Insight for Living

The Bible-Teaching Ministry of Pastor Chuck Swindoll

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2014

God’s Hands on Human Clay

As we anticipate the days, months, and years to come, we have to admit we remain clueless as to what will happen on any given day.

In God’s Hands on Human Clay, Chuck Swindoll explains the treasured truth that most Christians overlook as the unknown future approaches: God is sovereign. As we encounter life’s trials, we can remain confident that the Potter, who causes all things to work for our good, kneads and reshapes us to fashion something beautiful, useful, and practical. Even though the future remains unclear, we can be certain nothing touches our lives unless it has first flowed through the “molding” fingers of our loving God.


The future is often a source of anxiety because it remains largely unknown. In this message, Pastor Chuck Swindoll explores a treasured truth that many believers overlook: God is the Divine Potter, and we are the clay. Using the imagery of a potter’s house, Chuck explains how God’s sovereign hands knead, mold, and reshape our lives through trials and transitions. This perspective transforms our view of suffering, assuring us that nothing touches our lives unless it has first passed through the “molding” fingers of a loving and purposeful God.

1. The Potter’s Sovereignty (Jeremiah 18:1–6)

  • Overview: Explores the prophet Jeremiah’s visit to the potter’s house. Just as the potter has authority over the clay to make it into whatever vessel he desires, God has absolute sovereignty over our lives and our nations.
  • Key Fact: Sovereignty means God is in control of the “pressure” applied to the clay; He knows exactly how much is needed to shape us without breaking us.
  • Scripture: Jeremiah 18:6 – “Can I not, O house of Israel, deal with you as this potter does? …Behold, like the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand.”

2. The Process of Reshaping (Jeremiah 18:4)

  • Overview: Addresses the “spoiled” vessel. When the clay becomes marred in the potter’s hand, he does not throw it away; he “makes it again into another vessel.” This illustrates God’s grace in the midst of our failures.
  • Key Fact: God specializes in “re-making” lives that have been damaged by sin or circumstances, turning tragedy into something useful and beautiful.
  • Scripture: Jeremiah 18:4 – “But the vessel that he was making of clay was spoiled in the hand of the potter; so he remade it into another vessel, as it pleased the potter to make.”

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Holiday Message 2014

Thinking deeply at Christmas can be difficult. Shopping for presents, decorating the tree with tinsel, family get-togethers, and holiday parties sometimes crowd out the real meaning behind Christmas.

Probing Deeper Into the Incarnation will remind you that before Mary placed baby Jesus in the manger, He existed in heaven with God the Father and God the Spirit. The Son of God became a man and eventually gave up His own life to prove His love for you—and to make it possible for you to love Him in return.


The hustle and bustle of Christmas—shopping, decorating, and parties—can easily crowd out the theological depth of the season. In this holiday message, Pastor Chuck Swindoll encourages us to look beyond the manger and the baby to the profound reality of the Incarnation. By exploring the eternal existence and voluntary humility of Jesus Christ, this message recenters our hearts on the sacrifice that made our reconciliation with God possible.

1. Probing Deeper Into the Incarnation (Philippians 2:6–11)

  • Overview: Explores the “pre-existence” of Jesus, reminding us that He was with the Father and the Spirit long before His birth in Bethlehem. Chuck details the process of kenosis—the voluntary emptying of His divine prerogatives to take on the form of a servant.
  • Key Fact: The Incarnation is the ultimate demonstration of God’s love; the Creator became a creature so that the creature could be reconciled to the Creator.
  • Scripture: Philippians 2:7 – “…but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.”

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Listener Favorites, Volume 2

What do you spend most of your time doing? Ask a wide range of people, and two answers would inevitably rise to the surface: parenting and working. With so much time and energy devoted to these two areas, we need to take extra care to think well about what it means to be a good parent and how we can best serve as a good worker. These six messages from Chuck Swindoll take us to the heart of life as a parent and as a worker. Addressing issues such as shaping the wills of our children, seeking forgiveness from kids when we’ve failed them, and infusing our work with wisdom, this series will prove to be a vital help on the journey toward making all our moments count for Christ.


Just as a building requires a strong foundation to withstand the assault of time, a family must be firmly anchored in God’s Word to endure the pressures of the world. In this seven-part series, Pastor Chuck Swindoll provides essential biblical strategies for reinforcing the home, strengthening marriages, and raising confident children and grandchildren.

Message 1: Encouragement for Mothers and Others

  • Overview: Exploring the timeless wisdom of Proverbs 31, this message offers a realistic look at godly womanhood. Rather than presenting an impossible standard of perfection, it focuses on the character traits that provide a lasting influence on a family.
  • Key Fact: Godly womanhood is not about perfection, but about a heart directed toward wisdom, diligence, and the fear of the Lord.
  • Scripture: Proverbs 31:10–31 – “A woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.”

Message 2: Healthy Marriages Start Here

  • Overview: This message gets to the root of marital health, emphasizing that a strong union begins with two individuals committed to God’s design for partnership, communication, and mutual respect.
  • Key Fact: A healthy marriage is built on the foundation of selfless love and a shared commitment to biblical principles.
  • Scripture: Ephesians 5:21–33 – “Be subject to one another in the fear of Christ.”

Message 3: Do You Really Know Your Child?

  • Overview: Parenting is not a “one size fits all” endeavor. Pastor Chuck discusses the importance of observing and understanding the unique personality and temperament God has given to each individual child.
  • Key Fact: Effective parenting requires studying your child to discover their unique strengths, weaknesses, and natural inclinations.
  • Scripture: Psalm 139:13–16 – “For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb.”

Message 4: Your Child Has the Bents!

  • Overview: Expanding on the idea of a child’s unique makeup, this message explains the concept of “training up a child according to his way.” It focuses on identifying and directing a child’s natural “bents” toward God.
  • Key Fact: Training a child involves cooperating with the way God has already “wired” them rather than forcing them into a predetermined mold.
  • Scripture: Proverbs 22:6 – “Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it.”

Message 5: Delighting in Your Kids and Grandkids

  • Overview: Beyond discipline and instruction, a thriving family requires joy. This message encourages parents and grandparents to find genuine delight in their descendants, fostering an environment of grace and warmth.
  • Key Fact: A child’s sense of security is deeply connected to the visible delight and approval they receive from the elders in their family.
  • Scripture: Psalm 127:3–5 – “Behold, children are a gift of the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward.”

Message 6: A Father Everyone Admires

  • Overview: Pastor Chuck outlines the characteristics of a father who leads with integrity, compassion, and strength. This message serves as both an exhortation and a roadmap for men seeking to leave a godly legacy.
  • Key Fact: Admirable fatherhood is characterized by a balance of firm leadership and tender-heartedness.
  • Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 2:10–12 – “Just as you know how we were exhorting and encouraging and imploring each one of you as a father would his own children.”

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Easter 2014

At some point, everyone encounters the devastating weight of hopelessness—whether through a difficult diagnosis, the loss of a loved one, or the reality of mortality. This Easter series explores the monumental shift from despair to life that occurred when the presence of hope arose through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Message 1: When the Presence of Hope Arose

  • Overview: This message addresses the universal experience of hopelessness and the profound transformation that occurs when we encounter the risen Christ. Pastor Chuck Swindoll explains how the resurrection serves as the ultimate antidote to the “no hope” scenarios of life.
  • Key Fact: The resurrection of Jesus is the cornerstone of Christian hope; without it, faith is empty, but because He lives, believers have a guaranteed hope that transcends the grave.
  • Scripture: 1 Corinthians 15:12–26 – “But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep.”

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Creating a Legacy

What kind of legacy for tomorrow are you creating today? When the next generation looks back on your life, how will they remember you?

Creating a Legacy will guide you on your journey toward noble character motivated by a clear calling. You’ll look back on where you came from and see how God made you who you are. You’ll look to His Word to find out where you should be going and who you’re becoming. You’ll take positive steps toward overcoming obstacles and avoiding tragic falls. You’ll also discover how your life can become a legacy for the benefit of those who come after you.


Whether we realize it or not, we are all leaving a legacy. It may be noble and lasting, or it may be poor and fleeting, but the mark we leave is being formed by our choices today. In this 5-part series, Chuck Swindoll guides us on a journey toward building a legacy of character motivated by a clear calling from God. By looking back at where we’ve been and looking into God’s Word for where we are going, we can discover how to overcome obstacles and avoid tragic falls, ensuring our lives benefit those who come after us.

Creating a Legacy of Remembrance

Sermon Summary Our legacy may not have the historic breadth of a George Washington or a Mother Teresa, but it is no less real. This message focuses on the importance of building monuments of remembrance in our lives. By looking at Joshua 1–4, Chuck discusses how the Israelites established stones of remembrance to tell the story of God’s faithfulness to their children. We learn that a godly legacy begins with a commitment to remember and recount the work of God in our own history.

Key Facts & Themes

  • The Power of Story: The necessity of passing down the record of God’s faithfulness.
  • Stones of Remembrance: Practical ways to memorialize spiritual milestones for the next generation.
  • Intentionality: Recognizing that a legacy of faith does not happen by accident.

Primary Scripture Reference

  • Joshua 1–4

Creating a Legacy of Personal Mission

Sermon Summary A life without a mission is a life adrift. This message explores how a clear sense of calling shapes the legacy we leave behind. Chuck helps us identify the unique mission God has for each believer, moving us past the monotony of daily tasks toward a purposeful pursuit of God’s glory. We learn that a lasting legacy is built by those who know why they are here and where they are going.

Key Facts & Themes

  • Defining Your Calling: Shifting from aimless living to a mission-driven life.
  • The Sovereignty of Purpose: Trusting that God has uniquely equipped you for a specific work.
  • Clarity of Vision: How a personal mission statement provides a filter for our daily choices.

Creating a Legacy of Responsibility

Sermon Summary Responsibility is the bedrock of character. In this message, Chuck addresses the importance of taking ownership of our lives and our influence. We explore the relationship between personal responsibility and spiritual maturity, learning that we cannot leave a godly legacy while making excuses for our failures. By choosing to be responsible today, we provide a stable foundation for the next generation to build upon.

Key Facts & Themes

  • Taking Ownership: Trading blame-shifting for personal accountability before God.
  • The Weight of Influence: Recognizing how our choices affect those who follow us.
  • Stability in Character: Why responsibility is essential for a trusted and lasting legacy.

Creating a Legacy of Moral Purity

Sermon Summary One tragic fall can mar a lifetime of faithful service. This message focuses on the essential role of moral purity in creating a lasting legacy. Chuck discusses the obstacles and temptations that threaten to derail us and provides biblical strategies for maintaining integrity. We learn that the legacy we leave is protected by the boundaries we set and the purity we pursue in our private lives.

Key Facts & Themes

  • Protecting the Legacy: Identifying the “small” compromises that lead to moral failure.
  • Setting Boundaries: Practical and spiritual safeguards for maintaining purity.
  • The Value of Integrity: Why a life of purity is a treasure for the next generation.

Creating a Legacy of Mentoring

Sermon Summary A legacy is only successful if there is someone to carry it forward. The series concludes with a focus on mentoring and investing in the lives of others. Chuck explores the “passing of the torch”—the intentional training and encouragement of the next generation. We discover that our greatest contribution to the future is not what we achieve, but who we influence and empower to follow Christ.

Key Facts & Themes

  • Investing in People: The priority of relationships over achievements.
  • The Role of a Mentor: How to practically guide and encourage a younger believer.
  • Multiplied Influence: Why a legacy of mentoring ensures that the work of God continues.

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Questions Christians Ask

It’s Okay to Ask Questions

Even Christians have questions. Though many people think Christians have all the answers, we often struggle with sincere doubt when trials challenge our faith.

Roadblocks of sickness, heartache, and disappointment punctuate our journeys of faith and cause us to question whether or not we’re headed in the right direction. So where do you turn when doubt wages war against the fundamentals of your faith? In Questions Christians Ask, Chuck Swindoll addresses a dozen crucial questions that all believers must examine, such as the identity of Jesus Christ, the exclusivity of the gospel of Christ, God’s plan for the future, how to deal with worry, how to live a Spirit-guided, victorious life, and more.

Find biblical answers in Questions Christians Ask that will help you strengthen your walk with God and draw you closer to Him each day.


Even for the most faithful, the journey of life often brings sincere doubts and difficult questions. In this 12-part series, Pastor Chuck Swindoll tackles a dozen crucial inquiries that believers face—ranging from the identity of Jesus and the reality of the resurrection to practical struggles like worry, leadership, and conflict. By providing biblical answers to these honest questions, this series helps move the believer from a place of uncertainty to a position of strengthened faith and clear conviction.

1. Who Is This Jesus? (Matthew 21:1–17)

  • Overview: Explores the identity of Jesus during His triumphal entry into Jerusalem. While the crowds were asking “Who is this?”, Jesus was demonstrating His identity as the authoritative and compassionate Son of God.
  • Key Fact: Jesus’ cleansing of the temple showed that His authority was not just political, but spiritual and absolute.
  • Scripture: Matthew 21:10–11 – “When He had entered Jerusalem, the all city was stirred, saying, ‘Who is this?’ And the crowds were saying, ‘This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth in Galilee.'”

2. Christ Is Raised, but What about Me? (1 Corinthians 15)

  • Overview: Addresses the personal implications of the resurrection. Because Christ rose from the dead, believers have a guaranteed future of hope and a new nature for today.
  • Key Fact: The resurrection is the “linchpin” of the Christian faith; without it, our preaching and our faith are in vain.
  • Scripture: 1 Corinthians 15:20 – “But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep.”

3. How Can I Win Over Worry? (Matthew 6:25–34)

  • Overview: A practical look at Jesus’ teaching on anxiety. It contrasts the “striving” of the world with the “trusting” of a child of God.
  • Key Fact: Worry is described as “practical atheism”—acting as if God doesn’t exist or isn’t in control.
  • Scripture: Matthew 6:33 – “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

4. What’s Necessary for Victory? (Romans 8)

  • Overview: Discusses the components of a victorious Christian life, focusing on the power of the Holy Spirit and the assurance of God’s love.
  • Key Fact: Victory is not the absence of struggle, but the presence of the Spirit who intercedes for us and makes us “more than conquerors.”
  • Scripture: Romans 8:37 – “But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.”

5. Is My Neighbor Really Lost? (Selected Scriptures)

  • Overview: Addresses the exclusivity of the Gospel. It provides a compassionate but firm biblical answer to whether there are other ways to God.
  • Key Fact: Biblical “lostness” is not a judgment on a person’s character, but a statement about their spiritual location apart from Christ.
  • Scripture: John 14:6 – “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.'”

6. What Makes a Rebel Return? (Luke 15:11–32)

  • Overview: A study of the Parable of the Prodigal Son, exploring the factors that lead a wanderer home and the father’s heart of grace.
  • Key Fact: The “rebel’s” return begins with “coming to his senses”—realizing that the father’s house is better than the pigpen of independence.
  • Scripture: Luke 15:20 – “So he got up and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion for him.”

7. Can ‘Ordinary People’ Make a Contribution? (Selected Scriptures)

  • Overview: Challenges the idea that God only uses “super-saints.” It shows how God specializes in using the “small” and “ordinary” to achieve His purposes.
  • Key Fact: God often chooses the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong.
  • Scripture: 1 Corinthians 1:27 – “But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise.”

8. Will You Lead or Lag? (Selected Scriptures)

  • Overview: A call to spiritual leadership and initiative. This message explores what it takes to step out in faith and influence others for the Kingdom.
  • Key Fact: Leadership is not a title; it is a lifestyle of influence that begins with self-discipline and obedience.
  • Scripture: 1 Timothy 4:12 – “Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example.”

9 & 10. Why Are We So Blessed? / What Is My Response? (Deuteronomy 8)

  • Overview: A two-part look at the “danger of prosperity.” It warns against the amnesia that often follows God’s blessings and provides a roadmap for gratitude.
  • Key Fact: The greatest threat to faith is not often poverty, but a wealth that leads us to say, “My power and the strength of my hand made me this wealth.”
  • Scripture: Deuteronomy 8:18 – “But you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who is giving you power to make wealth.”

11. How Should We Interpret God’s Calendar? (Selected Scriptures)

  • Overview: Addresses questions about the end times and God’s sovereign timing. It encourages “readiness” over “calculation.”
  • Key Fact: We are called to be “watchmen” who are busy with the Master’s work, not “accountants” trying to balance a prophetic ledger.
  • Scripture: Acts 1:7 – “He said to them, ‘It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority.'”

12. Why Do We Throw Rocks at Each Other? (Selected Scriptures)

  • Overview: Confronts the problem of internal conflict and criticism within the body of Christ.
  • Key Fact: “Rock-throwing” usually stems from pride or legalism; the remedy is a return to the grace that God has shown to us.
  • Scripture: Galatians 5:15 – “But if you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another.”

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New Testament Postcards

Don’t Lose God’s Postcards in the Junk Mail of Lies

In a world where fiction about God is presented as fact and where lies often overshadow the truth, we need a fresh reminder from God’s Word to strengthen our faith. The New Testament includes four “postcards”—short but powerful—that help us stand firm in what we believe.

The postcards—Philemon, 2 John, 3 John, and Jude—address some of the most important issues for Christians today, such as forgiveness, generosity, and discernment, as well as the foundational tenets of our faith—the person, work, and supremacy of Jesus Christ. Join Chuck Swindoll as he shares the hope-filled message of grace through Christ contained in these postcards. The New Testament Postcards: A Study of Philemon, 2 John, 3 John, and Jude CD series will prepare you to better understand and live out your faith.


The New Testament includes four short but powerful books that act like divine postcards. In this six-part series, Pastor Chuck Swindoll explores Philemon, 2 John, 3 John, and Jude. These brief letters address monumental issues: the beauty of forgiveness, the necessity of discernment, the dangers of false teaching, and the call to guard the “faith once for all delivered to the saints.”

1. A Postcard to Philemon (Philemon)

  • Overview: A personal letter from Paul to a wealthy friend regarding a runaway slave, Onesimus. It illustrates the transformative power of grace that turns a “useless” slave into a “useful” brother.
  • Key Fact: This letter provides a radical biblical model for conflict resolution and restitution, showing that grace does not ignore the law but fulfills it through love.
  • Scripture: Philemon 1:17–18 – Paul’s offer of substitution: “If then you regard me as a partner, accept him as you would me. But if he has wronged you in any way… charge that to my account.”

2. A Postcard to a Lady and Her Kids (2 John)

  • Overview: Addressed to “the chosen lady,” this letter emphasizes the delicate balance between walking in truth and walking in love.
  • Key Fact: John warns that hospitality should not be extended to those who deliberately bring false doctrine, as doing so makes one a participant in their evil deeds.
  • Scripture: 2 John 1:6 – “And this is love, that we walk according to His commandments.”

3. A Postcard of Candid Truth (3 John)

  • Overview: Contrasts the character of three men: Gaius (the hospitable servant), Diotrephes (the prideful leader), and Demetrius (the man of good testimony).
  • Key Fact: The letter exposes “Diotrephes-style” leadership—loving to be first and rejecting apostolic authority—as a toxic influence in the church.
  • Scripture: 3 John 1:4 – “I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth.”

4. The Acts of the Apostates (Jude 1–16)

  • Overview: Jude intended to write about “our common salvation” but was compelled to shift his focus to warn against “apostates”—those who have crept in to turn grace into licentiousness.
  • Key Fact: Jude uses vivid imagery from nature (clouds without water, waves of the sea) and history (Sodom and Gomorrah) to describe the character and certain judgment of false teachers.
  • Scripture: Jude 1:3 – The call to “contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints.”

5. Why Bother to Battle? (Jude 17–23)

  • Overview: Answers the question of how to maintain a positive, grace-filled faith while living in a culture of skepticism and false teaching.
  • Key Fact: Believers are called to “keep themselves in the love of God” while showing mercy to those who are doubting or being led astray.
  • Scripture: Jude 1:21 – “Keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life.”

6. Get Your Act Together! (Jude 24–25)

  • Overview: The series concludes with the famous doxology of Jude, shifting the focus from the battle against apostasy to the absolute security and glory of God.
  • Key Fact: No matter how dark the times or how prevalent the lies, God is “able to keep you from stumbling” and present you blameless before His presence.
  • Scripture: Jude 1:24 – “Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy.”

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Living Portraits of the Church

We need one another . . . even if we don’t always want to admit it. Human beings were made to thrive in relationships—with God and with people. And yet we are often tempted to ignore God’s unique communal design for those who follow Christ: the church.

But what is the church, and what is our place in it? The Bible uses a variety of metaphors to describe Christ’s church. In this series, Chuck Swindoll explains four of those metaphors: a growing family, a dependent flock, a functioning body, and the branches of a flourishing vine. This series will help take us beyond understanding how God desires us to be in community. It will show us how it can happen.


What exactly is the church? Far more than a building or a weekly event, the church is a living, breathing community designed by God. In this four-part series, Pastor Chuck Swindoll explores four powerful biblical metaphors that define our identity and our relationships with one another. By viewing the church as a family, a flock, a body, and a vine, we discover how to move from isolation into the vibrant, communal life God intended for every believer.

1. Making Room for the Family (Ephesians 2:19; 1 Timothy 3:15)

  • Overview: Explores the church as “God’s household.” This portrait emphasizes the warmth, acceptance, and growth that occur when believers treat one another as spiritual brothers and sisters.
  • Key Fact: Just as physical families must adjust and make room for new members, the church must remain flexible and welcoming to all whom God calls into His family.
  • Scripture: Ephesians 2:19 – “So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household.”

2. Feeding the Flock a Healthy Meal (1 Peter 5:1–4; Psalm 23)

  • Overview: Focuses on the imagery of the flock and the Shepherd. This message highlights the vulnerability of the sheep and the vital importance of leaders who provide the “healthy meal” of God’s Word.
  • Key Fact: A healthy church is one where the “sheep” are not driven by fear but led to green pastures of truth and grace by caring under-shepherds.
  • Scripture: 1 Peter 5:2 – “Shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God.”

3. Finding Your Place in the Body (1 Corinthians 12:12–27)

  • Overview: Discusses the church as the “Body of Christ.” This portrait emphasizes the diversity of spiritual gifts and the essential nature of every member, no matter how small their role may seem.
  • Key Fact: There is no such thing as an “unimportant” part of the body; health is achieved only when every member functions in their unique, God-given capacity.
  • Scripture: 1 Corinthians 12:27 – “Now you are Christ’s body, and individually members of it.”

4. Abiding in the Vine (John 15:1–11)

  • Overview: The most intimate portrait of the church, showing our absolute dependence on Jesus Christ. As branches of the True Vine, our only source of life and fruitfulness is our connection to Him.
  • Key Fact: We do not “produce” fruit by our own effort; we “bear” fruit as a natural result of abiding (staying connected) to the Vine.
  • Scripture: John 15:5 – “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.”

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Adventuring With God

The Book of Acts

The writer of the book of Hebrews said, “Without faith, it is impossible to please God.”

Faith played a critical role in the early church; God’s hand was constantly at work in the book of Acts. By faith in God and through the power of the Holy Spirit, the church took root and grew boldly and boundlessly. The Christian life was an adventure!

We have that same Holy Spirit at work in our lives today. What serendipitous adventures might God have in store for us? We can trust God while “Being Transformed” and expect God’s movement as we are “Prevailing through Prayer,” even in seemingly impossible circumstances. Consider this series by Chuck Swindoll a catalyst to submitting your life to the adventure of faith God has in store for you.


In this series, Pastor Chuck Swindoll explores the early church’s explosive growth and radical faith as documented in the book of Acts. Moving from the confusion of Christ’s departure to the empowered mission of the apostles, this study highlights how the Holy Spirit transforms ordinary people into world-changers. The Christian life isn’t a safe routine; it is a “serendipitous adventure” directed by the sovereign hand of God.

1. Reaching Our World (Acts 1:1–11)

  • Overview: Focuses on the transition period between Jesus’ ascension and the coming of the Spirit. It addresses the common temptation to look back at the “good old days” rather than moving forward into God’s global mission.
  • Key Fact: The apostles were initially confused about the nature of the Kingdom, but Jesus redirected their focus to being “witnesses” through the power of the Holy Spirit.
  • Scripture: Acts 1:8 – The mandate for the adventure: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses… even to the remotest part of the earth.”

2. Birthing the Church (Acts 2:1–13)

  • Overview: Examines the supernatural arrival of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost. This message explores how God uses diverse languages and backgrounds to launch a unified movement.
  • Key Fact: Pentecost was an annual feast in Jerusalem; God chose this high-traffic moment to publicly demonstrate the presence and power of His Spirit.
  • Scripture: Acts 2:4 – “And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance.”

3. Touching Others’ Lives (Acts 3:1–11)

  • Overview: A study of the first miracle after Pentecost—the healing of the lame man at the Temple gate. It illustrates how God uses “interruptions” to display His glory.
  • Key Fact: Peter and John didn’t have material wealth (“silver and gold”), but they had spiritual authority in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene.
  • Scripture: Acts 3:6 – Peter’s declaration: “I do not possess silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you: In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene—walk!”

4. Being Transformed (Acts 9:1–19)

  • Overview: Focuses on the radical conversion of Saul of Tarsus on the Damascus road. This message reminds us that no one is too far gone for God’s grace to reach and repurpose.
  • Key Fact: Saul went from being the church’s greatest persecutor to its greatest proponent, illustrating that true adventure begins with a complete surrender to Christ.
  • Scripture: Acts 9:15 – God’s description of the transformed Saul: “He is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel.”

5. Prevailing through Prayer (Acts 12:1–17)

  • Overview: A dramatic look at Peter’s miraculous release from prison. It contrasts the power of the political establishment (Herod) with the superior power of the church’s prayer.
  • Key Fact: Even while the church was praying for Peter’s release, they were shocked when he actually showed up at the door, teaching us that God often answers prayer beyond our expectation.
  • Scripture: Acts 12:5 – The vital activity of the early church: “So Peter was kept in the prison, but prayer for him was being made fervently by the church to God.”

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The Sanctity of Life . . . The Inescapable Issue

Our culture is at war—a quiet war against the most innocent and powerless in our society: the unborn. The tapestry of human life, woven by the hand of God, is being unraveled in the name of convenience. Abortion not only ends the lives of unborn babies, it can devastate the lives of those mothers and fathers who have chosen to have an abortion, often leaving them with depression, guilt, and regret. But God offers hope . . .

Join Chuck Swindoll as he addresses the sensitive topic of abortion—how God’s Word speaks to the issue, how to recover from an abortion, and how to devote oneself to a life of purity. Gain courage to honor God and to uphold the sanctity of life in a godless culture.

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