Mark Hunnicutt

1st Baptist Tuxedo Had Record Turnout!

I love what God is up to in H'town. Bobby Burgess and a team from 1st Tux did Trunk & Treat last night for the first time. Huge turn out and dozens of non-church families showed up. Pray for this great church as they follow up!

Acts 8:26-40 Head in a biblical direction before asking for basic details…

Scripture

26 As for Philip, an angel of the Lord said to him, "Go south down the desert road that runs from Jerusalem to Gaza."

29 The Holy Spirit said to Philip, "Go over and walk along beside the carriage."

34 The eunuch asked Philip, "Tell me, was the prophet talking about himself or someone else?" 35 So beginning with this same Scripture, Philip told him the Good News about Jesus.

36 As they rode along, they came to some water, and the eunuch said, "Look! There's some water! Why can't I be baptized?" 38 He ordered the carriage to stop, and they went down into the water, and Philip baptized him.

39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away. The eunuch never saw him again but went on his way rejoicing. 40 Meanwhile, Philip found himself farther north at the town of Azotus. He preached the Good News there and in every town along the way until he came to Caesarea.

Observations

• Philip was directed by the Word (Angel)
• He was nudged by the Holy Spirit
• He obeyed the spoken message of God before the unspoken message of God
• God had already revealed truth to the Ethiopian
• This is a picture of obedience
• Philip keep being faithful

Applications

• Is my life heading in a biblical direction (spoken Word)?
• If not then I can't ask for details because I'm out of context
• God were God is working
• Keep preaching and being faithful
• Understand this side of heaven I will have to keep moving

Prayer

God I want You to nudge me in the details of life. For this to happen I need to be heading not in a cultural direction but in a biblical direction. I pray that my life will resemble this picture of faithfulness. I ask that You empower me to keep moving forward for You!

Acts 8:14-25 Empower me to preach the Gospel (Peter) and not peddle (Simon)…

Scripture

18 When Simon saw that the Spirit was given when the apostles laid their hands on people, he offered them money to buy this power. 19 "Let me have this power, too," he exclaimed, "so that when I lay my hands on people, they will receive the Holy Spirit!"

20 But Peter replied, "May your money be destroyed with you for thinking God's gift can be bought! 21 You can have no part in this, for your heart is not right with God. 22 Repent of your wickedness and pray to the Lord. Perhaps he will forgive your evil thoughts, 23 for I can see that you are full of bitter jealousy and are held captive by sin."

Observations

• Church is growing
• Persecution spread the gospel
• Peter and John went where God was working
• This is an extension of Pentecost not a modern day model
• Simon was giving and taking wrong things
• He makes request for wrong reasons

Applications

• Join God where He is working
• Don't shrink when persecution comes, shine!
• Check my motives and ambition, Simon?
• Make right request

Prayer

This is an amazing book of growth and glory. God, you are in control and invite me to join You. I ask that you reveal to me my wrong motives and ambition. More like John and less like Simon. Empower me to preach (Peter) instead of peddle (Simon).

Acts 7:30-50 Celebrate being a part of God’s glory story, now!

Scripture Acts 7:30-50

44 "Our ancestors carried the Tabernacle with them through the wilderness. It was constructed according to the plan God had shown to Moses. 45 Years later, when Joshua led our ancestors in battle against the nations that God drove out of this land, the Tabernacle was taken with them into their new territory. And it stayed there until the time of King David.

46 "David found favor with God and asked for the privilege of building a permanent Temple for the God of Jacob. 47 But it was Solomon who actually built it. 48 However, the Most High doesn't live in temples made by human hands. As the prophet says,

49      'Heaven is my throne,

and the earth is my footstool.

Could you build me a temple as good as that?'

asks the Lord.

'Could you build me such a resting place?

50      Didn't my hands make both heaven and earth?'

Observations

• God works through people to carry out His plan
• Stephen got "It"
• God's timing is perfect Moses > Joshua > David > Solomon
• Insert my name here ________________
• God doesn't reside in Tabernacles, Temples but in my testimony
• My testimony doesn't build God's Kingdom it grows God's Kingdom

Applications

• Does God find favor with me? Heart check: actions, attitude, ambitions, activities
• Celebrate being a part of God's glory story. It's not the past or future it is now!
• Thank God for residing in me
• Grow!

Prayer

Lord Jesus I pray that my testimony will shine and say in such a way that it grows your Kingdom. I don't want to complicate people seeing You by my actions or attitudes. You reside in me! Don't understand it but I praise You for it. Empower me to live for the now, glorifying You and growing Your Kingdom today.

Act 7:17-29 Stephen’s story was a HIStory lesson, what about yours?

Scripture Acts 7:17-29

17 "As the time drew near when God would fulfill his promise to Abraham, the number of our people in Egypt greatly increased. 18 But then a new king came to the throne of Egypt who knew nothing about Joseph. 19 This king exploited our people and oppressed them, forcing parents to abandon their newborn babies so they would die.

20 "At that time Moses was born—a beautiful child in God's eyes. His parents cared for him at home for three months. 21 When they had to abandon him, Pharaoh's daughter adopted him and raised him as her own son. 22 Moses was taught all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and he was powerful in both speech and action.

23 "One day when Moses was forty years old, he decided to visit his relatives, the people of Israel. 24 He saw an Egyptian mistreating an Israelite. So Moses came to the man's defense and avenged him, killing the Egyptian. 25 Moses assumed his fellow Israelites would realize that God had sent him to rescue them, but they didn't.

26 "The next day he visited them again and saw two men of Israel fighting. He tried to be a peacemaker. 'Men,' he said, 'you are brothers. Why are you fighting each other?'

27 "But the man in the wrong pushed Moses aside. 'Who made you a ruler and judge over us?' he asked. 28 'Are you going to kill me as you killed that Egyptian yesterday?' 29 When Moses heard that, he fled the country and lived as a foreigner in the land of Midian. There his two sons were born.

 

Observations (Context – Stephen answering false allegations with a HIStory lesson)

• Stephen's confidence because he used "would" not "if"
• Stephen knew he wasn't abandoned because Moses wasn't really "adandoned"
• Stephen knew God had given Moses' His plan and purpose
• Stephen knew that his "one day" would come
• Stephen learned a lesson from Moses' assumptions
• Stephen learned a lesson from Moses' fleeing

Applications

• Lean on God's past promises and be fueled by future promises
• Trust!
• When a vision burns inside don't get ahead of God
• Connect this "one day" with HIStory
• Don't run when God has planted you to preached HIStory

Prayer

Stephen's study is amazing! It is about HIStory! I ask that just as you had to get the Moses out of Moses before You got the children out of Egypt that You get the me out of me. I pray that my One Day will complement your plan and purpose that you birthed in my heart!

Acts 7:1-16 Stephen shined in private before he ever spoke in public…

Scripture Acts 7:1-16

7 Then the high priest asked Stephen, "Are these accusations true?"

2 This was Stephen's reply: "Brothers and fathers, listen to me. Our glorious God appeared to our ancestor Abraham in Mesopotamia before he settled in Haran.* 3 God told him, 'Leave your native land and your relatives, and come into the land that I will show you.'* 4 So Abraham left the land of the Chaldeans and lived in Haran until his father died. Then God brought him here to the land where you now live.

Observations

• Chp. 6:15 states that everyone stared at Stephen, because he shined
• Accusations – people told lies about Stephen
• Reply – What he didn't say reveals a lot about how to shine and speak for Jesus
• He didn't talk about his rep, or miracles he preformed
• He leveraged the context with truth and testimony
• He knew his fit in God's glory story and was trying to show them theirs

Applications

• Shine in private before you ever speak in public
• Don't defend lies at the expenses of the truth
• The Gospel has a plot
• Reminder – I have a place in God's story

Prayer

Stephen was a man of integrity before he was chosen. God, my prayer is that I will not wait until I have a public platform to shine. Help me to enjoy my part in your plot. I want to evaluate my walk with You and grow closer. Empower me today to shine!

Acts 6:1-7 The right question is "is" ministry getting done not "who" is doing ministry?

Needs where being meet and then neglected.  The widows weren't as concerned about the "who" as they were about the "is".  Create structures that mobilizes multiple ministries and ministers to do ministry!

Acts 6:6-7 Does your ministry need a systems check?

Scripture Acts 6:6-7

6 But as the believers rapidly multiplied, there were rumblings of discontent. The Greek-speaking believers complained about the Hebrew-speaking believers, saying that their widows were being discriminated against in the daily distribution of food.

2 So the Twelve called a meeting of all the believers. They said, "We apostles should spend our time teaching the word of God, not running a food program. 3 And so, brothers, select seven men who are well respected and are full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will give them this responsibility. 4 Then we apostles can spend our time in prayer and teaching the word."

5 Everyone liked this idea,

7 So God's message continued to spread. The number of believers greatly increased in Jerusalem, and many of the Jewish priests were converted, too.

Observations

• Multiplied = each one reached two
• The saved out grew the structure
• When needs are not meet rumbling and dividing starts
• Differences shine when there is a lack of structure
• Meeting = options and solutions to meet needs
• Win/Win
• Let's try it… I don't see a moral imperative here
• Structure fueled the "success" of ministry
• The right question was asked, is ministry getting done not who is doing ministry?

Application

• Emphasize multiplication
• Work on structure and systems and reap biblical benefits
• Rumbling starts in the foundation
• Keep moving forward
• Ask the right question – Is ministry getting done?

Prayer

What an example of "church", thank you God. The growth displayed by the early church is instructional and inspirational! God guide me and give me wisdom to structure for growth. I need the perspective to implement foundational systems that will stop rumbling and keep the church from stumbling.

Texas vs Oklahoma - both QBs are going to come in 2nd place. Watch video...

via www.youtube.com

No matter who wins today both of these incredible leaders realize they are second.

Acts 5:17-42 Preach above critics and circumstances…

Scripture Acts 5:17-42

17 The high priest and his officials, who were Sadducees, were filled with jealousy. 18 They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail. 19 But an angel of the Lord came at night, opened the gates of the jail, and brought them out. Then he told them, 20 "Go to the Temple and give the people this message of life!"

26 The captain went with his Temple guards and arrested the apostles, but without violence, for they were afraid the people would stone them. 27 Then they brought the apostles before the high council, where the high priest confronted them. 28 "Didn't we tell you never again to teach in this man's name?" he demanded. "Instead, you have filled all Jerusalem with your teaching about him, and you want to make us responsible for his death!"

38 "So my advice is, leave these men alone. Let them go. If they are planning and doing these things merely on their own, it will soon be overthrown. 39 But if it is from God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You may even find yourselves fighting against God!"

40 The others accepted his advice. They called in the apostles and had them flogged. Then they ordered them never again to speak in the name of Jesus, and they let them go.

41 The apostles left the high council rejoicing that God had counted them worthy to suffer disgrace for the name of Jesus. 42 And every day, in the Temple and from house to house, they continued to teach and preach this message: "Jesus is the Messiah."

Observations

• Jealousy is not of Jesus
• I'm I giving the message of life!
• Is the message creating a "buzz" in my context
• Is the message filling my culture
• Man can't stop of move of God
• The Apostles continued to teach and preach regardless of circumstances

Applications

• Do a jealousy evaluation
• What do my actions and words give off? Jealousy or Jesus?
• I'm I trying to stop or start?
• How have I suffered for Jesus?
• Don't base communication on circumstance!

Prayer

God, thank you for Your empowerment. I pray that I'm more focused on You and Your message than the moves and circumstance around me. I ask that You give me the courage of these Apostles to preach above circumstances.