Acts: Fruits and Gifts- "The Waiting" - Pastor Celeste Harrison

Devotional

Day 1: Waiting in the Upper Room

The disciples climbed the stairs to the windowless room. Peter’s sandals scuffed stone steps. Mary’s veil caught Jerusalem dust. They sat shoulder-to-shoulder, smelling olive oil lamps and shared sweat. For nine days they ate flatbread, sang psalms, and prayed the same prayer: “Come, Holy Spirit.” No fire fell. No wind rushed. Just the creak of floorboards as they kept waiting. [53:48]

Jesus had told them to stay until heaven’s power arrived. Their obedience became the cradle for Pentecost. When God delays, He builds endurance in our kneeling bones.

You face empty waiting rooms too—hospital vigils, job hunts, unanswered prayers. Keep showing up. Light the lamp again. Whisper the same plea. What prayer have you stopped repeating because heaven feels silent?

“They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.”
(Acts 1:14, NIV)

Prayer: Ask God to reignite stubborn persistence in your waiting.
Challenge: Set a phone timer for 10 minutes today—pray without checking the clock.

Day 2: Eyes Off the Clouds

Twelve necks craned upward. Jesus’ sandals vanished into the cloud. The disciples squinted until their eyes burned, robes flapping in the Mount of Olives wind. Two angels snapped them back to earth: “Why stare at the sky? He’ll return the same way you saw Him go.” [47:14]

Heaven’s messengers redirected their gaze from future mysteries to present mission. Obsessing over end-times charts or personal prophecies distracts from today’s work.

You scroll newsfeeds hunting “signs of the times” while your neighbor’s sink overflows. You dissect Revelation timelines but skip serving at the soup kitchen. What earthly responsibility are you neglecting while gazing at celestial mysteries?

“They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. ‘Men of Galilee,’ they said, ‘why do you stand here looking into the sky?’”
(Acts 1:10-11, NIV)

Prayer: Confess one distraction that keeps you from serving others today.
Challenge: Write down three “cloud gazes” stealing your focus—crumple the paper during prayer.

Day 3: Peter’s First Sermon Notes

Peter unrolled the Psalms scroll with calloused fisherman hands. Ink stains smudged his thumb as he pointed to David’s words about Judas. “Let another take his place.” The disciples leaned in—James smelling of fishnets, Thomas picking at a fig. For the first time, Peter connected ancient text to present crisis. [49:05]

The Holy Spirit hadn’t fallen yet, but Peter’s teaching gift already stirred. God uses our raw skills before Pentecostal fire refines them.

You think you need more training before leading Bible study or visiting the sick. But your available hands and basic knowledge are enough. What simple act of service are overcomplicating with “not ready yet” excuses?

“For it is written in the Book of Psalms: ‘May his home be deserted; let there be no one to dwell in it,’ and, ‘May another take his place of leadership.’”
(Acts 1:20, NIV)

Prayer: Thank God for the skills you already possess to serve others.
Challenge: Tell one church member today, “I’ll help with…”—name a task within your current ability.

Day 4: The Lot Fell on Matthias

Two men stood before the disciples—Joseph called Barsabbas and Matthias. Pebbles clattered in the bronze lot-casting bowl. Prayers rose like incense. When Matthias’ stone leaped out, nobody complained. They trusted God’s choice through their imperfect system. [50:54]

The disciples didn’t wait for perfect discernment to act. They used available tools—prayer, scripture, community—and moved forward.

You delay decisions waiting for burning bushes. But sometimes God says, “Choose the next right thing with what you have.” What practical step have you postponed while waiting for supernatural confirmation?

“Then they prayed, ‘Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen to take over this apostolic ministry.’ Then they cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias.”
(Acts 1:24-26, NIV)

Prayer: Ask for courage to make one practical decision you’ve been over-spiritualizing.
Challenge: Text a mature believer today seeking input on a pending choice.

Day 5: Gifts Buried or Burning?

The upper room walls absorbed 120 voices praying in unison. A fishmonger’s daughter hummed a hymn. A former tax collector counted heads for food portions. A zealot washed blistered feet. Unused gifts became kindling for the Spirit’s flame. [44:11]

Dormant talents dishonor the Giver. Like muscle, spiritual gifts atrophy without use. Your hospitality, administration, or encouragement muscles need daily reps.

What holy capacity sits idle in your life? That unused prayer journal, the empty guest room, your knack for fixing bikes—all fuel for God’s fire. When will you strike the match?

“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.”
(1 Peter 4:10, NIV)

Prayer: Confess one unused gift and ask God for opportunities to activate it.
Challenge: Write your top spiritual gift on a sticky note—place it where you’ll see it hourly today.

Sermon Summary

A corporate moment of prayer opens with focused intercession for church members facing deep struggles and for those absent from the gathering. The assembly remembers God’s promises of presence and comfort and asks for the Holy Spirit to bring restoration and protection from the evil one. Attention then moves to a new teaching series rooted in Acts, framed as a season and episode format with study sheets and a spiritual gifts test to guide practical growth.

An extended family anecdote about preparing children while traveling illustrates human impatience and the urge to solve things immediately. That example leads into a careful reading of Acts chapter 1. The narrative highlights Jesus spending forty days appearing to and teaching the disciples about the kingdom, promising the coming baptism of the Holy Spirit, and instructing them to wait in Jerusalem. The disciples’ question about restoring Israel shows their focus on past hopes rather than the coming work of the Spirit.

The account turns to the ascension, the angelic reminder that Jesus will return, and the disciples’ return to the upper room. Prayer and unity mark their time together as Peter organizes the group and calls for a replacement for Judas, insisting on a witness who accompanied Jesus from the baptism of John through the resurrection. Waiting in one accord becomes a test of faithfulness. The narrative emphasizes that faith brings people into the room and faithfulness keeps them there.

A sustained theological emphasis centers on spiritual gifts and the fruits of the Spirit. A list of New Testament gifts and fruits provides practical categories for discovery and service. Personal testimony about discovering a preaching gift underscores that gifts reveal themselves through action and practice, not mere desire. The community receives a concrete challenge: take the spiritual gifts test, pray ten minutes daily for a week to ask God how to serve, and begin using gifts in hospitality, organization, teaching, and mercy.

Waiting receives redefinition as disciplined, expectant work rather than passivity. Patience forms in the furnace of daily trials, and communal prayer sustains those who cannot pray for themselves. The gathering closes with an invitation to commit to prayer, to serve using God-given gifts, to strengthen the body by mutual care, and to celebrate together with food and fellowship.

Key Takeaways

1. Intercede for the hurting regularly Regular, named intercession trains the heart to notice those absent or suffering and to bring them before God. Consistent prayer shifts the community from gossip to sacred regard and invites the Holy Spirit to bring comfort, joy, and restoration. Intercession also disciplines the congregation to remember promises of God and to depend on divine presence rather than human fixes. [11:38]
2. Wait faithfully, not passively Waiting becomes an act of faith when it pairs prayer with perseverance and hope. The disciples remained together in one accord, praying and trusting God’s timing even when days stretched without visible change. Patient waiting forms character and readies the community to receive what God promised rather than forcing premature outcomes. [53:32]
3. Discover and use spiritual gifts Gifts require testing, practice, and faithful use to mature into ministry that blesses others. A spiritual gifts test and intentional prayer clarify how God wired each person, while real tasks reveal gifts through experience. Using gifts honors God and builds the body, turning private talents into public service. [40:18]
4. Serve the community through your gifts Hospitality, administration, teaching, and mercy all count as vital service that sustains worship and outreach. Preaching makes up a small fraction of congregational life; the daily work of loving and organizing the body keeps ministry healthy. Serving where natural gifts bring joy also reflects God’s blessing and multiplies communal care. [63:12]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[11:38] - Intercessory prayer for the hurting
[27:11] - New series and study sheets
[28:16] - Family story about preparation
[31:04] - Acts 1 introduction and forty days
[33:14] - Promise of the Holy Spirit
[33:56] - Disciples ask about Israel’s restoration
[38:33] - Ascension and angelic message
[40:18] - Spiritual gifts and gifts list
[48:12] - Upper room and choosing a witness
[53:32] - Waiting, prayer, and patience
[62:21] - Prayer challenge to serve
[70:32] - Closing prayer and potluck

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading
Acts 1:1-14 (ESV)
Romans 12:6-8 (ESV)
Galatians 5:22-23 (ESV)

Observation questions

In Acts 1:6-7, the disciples ask Jesus about restoring Israel’s kingdom. How does Jesus redirect their focus, and what does He emphasize instead?
What specific instruction does Jesus give the disciples in Acts 1:4-5 before His ascension, and how do the disciples respond after He leaves (Acts 1:12-14)?
According to the sermon, what practical steps were suggested for discovering spiritual gifts (e.g., taking a test, prayer, practice)? [40:18]

Interpretation questions

Why might the disciples’ question about Israel’s restoration (Acts 1:6) reveal a misunderstanding of God’s kingdom, and how does Jesus’ response reframe their mission?
The sermon describes waiting as “disciplined, expectant work” rather than passivity. How does the disciples’ behavior in Acts 1:12-14 model this kind of active waiting?
The pastor shared a story about discovering her preaching gift through action, not just desire ([41:26]). How does this align with Paul’s teaching in Romans 12:6-8 about using gifts faithfully?

Application questions

The sermon challenged listeners to pray 10 minutes daily for a week, asking God how to serve using their gifts ([01:02:21]). What specific time and place will you set aside this week to do this?
Impatience often drives us to “solve things immediately,” like the disciples’ question about Israel’s restoration. What area of your life feels urgent right now, and how can you practice “disciplined waiting” while trusting God’s timing?
Hospitality, administration, teaching, and mercy were highlighted as vital gifts for serving the church ([01:03:12]). Which of these feels most natural to you? Who could you ask this week to help confirm or clarify your gifting?
The sermon emphasized praying for those who are absent or suffering ([11:38]). Who in your life needs intercession right now, and how will you intentionally lift them up daily?
The pastor shared how her health crisis required relying on others’ prayers when she couldn’t pray herself ([58:02]). When have you felt spiritually “stuck,” and how can you invite your small group to support you in those moments?

Sermon Clips

God, where are you? You promised this holy spirit we've been stuck in this room for nine days. There's a 120 of us, Lord. We keep coming in and out and praying and eating, and we're trying to be faithful. Being faithful means trusting in our mind when we can't see the future. [00:58:42] (30 seconds) #FaithInTheWaiting

You come to church not just to hear a sermon and be fed by the the sermon and by the preacher, you come to church to be fed by the community, to to build the community, to be there for each other, to know what's going on, to keep in touch, to have conversations, to know what people are going through so you can pray for them, you can check-in on them. That's what church is for. [01:03:12] (27 seconds) #ChurchIsCommunity

I wanna remind you that waiting is not inactivity. While you're waiting for god to show you, while you're waiting for god to reveal to you, god, what do I need to do? God, I I will surrender everything. I'm gonna pray in your study guide this week. I've given you a challenge and I'm challenging you to spend the next seven days in ten minutes of intentional prayer. [01:01:56] (28 seconds) #WaitingIsNotInactivity

Faith put them in the room, but faithfulness kept them in the room along with their patience, trusting that God would see them through knowing that what Jesus has said to them, they have all witnessed his miracles, his life, his death. This man came back to life. You and I are here today because of the witnesses that have gone through history that bring us to today. [00:55:08] (37 seconds) #FaithfulnessAndWitnesses

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Acts: Fruits and Gifts- "The Waiting" - Pastor Celeste Harrison | May 2nd 2026