May 17, 2026 - Great News …to Share: Acts 1:1-11

May 17, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: Open Hands, Overflowing Blessings

Jesus stood with His disciples on the Mount of Olives, His resurrected body bearing scars they could touch. He told them to wait in Jerusalem for the Holy Spirit’s power. Their hands, once clenched in fear at the cross, now trembled with anticipation. Ice cream dripped through fingers in the sermon’s metaphor—a warning against hoarding God’s gifts. [56:58]

The disciples faced a choice: cling to Jesus’ physical presence or release control to receive greater spiritual abundance. Jesus’ ascension wasn’t abandonment but an invitation to partner with His Spirit. The same power that raised Christ from death now fills believers.

Where are you white-knuckling blessings meant to be shared? Like the disciples, you’re called to steward God’s gifts, not stockpile them. Identify one area—time, resources, or relationships—where fear fuels your grip. What would it look like to open your palm today?

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
(Acts 1:8, NLT)

Prayer: Ask Jesus to reveal where you’re clinging to comfort rather than trusting His multiplication.
Challenge: Give away a tangible item (a meal, book, or gift card) to someone outside your usual circle.

Day 2: From Jerusalem to the Nations

The disciples stared at the sky after Jesus ascended, angels jolting them to action. Jerusalem’s streets awaited their testimony. Judea represented their cultural backyard, Samaria the “enemy” territory, and the ends of the earth the unknown. Jesus’ commission dismantled every boundary. [01:07:03]

God’s mission starts where you are but never stays there. The early church’s growth mirrored concentric circles—from home to hostile ground. Your “Jerusalem” might be your kitchen table; your “Samaria” the coworker who irritates you. The Spirit equips you for each frontier.

Who have you labeled “bless their heart” instead of “beloved neighbor”? This week, choose one person you’ve avoided and pray for them by name. How might the Spirit soften your gaze to see them as Jesus does?

“In my first book I told you, Theophilus, about everything Jesus began to do and teach until the day he was taken up to heaven.”
(Acts 1:1-2a, NLT)

Prayer: Confess any resistance to engaging with people outside your comfort zone.
Challenge: Write down three names—one from each “circle” (close, uncomfortable, distant)—and text an encouragement to one today.

Day 3: The Unfinished Work of Jesus

Luke’s sequel, Acts, begins with Jesus’ unfinished story. The disciples thought His departure meant the end. Instead, Pentecost’s flames proved Jesus’ ministry had just shifted locations—from walking beside them to dwelling within them. The ice cream truck hadn’t left town; it opened franchises. [56:03]

Christ’s work continues through Spirit-filled believers. Neymar’s reading breakthrough and camp scholarships in the sermon show modern discipleship. When we release control, God transforms third-grade victories into family-wide revival. Your ordinary acts become His extraordinary chain reactions.

What “small” obedience have you dismissed as insignificant? Bake cookies for a neighbor. Read to a child. Jesus multiplied five loaves; He’ll amplify your yes. Where is He nudging you to trust daily faithfulness over flashy plans?

“There are many believers already in the city. Follow them to whatever house they enter, and say, ‘May peace be on this house.’”
(Luke 10:5-6, NLT)

Prayer: Thank God for the legacy of your spiritual mentors. Ask to multiply their investment through you.
Challenge: Donate three books (children’s Bibles, devotionals) to the church’s reading club today.

Day 4: Baptized with Holy Fire

John baptized with water; Jesus promised fire. The disciples waited, not knowing tongues of flame would crown them. The Spirit’s arrival turned fishermen into translators and doubters into martyrs. Like ice cream reshaped into cones, God repurposes ordinary people for global impact. [59:09]

The Holy Spirit isn’t a mood enhancer but a game changer. Camp counselors, worship teams, and outreach volunteers in the sermon show Spirit-led collaboration. Your role isn’t about talent but availability—He provides the heat, you carry the light.

What “empty cone” have you been holding—a task you’re doing in your own strength? Surrender it before burnout melts your joy. Will you let the Spirit redefine success today?

“Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm… Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them.”
(Acts 2:2-3, NLT)

Prayer: Ask for fresh hunger to be “filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18) like a daily portion.
Challenge: Listen to a worship song in another language, thanking God for His global church.

Day 5: Watching Skies, Walking Streets

The disciples stood gaping at clouds until angels redirected them. Jerusalem’s alleys needed footwashers, not starry-eyed theorists. Jesus’ absence became their activation. The sermon’s outreach programs—Feeling Fit classes, night of worship—model this: awe fuels action, not apathy. [01:14:46]

Worship without mission is spiritual hoarding. The church’s ice cream socials and camps in the transcript show celebration fueling service. Your faith isn’t a museum exhibit but a mobile kitchen—take the treat to the streets.

When did you last share faith beyond church walls? Grab a neighbor’s trash can this week. Smile at the grocery cashier. Jesus’ return isn’t a loophole to neglect today’s work. How can your hands bless while your eyes watch?

“Men of Galilee,” they said, “why are you standing here staring into heaven? Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but someday he will return.”
(Acts 1:11, NLT)

Prayer: Repent of using “watching for Jesus” as an excuse for inaction.
Challenge: Invite one person to tonight’s worship service or next Sunday’s meal.

Sermon Summary

We gather with gratitude and practical care for one another, naming needs, celebrating recoveries, and launching neighborhood ministries that meet real life. We report tangible results from reading clubs and outreach that lift children and whole families into new directions, and we celebrate volunteers who mentor, lead worship, stream services, and steward generosity. We keep investing in formation through camps, soul care groups, and chair based fitness for older adults because discipleship happens in everyday places like towers, classrooms, and living rooms. We link our giving to impact and name stories where one child’s progress reshaped a family’s future.

We hold a central biblical image from Acts and Luke that reframes grief about what once was into faith about what still is. The story shows Jesus ascending and promising the Holy Spirit so that the work he began continues through empowered people. The Good is not trapped in nostalgia. God does not intend the best to be held in tight hands. The image of ice cream makes the point plain. If we squeeze hope and blessing to hoard it, it melts and spoils. If we open our hands, what God pours in multiplies and cools the world around us.

We refuse to source life and power from programs, personality, promotions, or human effort alone. We receive the Holy Spirit as the source of power and direction, not as an add on but as the life that fills and enables mission. The programmatic roadmap becomes simple and holy when Spirit led: begin at our core and move outward to neighbor and world. We choose open handed living that shares resources, prayer, teaching, and presence so that God’s work does not stop with us. We invite one another to say yes to Christ afresh, to be washed and filled by the Spirit, and to step into public acts of new life like baptism. We close with prayer, worship, and an invitation to release the thing we love most so God can do immeasurably more than we imagine. In that posture we will not only remember what Jesus did but we will participate in what Jesus is still doing today.

Key Takeaways

1. Open handed generosity over tight control Holding blessings too tightly turns spiritual gifts into messes. When we cling to familiar forms of God’s work we stunt expansion and suffocate creative movement of the Spirit. Choosing to live open handed reorients us from possession to participation and invites God to multiply what we offer. [71:03]
2. The Holy Spirit empowers mission The promise of Pentecost means power replaces nostalgia and human striving. We cannot manufacture Kingdom outcomes by strategy alone because the Spirit provides the life and authority to witness, heal, and teach. Relying on the Spirit frees our leaders and communities to move outward without fear of running out. [65:15]
3. Share what God provides True stewardship means offering what was first given to us so it can bless others. Hoarded spiritual life evaporates; shared spiritual life transforms neighborhoods, families, and workplaces. When we release the good God gives, communities experience growth that statistics and plans never produce on their own. [59:55]
4. Go Jerusalem Judea Samaria and beyond Mission begins at our core and flows outward to every circle of influence. The roadmap asks us to renew local worship, engage our neighborhood, cross cultural barriers, and join global efforts so grace moves in all directions. Living this way resists insular faith and embodies the incarnational reach of the gospel. [65:39]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[03:32] - Opening greetings and prayer requests
[05:40] - Community programs and exercises
[06:15] - Feeling Fit and campus outreach
[13:18] - Jesus prayed in John 17
[30:16] - Giving in action and reading club story
[35:41] - Camp leaders and youth trip updates
[49:51] - Scripture reading Acts 1
[50:17] - Ice cream analogy explained
[55:34] - Luke part two and unfinished work
[65:39] - Go Jerusalem Judea Samaria and beyond
[76:29] - Invitation to release and worship
[83:05] - Prayer for Spirit filling
[85:22] - Invitation to say yes and baptism
[87:25] - Blessing and dismissal

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
- Acts 1:1-11 (NLT): "In my first book I told you, Theophilus, about everything Jesus began to do and teach until the day he was taken up to heaven after giving his chosen apostles further instructions through the Holy Spirit. [...] But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
- John 17:20-23 (NLT): "I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. [...] May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me."

Observation Questions

In Acts 1:8, Jesus says the Holy Spirit will empower his followers to be witnesses "in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." What specific examples from the sermon illustrate this outward movement of mission? [01:05:39]
The sermon compares holding blessings too tightly to squeezing ice cream until it melts. What practical consequences of "clenching" spiritual gifts or resources were described? [50:17]
According to the sermon, how did the story of Neymar and his family demonstrate the ripple effect of sharing God’s blessings? [31:36]
What does Jesus’ prayer in John 17 reveal about his heart for future believers and their unity?

Interpretation Questions

Why might Jesus emphasize the Holy Spirit’s power before commissioning his followers to go into the world (Acts 1:8)? How does this contrast with relying on human effort alone? [01:05:15]
The sermon warns that nostalgia for "what once was" can hinder God’s work. How might clinging to past methods or traditions limit the Spirit’s creativity in a community? [56:28]
The ice cream analogy suggests hoarded blessings "spoil." What biblical principles support the idea that generosity multiplies impact? [59:55]
How does the call to go from Jerusalem to "the ends of the earth" challenge insular or self-focused faith?

Application Questions

Where in your life are you tempted to "clench" a blessing, relationship, or resource out of fear or control? What would it look like to hold it open-handed this week? [01:11:03]
The sermon highlights starting mission "at our core" (Jerusalem). What is one way to intentionally bless your immediate community (family, workplace, church) with the gifts God has given you? [01:07:44]
Are there areas where you’ve relied on plans, promotions, or personal effort instead of seeking the Holy Spirit’s guidance? What step could you take to prioritize prayerful dependence? [01:00:19]
The story of a child’s progress reshaping a family’s future shows small acts matter. What "small" act of generosity or mentorship could you offer to someone this month? [31:36]
Baptism was invited as a public "yes" to new life in Christ. Is there a step of obedience or surrender God is asking you to take openly? [01:25:22]
Who is your "Samaria"—someone you’re called to love despite differences or discomfort? How can you tangibly show Christ’s love to them? [01:09:03]

Sermon Clips

35s

#SayYesToJesus

“He really died, and he really rose again. Why is that? Because Jesus Christ is the only sacrifice who could make things right between us and God. So that we could have a new relationship with God and live in a new way of life with him. If you have not experienced that, please don't go home today without saying yes to Jesus. Forget anything else this pastor has to say. Say yes to Jesus.”

33s

#ShareTheIceCream

“And if we're not careful, the mission that God's given us, we spend so much time in awe of the ice cream that we forget to share it. In anticipation of what God's gonna do, the type of toppings he'll put. I'm a hot fudge girl myself. But the type of toppings he's gonna put on his ice cream sundae, the way that he's gonna show up again in our lives that we miss the reality. The ice cream is melting.”

39s

#CenterYourLifeOnGod

“Those sound like really great roadmap signs. Right? Yay. But let's talk about what that actually looks like. For Jerusalem, that is the place of their spiritual center, these disciples. That is the place essentially where their church gathers. That is the place where they gather together and that is the core of who they are. And so beloved hear this, go into the core of who you are and may the holy spirit turn it upside down for his glory as we surrender everything to him.”

55s

#ReachYourSamaria

“Now I grew up in the South, United States, southern culture. So if I were to say, well bless their heart, Is there an image or a face that comes to mind? They're your Samaria. Whoever they are. At work, at home, in the community, in church, whatever whoever they are. Meet your Samaria that God has called you to allow his presence to touch through you. And to the ends of the earth, pretty self explanatory. Part of the core of who we are is that God didn't create us to just serve ourselves.”

39s

#LiveOpenHanded

“It is as if Jesus is saying, okay if you've decided and realize that you don't have to clench the fear of what was and if you're ready to be open live with an open hand to share what God is doing. It is almost as if he is saying, but don't forget you can't give the cone or the cup because the ice cream comes from me. The goodness and the direction for a life that glorifies God does not come from us.”

40s

#JesusIsNotFinished

“Now, don't know about you but if something's beginning do you see in there where Jesus finished all that he was going to do? Does your translation say that? In first one, does your translation say, and Jesus finished all he was doing and teaching and it's over now. Mine doesn't say that. And I went through a couple different translations to text to check and none of the translations say the best is behind us. Let us grieve. That isn't what any of the translations I could find said.”

40s

#DontClingToBlessings

“That is our mission statement. That is who we are called to be and what we're called to do. God never called us to say us four no more. So here's my question. Is there a hang up in your ice cream? Is there a hang up in your ice cream? Is there a spot where you're tempted because it tastes so good to squeeze just a little tighter, to hold on and if we're not careful because we're trying to get everything we can that it just starts to melt everywhere.”

34s

#SourceIsGod

“It does not come from the preacher who stands up here. It does not come from the amazing growing worship team. Isn't that a blessing? It blesses my heart the way that we're growing here. Glory to God. It does not come from the most amazing food at the from the most amazing hospitality center. It does not come from the church board meetings. It does not come from plans and promotions. It does not come from AI. It does not come from the popular campaigns.”

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Lake Worth First Church of the Nazarene This sermon · AI assistant

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