Stephen McDonald

Glory to God and Peace to Men (Luke 2:1-21)

Have you ever had to call 000? From before I started school, I knew that dialling 000 on our rotary dial telephone was the way to get help in an emergency. And one day I had to do it. You tell the operator what sort of help you need, and give them your address. ButContinue reading “Glory to God and Peace to Men (Luke 2:1-21)”

Repentance Unto Life (Acts 11:1-18)

It might seem redundant to consider Acts 11:1-18 after looking at Acts 10:1-48. The vast majority of what is said is recounting what happened in Acts 10. But the key is to see why those events are retold: It’s all about the question, “Who is good enough for God to accept?” The Challenge Issued (v1-3)Continue reading “Repentance Unto Life (Acts 11:1-18)”

The Gospel Goes to Good Gentiles

Today, we’re going to focus particularly on the person Cornelius. He is a man we are introduced to in verse 1. What happens with him is a key event in the book of Acts. These events are repeated three times in chapters 10 & 11 because of how important they are. This issue is howContinue reading “The Gospel Goes to Good Gentiles”

Transformed by the Resurrected Christ (Acts 9:20-43)

Last week, in Acts 9:1-20, we saw how now one is too bad for God to save. Today, we see the difference God’s salvation makes: it’s a complete transformation, a change of life, a coming to life. That’s why coming to faith is called “conversion”: it’s a change from one thing into another. It’s newContinue reading “Transformed by the Resurrected Christ (Acts 9:20-43)”

Saul Sees the Light (Acts 9:1-20)

The Damascus Road is iconic. If we ask what happens in the book of Acts, Pentecost and Paul’s conversion on the Damascus Road are the two big events. And the Damascus Road has become a term for a dramatic change of mind, of convictions. So, we think, “Great, sometimes people change.” But we don’t expectContinue reading “Saul Sees the Light (Acts 9:1-20)”