Teaching Text

Acts 5:27-33

27 And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest questioned them, 28 saying, “We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man's blood upon us.” 29 But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men. 30 The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. 31 God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. 32 And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.” 33 When they heard this, they were enraged and wanted to kill them.

Sermon Synopsis

We often imagine courage as something dramatic — a rescue, a heroic act, a moment of glory. But most of life isn’t dramatic; it’s ordinary. True courage is not found in grand gestures but in daily obedience — a quiet, faithful yes to God in the face of fear.

In Acts 5, the apostles are arrested again for preaching about Jesus. Standing before the same council that condemned their Lord, they boldly declare, “We must obey God rather than men.” The same men who once hid in fear now stand in freedom. What changed them?

They had encountered the risen Jesus — the true Hero who faced death for us — and were filled with His Spirit. The gospel gave them reason for courage; the Spirit gave them power for courage. Fear whispers, “Stay safe.” The Spirit says, “Follow Me.” Courage is not the absence of fear but obedience in its presence.

Key Takeaway: Courage is not born in the moment of crisis — it is revealed there. It is formed long before, in the quiet, unseen, everyday faithfulness of saying yes to Jesus one small step at a time. The Spirit forms courageous hearts long before the world ever sees them.

Sharing Prompts

  1. What does fear sound like in your life right now? Where do you sense it whispering, “Stay safe,” “Don’t risk,” or “Keep control”?

  2. How does seeing Jesus as the true Hero — courageous, loving, and obedient unto death — reshape what courage looks like for you?

  3. Think of a time when a daily practice of faith — prayer, forgiveness, generosity, honesty — prepared you to act with courage later. How might the Spirit be forming that kind of courage in you right now?

  4. When have you sensed the Spirit giving you strength to obey when it cost something?

Practice

The spiritual practice of generosity invites us to live a spacious life of communion with God and His world. John Bunyan once wrote, “You have not lived today until you have done something for someone who can never repay you.” John Wesley added, “Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.”

As a way to practice courageous generosity:

  1. Pray for the nine students who recently graduated from our foster mentorship program and are now part of our Tapestry family: Lielani, Yadiel, Xeven, Miguel, Carlo, Phoebe, Maya, Ashley, and Ace. Pray that they feel deep belonging and that God provides consistent rides to church each week.

  2. Write a short card to one of these students — encourage them and remind them they are seen and valued.

  3. Give by sponsoring a gift for our upcoming Royal Family Kids Christmas Party. An Amazon wish list will be shared soon — your generosity will directly bless these children.