An eclectic group of ordinary men and women stood on a mountainside and watched their once-dead-now-risen Savior ascend to His throne. Though they seemed timid and ill-equipped, their movement didn’t fade. In the early church in the Book of Acts, the good news multiplied into an unstoppable force that transformed an empire from within.
How did God turn weakness into boldness? The answer came like fire and wind at Pentecost, through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Throughout this 21-week sermon series through Acts, we’ll be asking the big question: “How does the unstoppable Spirit of God advance the mission of Jesus through ordinary people like us?” As well as other common questions like: Is the Holy Spirit still active today? What does it look like to live on mission for God today? What are spiritual gifts? And what does a “Spirit-filled church” look like now?
As we walk through the book of Acts, we will provide individual and group study resources on this site and through the YouVersion Bible App.
Resources to help guide your LifeGroup discussions. The Read Plan PDFs are a great tool to use along with the Acts Daily Devotional Podcast, too!
All of our YouVersion Read Plans for the Acts: The Unstoppable Spirit series include the Acts Daily Devotional Podcast audio, making it a great 2-in-1 resource for your daily chair time throughout the series.
All of our Read Plan PDFs are great tools to follow along with during your daily Chair Time or to accompany the Acts Daily Devotional Podcast.
Each month throughout our Acts sermon series, we'll gather together for prayer and seek God for our community. Inspired by the book of Acts, this is a simple, lightly guided experience designed for everyone to participate.
We will gather on the last Sunday of each month from 6:30-7:30pm at both Grace McKean and Grace Harborcreek.
Join us on these dates: May 31, June 28, July 26, August 30
No registration needed. Just come ready to pray!
Dr. John Dickson is a professor, author, documentary producer, historian, Oxford Researcher, and #1 Religious Podcast Host. He's arguably one of the greatest theologians in our world today.
Join us for a special weekend of events at Grace featuring Dr. John Dickson, including a Compassionate Storyteller Session, a live podcast, and an open Q&A. May 30-31.
John has done extensive research on the early church and its relevance to today's culture, making him a perfect guest for our Acts sermon series.
See more details and sign up in the section below!
Author | Documentary Producer | Historian | Oxford Researcher | #1 Religious Podcast Host
John Dickson is the Jean Kvamme Distinguished Professor of Biblical Studies and Public Christianity at Wheaton College. A former singer-songwriter, he later earned First Class Honours from Moore Theological College and a PhD in Ancient History from Macquarie University, where he taught New Testament and World Religions. He has also taught at the University of Sydney and has been a Visiting Academic in Classics at the University of Oxford since 2015.
An ordained Anglican clergyman, John pastored a local church in Sydney for a decade. A long-time public advocate for the Christian Faith, John founded Australia’s Centre for Public Christianity in 2007 and is the author of more than 20 books. He has produced and presented three television documentaries (including The First Hymn which ties in great with our ACTS Sermon Series!) and he is the host of Undeceptions, Australia’s no.1 religion podcast with over 2 million downloads.
You can read John’s full bio on his website here.
Saturday, May 30 | 9:00am-12:00pm | Grace Harborcreek | Cost: $10
Session Title: How Christianity Won the World: Lessons from the Early Church
In this session, Dr. Dickson will share from his research on how Christianity spread in the ancient world, helping us see what that might mean for us today. As we navigate a culture where faith can often feel unfamiliar or distant, this conversation will offer thoughtful insight and fresh encouragement for how we can live out and share the story of Jesus in a post-Christian world.
Saturday, May 30 | 6:00-7:30pm (Doors open at 5:30pm) | Grace McKean
Join us for a special live podcast discussion with Pastor Derek and John Dickson on the state of faith and apologetics in today’s culture, followed by an open Q&A discussion. This night is designed to create space for honest questions and thoughtful conversation. Especially for those seeking to better understand & back up their Christian beliefs, or even those who are skeptical of Christianity. John has a unique gift for engaging these questions with clarity, humility, and care.
This event will connect with our ongoing journey through the book of Acts as we consider how to live out and share our faith in today’s world. We’d love for you to come and consider inviting a friend who might be open to the conversation.
Sunday, May 31 | 9:00am & 11:00am services | Grace McKean and Grace Harborcreek
Wrap up the weekend with a special sermon from John Dickson titled “How the Church Changes the World” as part of our ACTS Sermon Series at both of our locations and online. It will be based on Acts 2:42-47.
We will organize sermons through three sections in the book of Acts. You’ll find the breakdown of each section below. You can find sermon playlists for each section at the bottom of this page.
This summer, we’re asking this one big question: How does the unstoppable Spirit of God advance the mission of Jesus through ordinary people like us? Join us on the adventure as we explore the movement of God in the book of Acts and discover the key people and events in the birth of the Church.
Join us as we continue to explore the movement of God in the book of Acts. We’ve already witnessed the birth of the Church, and throughout Acts 8-12, we’ll discover that the Gospel of Jesus Christ breaks barriers to reach every man, woman, and child.
So far in Acts, the Church has been born, and the Gospel is breaking down barriers. Join us in the second half of the book of Acts as the mission expands beyond Jerusalem and Judea and into the whole world.
What if the story of the early church isn’t just history, but a blueprint for following Jesus today? The Acts Daily Devotional Podcast is a 141-day journey through the book of Acts in the Bible, hosted by Pastor Derek. Each short episode combines Scripture and practical teaching to help inspire your daily chair time with God, whether at home or on your drive to work. Starting April 26, discover how the Holy Spirit empowers ordinary people to advance the mission of Jesus from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth.
