gold says in Philippians said He will finish the work He started in us so the work He started, not the work I started. In 1 Thessalonians, faithful is He who calls you. This puzzle of life we're doing, God called us to it. He promised to get us through it. I don't know what puzzle of life you're going through right now and where you're at with it, but I know in: I got a God. We have a God that can solve the puzzle of our life, and He will get us through no matter what is going on. So God bless you. (Applause) >> Grant: Thank you, Corey, as always. Well, it is time to enter into communion so if you're at home, o.k. ahead and start gathering your supplies. If you're here, get out your packkts. Rocky and Ginger Hudson will lead us during that time so let's prepare our minds and hearts for communion. Rocky? >> Rocky: This morning as we prepare our hearts and minds for communion, we remember the Supreme Sacrifice Jesus gave for our sins. Would you join me as we pray together? Father, thank You for Your exgraph Gant love and unmerited favor. You gave us the greatest Gift of all, Your Son Jesus Christ, who died on the cross for our sins. In communion we honor Jesus with remembrance of His sacrifice, the breaking of bread and the thanksgiving of this cup. Lord Jesus, as we take this bread and drink this cup, we remember You Are the Bread of Life. You nourish our hearts and feed our souls. In this cup we see Your sacrifice was poured out for many. Your blood was given for the forgiveness of our sins. Father, we thank You and pray this through the Precious Name of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Would you join me now as we partake? >> Ginger: I'll be reading from Psalms 32:8-11. (reading) ("Even So Come" playing) >> Grant: Amen! Amen! That was beautiful! (Applause) We are about to pray over our offering. An elder from the church, Doug Freede, will lead us in prayer. Thanks, Doug. >> Doug: Good morning, everybody! This is the time every week when we take some time to think about supporting our congregation here at First Colony. You know, it would be impossible for this church to function if it wasn't for the generosity of members like you, like me, like the people sitting around you. You know, when you contribute, it means we can just operate here, not just keep the lights on, not just keep the doors open; but run our internal ministries but also our local and worldwide things. We contribute to Second Mile in Fort Bend County and Hope for Haiti's Children overseas. Ministries all over the place that I can't even think about right now. But I would like to thank you, you know, as fellow members, for supporting the work of the church here. Now, if you're at home online, you can easily make your contribution this week. I wrote this down so I wouldn't forget how to do it. Click the link on your screen or your app. You can just hit text to give. If you're here, we have boxes at the doors that you can put your contribution in on the way out. Before we do that, let's pray. Lord, thank You for this opportunity to get together this morning. Thank You for this place; thank You for the leadership here; thank You for the people that make this place go; and Lord, may prayer is we will always support them not just financially but with our prayers, with our encouragement. Lord, at this time I think that giving is a circular blessing. You bless each of us with just the things You give us, with our financial resources. That allows us to be blessed by passing that forward in the support of the church here. And the support we provide also lets this congregation serve others and bless them, which in a sense means we bless back to You because we recognize everything we have comes from You. Thank You, Lord, for everything You give us. Thank You especially that we have salvation through Your Son. Thank You especially that we could grasp that, we can live that, and we can be examples for Him. We pray in His Name. Amen. >> This is my church, and I volunteer on Sunday morning. ? >> At our church, services on Sunday mornings don't just happen. There are faithful and dedicated volunteers that assemble each and every week so we can have our Sunday morning experience at First Colony Church of Christ. ? in this is my church. I sing on Sunday morning. >> This is my church. I run lyrics on Sunday mornings. >> I run lights on Sunday morning. >> Run switcher on Sunday mornings because this is my church. >> I run camera Sunday morning. >> I play keys because this is my church. >> I run camera on Sunday morning because this is my church. >> This is my church so I play guitar. >> So I play bass. >> At our church, we are singers; camera operators; we runnerrics; we play drums; bass; and guitar. We greet, and we serve. >> This is my church. >> This is my church. >> This is my church. >> This is my church. >> This is my church. >> This is my church. >> This is my church. >> This is my church. >> This is my church, and that's why I serve on Sunday morning. >> This is our church, and it takes fall of us! It takes all of us! Sign up to volunteer for our church today. >> Grant: That is awesome. We have so many volunteers that help out every week whether on stage, behind the scenes, in classes. I mean, there are literally hundreds of members every week that keep this church going, and that's just here before we even go out to the community, before we go to the nations. So I love that. This is my church; we own it. It is us. All right, guys, well, it is time to release kids first to fifth grade. Head back to see Mr. Corey Waters for Main Street Live. Parents, if you haven't signed your kids in, head to the chapel and get them signed in to Main Street. For everybody here, whether you're a guest or a member, this is time to fill out Connection cards. If you're online with us, just click the "Connection card" button. If you're here, you can get out your phone and click the QR code in front of you with your camera. It will bring up the card. Fill that out. Let us know your prayer requests and ministries you're interested in. We'd love to be prayin' for you this week. If you're a guest with us today, thank you so much for joining us. We have a room called New here Start Here. It's for you. It's across the lobby. We'd love to meet you. You can come over there and ask us some questions, and we've got a gift for you this morning so come see us after service. It is time for our fellowship greeting so we can stand. Say hello to the people around you, and if you're online, jump in the chat box to say hello. ("Every Giant Will Fall" playing) >> Thank you so much for your worship this morning, church! let's have a seat together today. >> Ronnie: Hey, Kyle and team, thanks so much for leading us so very, very well. Good morning, everybody. Glad to see you. To those of you right here in the room, we love seeing you here. And to those of you watching online, we love having you with us as you worship with us today. After our first service this morning, I heard from someone from Mexico City. It was great. We have folks who join and worship us from various places, but to those of you with us today, right here at this moment; to those of you in the room, so very good to have you here. I'd like to recognize a young lady baptized two or three weeks ago, harper Houston. Where are you? Would you please stand? Let us recognize Harper. (Applause) there she is! Right there. Daughter of Philip and Heidi. Harper, we celebrate you and your baptism. We continue today a message series and will wrap up next Sunday called "Kinda Different." The title of today's message is "What a Difference Jesus Makes." You know, you think about it. The message of Christianity really is outrageous. It's outrageous. It's out there, and it sounds impossible. And yet people, for 2000 years, have been believers in Jesus. Before that, they were believers in God, forerunners, looking forward to the Promise of Jesus; and people from all different continents, large cities, small cities -- you know, what kind of person is a believer? Actually, there's not just a particular kind of person. Some of you are out there and may be watching and listening and saying, "I'm just not sure I'm the church-going type. I'm just not sure I'm the believing type, the Christian type. I'm not sure I'm the born-again type." Well, what type is that? Actually, you are that type. YOU have a soul, an eternal soul, headed to either heaven or hell. You are JUST the type of person that Jesus came to redeem and to reclaim and to renew. And this morning, we'll take a look at a story, a narrative where we're going to see three different types of people who came to Jesus because Jesus came for just YOUR type. This morning, before church, my wife and I were chatting. She teaches fifth-grade Sunday school and was talking about her lesson today. We were talking about an analogy we have used for years. I've used it in here before where I talk about dealing with your third pile belief system. You know, I illustrate it like this: When I was a kid growing up, my older sister and parents would say to me sometimes, "You know, Ronnie, look up at the moon. The moon is made out of green cheese." "Really? Fantastic." And I swallowed it and believed it. My parents would also say and my older sisters would say,? Hey, Ronnie, two plus two is four." "Really? Okay." And then they would also say to me, "Jesus loves you; this you can know, because the Bible tells you so." Well, then I started aging so I wrestled with that. Is that true? The moon is made out of green cheese -- no, that's not exactly accurate. Two plus two is four. Well, you know, I get bottles of water, apples and oranges. It's like, okay, THAT'S true. This is false -- moon, green cheese. This is true. Two plus two is four. Jesus loves me; this I know for the Bible tells me so. Is that true for false? Some of you have invented a third pile and where you put your religious beliefs, because if you say, "Oh, this is true!" That makes a claim upon your life, morals, and ethics. Upon your heart and pocketbook. You say, "Well, it's false. Oh, I just don't like the sound of the word agnostic, atheist, unbeliever, so I have a nice little third pile over here." Not true, not false, just my little -- today, I hope you'll do business with that third pile and bring it and embrace it to the category of truth. We're gonna walk through a section of Scripture today. Our text is Acts 16:14-34. This is a scene where the Apostle Paul is on his second mare journey. This is missionary journey number two. Let me put a map on the screen. They start in Cesarea by the Sea. Many of us have been there, located about 5:00, if you view the map as a clock. It's at 5:00 on the clock. The narrative happens in Phillippi, which is about 10:00 on this map. You're about to read the narrative of the first European converts to Christianity. Here's my first point, if you're taking notes, as I know all of you do. Jesus makes a difference in different kinds of people. By the way, you do know there are more believers outside the USA than in the USA? Some of you tend to think Christianity is just sort of an American thing. Oh, my goodness, No. So many more believers in Latin America, Asia, Africa. They think of sending missionaries to us, okay? Jesus makes a difference in different kind of people, and you're just the kind. You can make a difference then. Well, let's meet, first of all, Lydia. So Paul and his coworkers get to the strange old European city located in modern-day Greece, Philippi. They go to the river because there are some people who will be praying, reading, and studying the Old Testament Scriptures. One of them is named Lydia. Verse 14. (reading) Let me read that one more time: The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul's message. Knows there was preaching and teaching. There was her heart involved and the Lord was involved to open her heart. (reading) Here's Lydia. We know she's a businesswoman, a pretty wealthy woman because she's a seller of purple, high fashion. She is moral. She's a worshiper of God, but she doesn't yet know the full Truth of Jesus Christ. Paul says, "You're reading the Old Testament Scripture. Jesus is the answer to the promise to Abraham. Jesus, that law you have been reading given to Moses? Jesus is the only One who could ultimately fulfill it." And when you read about the sacrifices, it's Jesus who's the Ultimate Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world and Lydia says, "This makes sense." She becomes a believer. Now, there's another woman Paul will meet her. We don't know her name. She's slippery a slave -- simply a slave girl. She's not been a worshiper of God. In fact, she's demon-possessed and because of the demonic influence, she's clairvoyant, able to predict the future. There are men and handlers, human traffickers who own her and who use her for profit. >> There are handlers. There are human traffickers who own her and who use her for profit. The Apostle Paul will perform an exorcism and release her from demonic oppression. By the way, some of you know what it's like to grow up in a beautiful home, a nice home, a nurturing home; and so many of you, you're providing that for your children. It's a beautiful thing. Martha and I have been watching a documentary recently. It's a six-part series by Paul McCartney. It's just called "McCartney: 32, 1." If you're a Beatles fan and McCartney fan -- and I am -- it's fascinating. People for years talk about Paul McCartney's optimism, just an optimistic spirit. "Hey, Jude." Don't make it bad. Take a sad song. And make it better, all right. "Let it be." When I find myself in trouble, Mother Mary comes to me. That's literally Paul McCartney's mother's name, Mary. She died when he was 15, but McCartney says "I grew up in such a loving home. My mother, my father, aunts; uncles. I just remember gatherings." He said, I had to get older. He said, I was 20 or so before I realized not everybody has this. Not everybody had this kind of nurturing environment, but I did. I just had it. Well, this slave girl didn't, and maybe you haven't had it. Maybe you know what it's like to grow up in an environment where there's not a lot of nurturing. And you're just the kind of person Jesus can redeem and reclaim. Well, this slave girl was powerfully delivered. She becomes a follower of Jesus that's really good news for everyone except for her handlers, her human traffickers; and they are chapped. Verse 19. (reading) By the way, Silas is simply a fearless and faithful coworker of Paul. He's mentioned 13 times in the book of Acts, four times in the epistles. (reading) And question: Is that accusation accurate? Answer: No. These are false accusations and false charges against Paul and Silas, and aren't you so thankful that you live in a culture where people do not glibly throw around false accusations against others? Hello. You know, some accusations are true. Some accusations are not true. One of God's Ten Commandments is don't you be the one flippantly throwing out false witness, and if you hear it, don't be so quick to believe everything you hear. I'm not saying completely disbelief it; just do your due diligence. Consider the source and motives, and go from there. So these false accusations come to Paul and Silas, but that leads to a third conversion in this narrative, and it's that of the Palestinian jailer. Verse 22. (reading) Most assuredly, this jailer is a former Roman soldier so he's e-GI and not necessarily an evil person. He's just not particularly a good person. He's callous; he shows no concern for Paul and Silas. They have been beaten within an inch of their life. He takes care of them. When I say "Take care," he takes responsibility for them. They're in his jail and puts them in the inner cell. Typically three partments. If you're in the inner cell, very little light and fresh air. He puts their feet in stocks. There's a second thing, second point if you're taking notes. Jesus makes a difference, even in the worst situations. Verse 25. (reading) Are you kidding me? About midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners are listening to them. Even though they have been mistreated, even in the WORST of circumstances, they're praying and singing hymns to God. You know, this jailer doesn't realize it, but he has a front-row seat to something that is about to be life-changing. He may be callous; he may be the kind of guy that say, "I'm not really the church going-type or religious type." But he's about to have a front-row seat to something that will change his life forever. Paul and Silas have been beaten within an inch of their life. They're in the inner cell. Their feet are in stocks, and they are praying and singing hymns to God. They had a joy that was rooted in something so deep that you can take their money away or freedom away. You can take their comfort away. You can even threaten to take their life away, and their joy is still there. Rooted in something so deep you can take almost anything away, but their joy was that kind of defiant, "Nevertheless I will rejoice in if Lord." And my friends, that's noteworthy. I tell you, I have been blessed to have a front-row seat to that kind of faith, hope, and love countless times. I'll just tell you one time. One time. A few years ago, we had a family in our church that now live in another area. Their teenager daughter was teetering between life and death. If you're a parent, imagine that. It was a Saturday afternoon. Back when you could actually go into a hospital and visit, I went there. And as I was at the edge of the room, I stopped. That family had gathered, and they were singing. Here's the song they were singing "For all that You have done, I will thank You. For all You do and promise You Are and carried me through, Jesus, I thank You. Thank You for loving me and setting me free. Thank You for giving Your life just for me. How I thank You, Jesus. I thank You gracely thank You, thank You." Paul and Silas, they had no clue what the outcome would be, but they did know the kind of outlook that was theirs to claim as children of God. My friend, our God is always worthy of praise. When you're in a wonderful environment with lots of good gifts around you, but God is always worthy of praise. You don't need the perfect place but a healthy perspective, and here are Paul and Silas. My goodness, beaten within an inch of their life? Who knows what the outcome will be? They're praising God because their worship is grounded and rooted in God's character. My friends, worship is so good for you. It recalibrates you. It lifts your soul and will bless you. And your influence -- oh, my. The opportunity for your influence and your witness when you are in one of those inner-cell moments, when you're in one of those inner-cell seasons. Your faith is on stage, and there is a spotlight on you and Jesus. You've heard the phrase and seen the movie "Singing in the Rain." When you can sing in the rain of pain, it commands a reaction, and this jailer, "I'm not the church-going type." But he's got a front-row seat to seeing someone with such a legitimate story, such a legitimate narrative, such a legitimate faith that even in an inner cell assignment, the worshiping and praising God. Verse 26. (reading) sometimes God works slowly and methodically, and sometimes He works dramatically. (reading) Can you say jail break? It's a perfect opportunity to escape, right? And the jailer woke up -- verse 27. (reading) This jailer has had a front-row seat to seeing someone praise with joy, even in the midst of hardship, and now he has a front-row seat to someone returning good for evil. The doors are wide open. The chains are broken. That jailer has been part of unjust punishment to Paul and Silas, and what do they do? Don't hurt yourself. Don't hurt yourself. "We are right here." Paul and Silas repaid evil with good. Paul and Silas overcame evil with good. How could they do that? Answer: They follow Jesus, Who even from the cross, said, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." And if ever there's a message that's countercultural and counterintuitive, it's that one. So verse 29. (rereading) That leads to the third major point I want to say, that Jesus compels you to become a difference maker. Verse 29. (reading) What an important question! Have you asked that question? Here is the answer. Verse 31. (reading) Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ; you'll be saved, you and your household. Then they explain and spoke the Word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. Verse 33. (reading) this guy has become a difference maker. Before he was callous and couldn't care less. "You have been beaten within an inch of your life? That's not my problem." Put you in the inner cell. Put your feet in stocks. Now what he's doing? He's washing their wounds, even a tough guy. He's now car caring about the needy and weak. Immediately he and his household were baptized. Baptism is such a beautiful gift. It marks the beginning of our new life in Christ. This guy has become a believe. How can you tell? He's going public. He's being baptized into Christ, meaning "I'm dying to an old way, and I'm beginning a new way in Christ." He's -- his heart has changed. He's now washing the wound of other people. Notice what else he does. And he set a meal before them. (reading) You know, we're not saved by good deeds. We're saved by grace, but we are redeemed to become that kind of difference maker, full of goodness to the Lord. You know, you reflect on this story, and let me just remind you: You're just the kind of person Christ can redeem and reclaim and renew and you. You may be a very successful business person and well educated. He can use you. You may be from a broken and checkered background. He can redeem and forgive and reclaim and use you. And you may be the kind of person that says, "I'm sort of crusty; I'm not sure I'd ever be the Christian worshiping type." When the grace of Jesus Christ captures your heart, you'll be just that type because the redeemed to the Lord will say so. My friends, some of you, you're in that situation today where you're in a hardship. You're in an inner cell. You're in a third-cell environment. God can use even that difficulty as YOU respond -- I'm not saying you respond in a superhuman way but respond with a mustard seed of faith and joy and praise. God shines a spotlight on that, and it sends a message to those who witness it. There is a story; there is a narrative; there is a truth; there is an anchor that you have in your soul, and it's a relationship with Jesus Christ. As you return good for evil, it stands out. It sends a great message because we follow a Savior who laid down His life for us. He took our curse so that we might take his blessing. My friend, what's your next step? Is your next step simply to come back to church next Sunday or start a Bible study with someone here? We can do that. You can communicate with us either in person or online. We have printed Bible studies that we can send you that can help you walk through the first steps of becoming a believer. Is it time for you to take the action that Lydia took, that the jailer took? Notice the jailer. It was said immediately he was baptized into Christ. Well, my friends, thank you for being with us today. Open your heart to what the Holy Spirit is massaging into your soul. Doug, would you come couple here and lead us now in our closing prayer? >> Doug: Thank you, Ronnie, for that message. It's something I think we can probably all take with us, right? Let's pray. Lord, as Ronnie's been preaching to us the last few weeks, we're all kind of differents. We have different skills; abilities; potential; and we are different but also all the same because we're all broken people, and we are all in need of Your Son and what He offers to us and what He has offered to us through His death and resurrection. Lord, we take a lot of time, all of us do, putting ourselves sometimes in that inner cell and clamping those stocks around our feet and around our hands and seemingly doing what we know we shouldn't do. We know the devil is right there with us. The devil is right there, pushing us into that cell, locking it right behind us and trying to throw away that key; but we are confident that we have a Savior who doesn't need a key to get us out; Who just knocks down the bars and pulls us right out and just gives us the chance to be with Him, regardless of that brokenness we all share. Thank You, Lord, we have a Savior just like Him who is there for each of us. Thank You that He died and sacrificed and doesn't see our sins because they're forgiven and taken to the grave with His Son. Lord, we are thankful He took them there and He left them there and as we go forward someday, we won't be different anymore. We'll all be the same when we get to that big palace up there in heaven, that room, that mansion with all those rooms. We'll share together what it's like to be redeemed in the Name of Jesus Christ and spend eternity with Him and each other. Thank You, Lord, we have been here this morning to hear this message. Thank You that we have hearts that can be pierced. We pray we'll always let Jesus pierce them at every opportunity. We pray in His Name. Amen. >> Grant: Thank you, Doug. We got to hear of a few baptisms like Lydia and the jailer's house this morning and have the privilege to witness Reese Payne's baptism. >> If you don't knee Reese, Reese is fun and spunky and she really radiates that joyful characteristic of Jesus all the time. After we went to Camp Eagle this summer, we got to have conversations with Reese about making this decision. Reese recognizes her sin and recognizes that she needs Jesus so we're just so excited and proud of her, that she has chosen to commit her life to God today. >> Yeah. I feel like God is really just on the move in so many powerful way so Reese, I will ask you a couple of questions, okay? Do you believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God, that He died for your sins; that He rose again; He will return one day to take us home? >> Yes, I do. >> Okay. With that confession, we'll baptize you in the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. (Applause) >> Praise the Lord! What a beautiful moment. We celebrate with the Payne family this morning. in are bunch of ways to stay connected. Every Sunday morning, 9:45, we have Bible classes for all ages here on campus. If you're online with us, we've got online classes at 10:00 a.m. and 12:30. If you're online, you can stay and catch that at 12:30. We're at the end of our back-to-school drive for Holley Elementary so if you have your gift cards, drop those in the boxes here. If you don't have them and need to get them out, stick them in the mail this week because this is the last week to collect those to get them over there to the school next week to bless those teachers and students at Holley. Paint until You Faint is a fun event coming up. The good news is no skills are required. The bad news is, guys, you're not invited. Sorry. This is going to be a fun event this Saturday for the Women's Ministry. Register on the website. Zoo Camp is coming up this weekend so this will be a really fun family event Friday and Saturday nights and overnight at the building, specifically for families with kids ages three through first grade. A ton of fun. Register online. Be up. here Friday and Saturday night. Meet, Greet, and Eat. These are going to be some fun church gatherings happening throughout the community in September, October, November. Really it's just some great get-connected-again gatherings. If you're wanting to re-engage and not in a Connection group and want to know the leaders and excelledders of the church, even if you want to know some of the members that live close to you in your neighborhood, those are all great reasons to sign up for a Meet, Greet, and Eat gathering. If you want to make sure to get an invite, RSVP online or go to New Here? Start Here. Do that RSVP. All right, church. We love you guys. Just know that our staff is praying for each of you this week. Let's stand as we close out with one last song this morning. Kyle? ("God So Loved" playing) >> Kyle: Thank you for joining us this morning, church! Thank you so much for your worship! You are dismissed. Have a blessed Sunday.