PassageWay Church

PassageWay Church

The weekly messages from Tim Kroeker, Lead Pastor at PassageWay Church in Blair, NE.  Learn more at www.passageway.church.

  1. EPISODE 1

    Acts 1:1-11 - To the Ends of the Earth: Continuing Christ’s Work Until He Comes

    The crowd excitedly counts down—ten, nine, eight—then as the final number is swallowed up in a roar of cheers, the first firework shoots up into the midnight sky. With a sharp crack, it blossoms into a colorful display. The golden embers begin their descent when, suddenly, a flurry of rockets screams upward. The sky, moments ago quiet and black, is now alive, full of light and sound. After several minutes, the sky once again turns dark. The onlookers scan the sky expectantly, wondering if that was the end of the powerful display. Then, another round of fiery shells launches in rapid succession. Jesus’ earthly ministry was a magnificent display of power in both word and deed, which culminated in his bodily resurrection from the dead. The disciples had been eyewitnesses to this magnificent salvation story, Jesus’ mission to seek and to save the lost. But they now wondered if that was the end. What would come next?  The apostles were about to enter into a new phase of God’s unfolding plan. By the power of the Holy Spirit, they were to take the salvation story to the ends of the earth.  Luke begins his sequel the way he ended the first, with Jesus’ ascension. Jesus ascended bodily into heaven with an assurance that he will one day return in the same way. So in the meantime, stop staring up into the sky waiting for the next big beautiful burst, and be busy accomplishing the task that he’s given us to do.

    34 min
  2. EPISODE 2

    Acts 1:12-26: To the Ends of the Earth: Making Choices in Moments of Waiting

    Have you ever had to wait? Perhaps you’ve been waiting a long time for a promotion or a pay increase at work. Maybe you’ve been waiting for Mr. Right to finally walk up and introduce himself. You might be desperately waiting until the kids are out of diapers, old enough to attend school, or get their license so they can drive themselves to activities. Maybe you’re waiting on the results from your latest medical screening. Waiting can wear a person down.  During times of waiting, it can be especially hard to make choices. How long will the wait be? How might my choices made now affect other opportunities later? Am I just growing impatient and making a rash decision?  How can we make good choices when we feel like we’re just waiting? The book of Acts opened with Jesus telling his apostles that they were to be his witnesses to the ends of the earth. But first, they were to go to Jerusalem and wait for the coming of the promised Holy Spirit, who would empower them for their worldwide mission. After Jesus’ ascension into heaven, the apostles obediently returned to Jerusalem, and while they waited, we read that they selected a replacement for the traitor Judas. We see that this decision was born out of constant prayer and was according to God's revealed will in the Scriptures.  Their first-century example is a model for you and me as we make our own choices. Good choices are accompanied by the practice of prayer and are always in agreement with God’s word. What’s more, we now have the Spirit of wisdom abiding in us. As Spirit-filled Christians, we can move forward confidently as we apply wisdom to our life choices, even in moments of waiting.

    38 min
  3. EPISODE 3

    Acts 2:1-13: To the Ends of the Earth: Born to Boldly Witness

    You’ve probably seen a business sign or logo with the abbreviation “Est.” followed by a date, indicating the year a business, organization, or location officially began operations. The date of establishment is often used to convey a sense of history, tradition, stability, and experience. These same signs are often hung in homes, indicating the year of a couple’s marriage, when the family was established. On Etsy, you can even order t-shirts with your birth year. Est. 1976. But when was the church established? When did operations begin? Before ascending into heaven, we read in Acts 1 that Jesus told his disciples they would be his witnesses, taking the salvation story to the ends of the earth. But first, they were to go back to Jerusalem and wait to be baptized by the Holy Spirit. In Acts 2, we now read that the Spirit came with great power just as Jesus had said, marking a new phase in God’s redemptive plan. With the coming of the Holy Spirit, the church was born.  Not only were the believers baptized by the Spirit into this new entity, the body of Christ. They were also filled with the Holy Spirit, who powerfully enabled them to tell everyone around in their own language about the mighty works of God.  This new people would look and act in novel ways as Luke emphasizes the international flavor of the gathering crowd. Established on the day of Pentecost, we see that the church was born to boldly witness.

    34 min
  4. EPISODE 4

    Acts 2:14-41 - To the Ends of the Earth: A Model for Good Preaching

    We live in a complicated era of human communication. On one hand, people will listen to an episode of the Joe Rogan Experience that lasts well over two hours. On the other hand, TikTok videos and Instagram reels typically run 30 to 60 seconds. And then there are preachers who’ve been presenting 3 points and a poem for centuries.  What makes for a good sermon? Is it the length? Choosing a topic of interest? The ability of the speaker to engage his audience with relatable illustrations? Is preaching an outdated method of communication? In the Book of Acts, Luke describes how the church was born and became a global movement. In the previous episode, we read about the coming of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, who filled the disciples and enabled them to tell of God’s mighty works in various languages.  That miracle at Pentecost prepared the gathering crowd for what would come next. Peter stood and delivered the first Christian sermon. Using Scripture, Peter explained to his audience what they were witnessing that day. He then pointed them to Jesus, who is both Lord and Christ. Then, in response to those convicted by his words, Peter exhorted them all to repent and be saved.  The response was overwhelming, as 3000 people received his word and were baptized. Since the birth of the church, preaching has been God’s primary vehicle for saving souls. Peter’s sermon at Pentecost is still a model for us today of good preaching. --------------------- You can access The 5 Steps to Saving Faith from Step Up To Life Ministries here: https://www.stepuptolife.com/5steps

    47 min

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About

The weekly messages from Tim Kroeker, Lead Pastor at PassageWay Church in Blair, NE.  Learn more at www.passageway.church.