John Calvin said this about our hearts: “Man's nature, so to speak, is a perpetual factory of idols." All of us on a daily basis have a propensity to allow something or someone to rule our heart and thus our life that is not God. Whatever that thing is, the Bible says it is an idol. In fact, the reason you struggle with anger towards your wife and kids or making poor financial decisions or a constant sense of disappointment and shame is because there is some idol (or idols) that is ruling your heart. This is why Acts 19 is very important for us to understand.
We’ve all spent time leafing through those all yearbooks from middle and high school. The yearbook is full of awkward pictures of a bunch of ordinary teenagers doing a bunch of ordinary high school stuff. But if you think about a yearbook really it’s meant to be a snapshot of that entire year all put together in one book. That’s what Acts 18 is. It is the first yearbook for the church that would be started in the city of Corinth. In Acts 18, we get snapshots of ordinary people that God used to start one of the first churches in history. Everyday people living out God’s plan for their lives.
When we think of changing the world our home is probably not the place that we go to in our minds right away. And yet in Deuteronomy 6 the Bible says the home is the most strategic and God-given place we have been given to change the world. In Deuteronomy 6 we get one of the most famous “speeches” that God gave to his people. What’s striking is that it's all about raising children. In God’s instruction for how to succeed in the promised land he chooses to have a pointed discussion around parenting.
Unless your life is built upon Jesus we are setting ourselves up for failure. The truth is we live in a world where those we live with, work with, and do life with have built a life upon something other than God. And so Acts 17 is critical because it’s going to show us how to meaningfully and effectively engage those people in our life. It’s also a warning to those of us who are not followers of Jesus.
In this passage Paul and Silas had been sent to prison in Philippi where we find them praying and singing hymns at midnight. Strange, considering the circumstances. But it’s at that very hour where their imprisonment leads to the opportunity to share the gospel with those there with them.This passage—a living parable—reminds us that the gospel of Jesus is never imprisoned, that there are times where God sends us into trials so we can have an audience with someone we normally wouldn’t, that prayer and worship shake things up and that prison times shouldn’t keep us from worship and prayer and finally, the main point, there is a prison worse than prison and Jesus came to free us from it.
There are just some things in life we were never meant to do by ourselves. The Christian life is one of these things. As we live a life following Jesus, we must invite others to (as Paul says in 1 Corinthians 11:1) “follow [us] as [we] follow Christ”. This is how the mission of God is both strengthened and multiplies throughout the church in the world. The example of Paul and Timothy in Acts 16:1-5 helps us to take into consideration our own discipling relationships and how they “help others encounter Jesus and follow His way.” (The mission of Port City Church.)
At the end of Acts 15 we see the band breaking up. The Apostle Paul and his missionary sidekick and friend Barnabbas have a major disagreement - one that sends them in different directions. Here’s what we learn from this little section at the end of this important chapter: even mature believers can have intense conflicts. Everyone deals with conflict. The gospel offers a radically counter-cultural way of dealing with conflict.
Throughout church history what we see is that the church is always prone to drifting away from this core truth of the Christian faith. Similar to a car that is severely out of alignment, If we don’t keep our hands on the wheel of the true gospel message we will as a church begin to drift off the road. And here’s the other thing…most of if not all of the issues, problems, frustrations that people have with the church stem from drifting away from the gospel. So if the church is throughout history prone to drift and if those drifts are the root of all of our church problems…Acts 15 becomes an incredibly important text for us.
The Book of Acts is God’s invitation to be a part of his world-changing mission. And who doesn’t want to change the world? Every single one of us senses there’s some bigger purpose we ought to be a part of, and we genuinely want to know what it is. We want to make a difference in the world; we want to do something with our lives that matters. The book of Acts shows us that your life is meant to be lived for so much more with a much greater purpose.
There are lots of things in this world that people don’t agree on, but one thing that is universally accepted is that that life is hard. We face health challenges, financial difficulties, relationship problems, and a variety of other hardships and personal difficulties.
Every one of us needs real hope to help us weather these storms of life. In Psalm 71, the psalmist shows us what it looks like to live with true hope in the midst of great trouble and much uncertainty. We learn that true hope is a confident expectation; not just wishful thinking. And we find that God is the only true and lasting hope available to us in every circumstance and season of life.
Port City Church exists to help others encounter Jesus and follow His way.
Chapter 9 – Supernaturalized (& Conclusion)
Join us Summer 2025 in reading Deeper: Real Change for Real Sinners by Dane C. Ortlund. Each week, we’ll briefly discuss a chapter from this helpful, deepening book on how Christians can and ought to pursue change.
Today’s Special Guest: Jay Maynard
Hosted by Pastor Josh Docksteader
Port City Church is located in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. We exist to help others encounter Jesus and follow in His way.
Deeper: Real Change for Real Sinners is written by Dane C. Ortlund and is a publication of Crossway. Copyright 2021; Wheaton, IL
We live in a Port City, which means we get to see all kinds of ships come into the harbor. Both float; both hold people; both have a captain. But a cruise ship and a battleship have completely different missions. The mission of a cruise ship is comfort and the experiences of those onboard. The mission of the battleship is to fulfill the task of the one who sent them. Every church has to decide what kind of church (ship) we are building based on the mission (outcome) that we are after. This is really the question that Psalm 67 is asking and forcing us to wrestle with. God has blessed us…what will we choose to do with the blessing?
Chapter 8 – Breathing
Join us Summer 2025 in reading Deeper: Real Change for Real Sinners by Dane C. Ortlund. Each week, we’ll briefly discuss a chapter from this helpful, deepening book on how Christians can and ought to pursue change.
Today’s Special Guest: Mike Esa
Hosted by Pastor Josh Docksteader
Port City Church is located in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. We exist to help others encounter Jesus and follow in His way.
Deeper: Real Change for Real Sinners is written by Dane C. Ortlund and is a publication of Crossway. Copyright 2021; Wheaton, IL
Sometimes when we approach the Bible we can think…why would we ever need that in real life? But the Psalms come along and remind us of just how applicable and important the Bible is for everyday life. The Psalms give us the truths we need for real life. In particular, the Psalms (and Psalm 62) provide a deep stability for our soul. When life is teetering at home, or things feel chaotic at work, or your emotions keep getting the best of you, or your current situation is just weighing you down…In comes Psalm 62 to give you the truth and the tools to deal with all that life has to offer.
Chapter 7 – Pain
Join us Summer 2025 in reading Deeper: Real Change for Real Sinners by Dane C. Ortlund. Each week, we’ll briefly discuss a chapter from this helpful, deepening book on how Christians can and ought to pursue change.
Today’s Special Guest: Krista Docksteader
Hosted by Pastor Josh Docksteader
Port City Church is located in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. We exist to help others encounter Jesus and follow in His way.
Deeper: Real Change for Real Sinners is written by Dane C. Ortlund and is a publication of Crossway. Copyright 2021; Wheaton, IL
In this sermon, we explore the longing for a righteous king that echoes throughout Psalm 72. David’s prayer for Solomon captures a vision of a kingdom marked by justice, peace, and prosperity—something that only Jesus, the true and better King, can fulfill. We see how Solomon’s reign, though filled with wisdom and promise, still fell short of the ideal. As we examine the perfect rule of Christ, we are reminded that true justice, mercy, and flourishing can only be found under His reign. This sermon challenges us to look to Jesus, not just as our King, but as our Savior, and to live in light of His kingdom that will one day fill the earth.
Chapter 6 – Honesty
Join us Summer 2025 in reading Deeper: Real Change for Real Sinners by Dane C. Ortlund. Each week, we’ll briefly discuss a chapter from this helpful, deepening book on how Christians can and ought to pursue change.
Today’s Special Guest: Jay Maynard
Hosted by Pastor Josh Docksteader
Port City Church is located in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. We exist to help others encounter Jesus and follow in His way.
Deeper: Real Change for Real Sinners is written by Dane C. Ortlund and is a publication of Crossway. Copyright 2021; Wheaton, IL
Some of the worst moments in David’s life brought out his best. Psalm 63—one of David’s greatest hits (Sung by the early church each day for centuries—known as the “Morning Hymn”) is when David was at his lowest point. On the run, David pens one of the most significant and hope-filled psalms of praise. It is a reminder to us that regardless of what circumstances we are in, there is always a reason to praise God. In fact, this is the very purpose for our existence, where our lives truly find their place—the praise of the Almighty God. It is the “steadfast love of God” that is “better than life”. Jesus proved this ultimately at the cross, when he gave his life that we might be brought into the steadfast love of God.
Chapter 5 – Acquittal
Join us Summer 2025 in reading Deeper: Real Change for Real Sinners by Dane C. Ortlund. Each week, we’ll briefly discuss a chapter from this helpful, deepening book on how Christians can and ought to pursue change.
Today’s Special Guest: James Dyck
Hosted by Pastor Josh Docksteader
Port City Church is located in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. We exist to help others encounter Jesus and follow in His way.
Deeper: Real Change for Real Sinners is written by Dane C. Ortlund and is a publication of Crossway. Copyright 2021; Wheaton, IL
