Our Acts sermon series wraps up this weekend at our video churches. But before we launch into our next series, we wanted to take a minute to look back at some of your favorites and ours from Pastors Mark and Dave’s preaching this summer.
Most popular
Whether you were saying “Amen!” or “He said what??,” these clips racked up the views. These five clips were the most controversial, the most attention-grabbing, and the most popular.
Did you have a favorite that didn’t make it on this list? Let us know!
1. Common questions about the gift of tongues
From Part 3, “Empowered by the Spirit to Follow Jesus”
Key quote:
“So if you’re here and you say, ‘Well, I have this gift [of tongues],’ praise God. Not everyone does. Don’t judge them or look down on them or think that you’re more spiritual than they are because you’re not, all right? Everybody gets the gift that the Holy Spirit gives them, and we need to humbly use that for the building up of the whole church.”
2. Did Judas lose his salvation?
From Part 2, “Scripture Empowered by the Spirit”
Key quote:
“Judas was not a godly man who had a bad day. Judas was an ungodly man who got exposed on one day. Who he was was simply revealed at the betrayal of Jesus; it was not changed.”
3. Men, are you looking for a good time or a good legacy?
From Part 7, “Empowered by the Spirit to Be Courageous”
Key quote:
“Maybe because you’re a fool: Maybe because you’re looking for a good time instead of a good legacy. Maybe you’re not treating the woman you’re with with dignity, value, worth, and respect. Maybe you’re not loving the concept of one day, by God’s grace, being a father. Maybe you’re not rising up to your responsibility. And the God of the Bible is not excited about pouring all his water in a bucket with no bottom.
“So men! Men! Jesus is happy to serve you if you’re willing to obey him.”
4. The gift of tongues as prayer
From Part 3, “Empowered by the Spirit to Follow Jesus”
Key quote:
“Here’s what we want for you: we want you to have a private, personal, passionate relationship with Jesus. We want you to have a public congregational, corporate, passionate relationship with Jesus. We want you to worship Jesus all by yourself and with us. That’s what he’s talking about. And so there is this private, unknown, heavenly language for prayer.”
5. Is all healing from God?
From Part 6, “Empowered by the Spirit to Heal”
Key quote:
“Here’s the point: Satan is willing to heal you—Satan is willing to heal you so that he can condemn you. Satan is willing to alleviate your momentary suffering in exchange for your eternal suffering. So be careful, all right? Pray to Jesus of Nazareth. Invite God the Holy Spirit, not just any spirit.”
Best explainer clips
Always had questions about tongues? Healing? The sovereignty of God? Want to know the best clip to share with your friends who’ve had the same questions? Here are the best Theology 101 explainer clips.
What’s the difference between Peter and Judas?
From Part 2, “Scripture Empowered by the Spirit”
Key quote:
“The only difference between Judas and Peter is one brought his sin to Jesus and the other brought it to the grave.”
Jesus and sin are in opposite directions
From Part 5, “Empowered by the Spirit to Be Jesus’ Church”
Key quote:
“Repentance is a change of mind. You’re living your life, doing your thing, and all of a sudden the Holy Spirit convicts you of sin as Jesus promised he would, and you’re like, ‘This is wrong. This is just wrong.’ That leads to a change of heart—‘I don’t want to do this anymore. This needs to change.’ This leads to a change of life—‘I’m going to do things differently.’ And the big idea is this: you’re either going toward Jesus or toward sin.”
Worship isn’t just singing on Sunday
From Part 5, “Empowered by the Spirit to Be Jesus’ Church”
Key quote:
“Nobody’s worth worshiping but Jesus. Nothing is worth worshiping but Jesus. There’s no one like Jesus. No one does what Jesus does. No one is like Jesus is. He alone is worthy of our worship.
“Here’s the truth: even those of you who are not Christian are going to worship. You’re going to worship someone—boyfriend, girlfriend, husband, wife, child. You’re going to worship something—job, health, beauty, pet, sports team, income, grade point average. You’re going to worship. You’re going to give your life, your energy, your time, your talent, your treasure. You’re going to give yourself away, maybe just for yourself.”
You can’t save yourself
From Part 7, “Empowered by the Spirit to Be Courageous”
Key quote:
“Faith doesn't save you. The object of faith saves you, and if you pick the wrong object, you’re not saved.
“It’s not about what you do; it’s about what Jesus has done. It’s not about you saving yourself; it’s about you being saved by a Savior.”
You are part of God’s sovereign plan
From Part 9, “Empowered by the Spirit to Pray”
Key quote:
“People have a plan, but God has a bigger plan. People have a plan, but God has a better plan. That’s what it means to be the sovereign. It doesn’t mean that everything that happens is what you want, but you use everything that happens for what you want. That’s an amazing God. That’s a majestic God. That’s a wonderful God. That’s a glorious God.”
5 hidden favorites
These clips did not go viral—but we kinda wish they had. Here are a handful of sleeper clips that might have never broken into five-figure views territory, but that we appreciated the most, found the most insightful and challenging, and were the most encouraged by.
The Bible isn’t a book about principles to live by
From Part 4, “Empowered by the Spirit to Preach”
Key quote:
“You see what happens in the Bible simply becomes principles to live by? It’s like taking a single scene . . . and trying to explain the whole movie. But there’s a singular baseline in the Bible. The Bible isn’t about a thousand stories; the Bible’s about one story, and the baseline in the Bible is the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Spirit-empowered preaching is confrontational
From Part 4, “Empowered by the Spirit to Preach”
Key quote:
“Spirit-empowered preaching is persuasive. It’s designed by the Holy Spirit through the Word of God to move us to action, to have us make a decision.”
Why is there sickness in the world?
From Part 6, “Empowered by the Spirit to Heal”
Key quote:
“I was around the age of ten when Grandpa George died—never forget it. We were at the funeral, and the religious leader got up front and said something to the effect of, ‘Well, you know, sickness and death, it’s just part of life.’ I remember sitting there as a ten-year-old kid going, That doesn’t sound right. I don’t think that Grandpa George should be in a box.”
Who do you think wrote the Bible?
From Part 9, “Empowered by the Spirit to Pray”
Key quote:
“This question is really the question. Once this question is answered, the other answers come as a result of what is written in this book. And it’s interesting because in our day, like every day, there is disagreement between Christians and non-Christians on various issues, be it gender, be it sexuality, be it marriage, be it spirituality. There are these conflicts that come over issues.
“Here’s the bottom line: Christians believe the Bible; non-Christians don’t. So, it’s not that we just disagree on some issues—it’s that we disagree on the issue under the issues, and that is, is this a book that people wrote about God, or is this a book that God wrote through people?”
Prayer is a miracle
From Part 2, “Scripture Empowered by the Spirit”
Key quote:
“Many of you would say, ‘I’ve never seen a miracle.’ If you’ve prayed, you’ve participated in one. I’m never certain exactly how all of this works—but I’m so blessed that it does, amen?—that somehow I can speak, and God can hear, and I can take requests and needs and fears and frustrations and longings, and I can communicate those to a living, loving, spiritual God, who’s made me with a soul so that I can be filled with the Holy Spirit and belong to him.
“And all of this is a miracle. And it’s made possible, friends, only through Jesus.”
Want more? Catch up on the rest of the clips from the Acts series on the Mars Hill YouTube channel.
