Cross the Line | ReConnect | Ps. Mark Tumney

Devotional

Day 1: When History Breaks Into Private Truth

Luke anchors faith not in personal preference but in flesh-and-blood reality: a tomb emptied, a resurrected Jesus appearing to hundreds. This changes everything. Our culture treats faith like a cozy sweater – comforting but subjective. Yet Christianity stands on events that either happened or didn’t. If Christ stayed dead, our hope crumbles. But if He walked out, every heart must reckon with this King who rewrote death’s rules. The resurrection isn’t our truth – it’s the truth. [09:05]

He presented himself to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. (Acts 1:3, ESV)

Reflection: Where have you treated the resurrection as a private comfort rather than a public fact? How might embracing its historical reality embolden your conversations this week?

Day 2: A Kingdom That Heels Every Limp

The kingdom Jesus described isn’t a spiritual metaphor – it’s a coming reality where justice flows like rivers and enemies embrace as friends. It answers humanity’s universal ache: Nepali flood victims, Silicon Valley executives, and Palestinian teens all crave this restoration. Yet we often reduce “kingdom work” to church programs. Jesus’ resurrection launched an invasion – not with tanks but with bread shared, addicts embraced, and ordinary people whispering, “Let me tell you what I’ve seen.” [13:22]

He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away. (Revelation 21:4, ESV)

Reflection: What brokenness in your community makes you groan for Christ’s kingdom? How could your longing become a bridge to share hope today?

Day 3: The Holy Spirit’s Power Play

Jesus didn’t commission salespeople but witnesses – people who share evidence, not pressure. The disciples’ task seemed impossible: convert hostile Samaritans? Reach pagan Rome? Yet the Spirit transformed their fumbling testimonies into eternal leverage. Our role isn’t to arm-wrestle conversions but to plant seeds with our stories. When we speak of Christ’s empty tomb and changed life, the Spirit engineers the growth. Failure isn’t rejection; it’s silence. [29:35]

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. (Acts 1:8, ESV)

Reflection: What conversation have you avoided because you feared having “all the answers”? How might the Spirit work through your simple testimony?

Day 4: When Chicken Salad Crosses Cultures

Early believers wrestled with exporting Jewish customs alongside the gospel. Today we risk conflating American church culture with Christ’s call. The gospel doesn’t demand vegans eat steak or techies quit Twitter. It confronts greed in Wall Street and fatalism in slums – but always through local flavors. Sharing Christ means introducing a Person, not enforcing preferences. True witness listens before speaking, learns before teaching. [23:26]

For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. (Romans 10:12, ESV)

Reflection: What cultural assumptions do you unconsciously attach to the gospel? How could you share Christ’s core message without those trappings this week?

Day 5: Three Names on a Card

The invitation card isn’t a guilt trip but a love note – both for your friend and for you. Alpha’s meals and discussions create space for questions, not coercion. When you say, “Come see why I’m hopeful,” you’re not selling dogma but extending bread to the hungry. Every “no” stings, but the Spirit often works through cumulative witnesses. Your invite might be the third nudge someone needs – or the first spark they’ll remember years later. [33:57]

How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? (Romans 10:14, ESV)

Reflection: Who’s been lingering in your prayers but not your conversations? What simple next step could you take to bridge that gap today?

Sermon Summary

Acts 1 presses right into the tension many Christians feel about sharing faith. Cultural lines say religion should stay private, especially in places where talking about Jesus can feel awkward, impolite, or even risky. But Luke begins with something that cannot be reduced to “my truth” or “your truth.” Jesus was crucified, laid in a tomb, and rose again. The resurrection is a historic event, and if it did not happen, Christianity falls apart. But if it did happen, silence is not necessarily respect.

The kingdom of God shows why the resurrection is good news for everybody. Jesus speaks for forty days about a world where justice wins, enemies are reconciled, greed and violence no longer rule, and broken relationships with God, one another, and creation are healed. Human beings cannot fix the mess because human beings are part of the mess. Education, technology, politics, money, and even religious discipline cannot finally heal hearts that keep turning inward. Christ takes broken humanity upon himself, carries it to the cross, raises it up, and brings it into the Father’s arms.

Jesus’ command to be witnesses reaches from Jerusalem to Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth. Those circles push beyond familiar ground, beyond racial tension, beyond people who share the same Scriptures, customs, and assumptions. The gospel does not require people to become culturally like Christians in order to meet Christ. Cultural imperialism says, “My culture is superior.” Relativism says, “Your truth is yours, mine is mine.” Jesus says that he is good news for every culture. His kingdom confronts what dehumanizes and distorts, while strengthening what is good and beautiful.

The Holy Spirit also changes the burden of witness. Jesus does not tell the disciples to become saviors, master every answer, or force an outcome. Jesus tells them to wait for power and then bear witness. Fear of rejection, fear of awkwardness, and fear of not knowing enough are real, but they do not carry final authority. God carries the results. Faithfulness means offering a loving witness, not making another person into a project.

The image is simple: one hungry person tells another where to find food; one thirsty person points toward the drink. The call is to pray for someone, invite someone, go with them, and trust the Spirit to use feeble words. Christ has risen, his kingdom has broken in, and somebody’s faithful invitation may become a bridge God uses.

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Key Takeaways

1. The resurrection is not private truth. Luke grounds Christian witness in something that happened in history. Jesus either walked out of the tomb or he did not, and that reality changes everything. A faith built on the risen Christ cannot be treated as merely a personal preference without losing its center. [08:38]
2. The kingdom answers the world’s longing. The kingdom of God is not an escape from a broken world but God’s healing of it. Christ confronts sin, death, injustice, fear, and fractured relationships because those are the things every human heart knows are wrong. The good news is good because the King himself gives what humanity cannot produce. [13:06]
3. Jesus transcends every cultural package. The gospel must not be confused with politics, customs, worship styles, or the cultural baggage Christians may carry. Jesus does not call people to become copies of somebody else’s culture. Jesus enters every culture to purify what is broken, strengthen what is good, and bring real beauty. [22:50]
4. Witnesses trust the Spirit with outcomes. The Holy Spirit does not require perfect answers or a flawless personality before he can work through someone. Christ calls believers to tell the truth lovingly, while God alone changes hearts. Freedom comes when witness stops being a performance and becomes dependence on the Spirit. [29:35]
5. Love crosses the line with humility. Silence can sometimes feel safer than love because silence avoids rejection and awkwardness. But a humble invitation does not make another person a project or deny their dignity. Love tells hungry people where food is and trusts Christ to meet them there.

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Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:18] - A Beautiful Day Story
[01:26] - Reconnecting With Christ
[02:44] - Why Sharing Faith Feels Hard
[07:02] - Acts 1 and the Resurrection
[12:15] - The Kingdom of God Is Good News
[19:16] - Witnesses to Jerusalem and Beyond
[22:50] - Jesus Without Cultural Baggage
[27:32] - What Keeps Christians Silent
[29:35] - The Power of the Holy Spirit
[31:26] - Love Crosses the Line
[33:29] - Pray, Invite, and Go Together
[35:13] - Trust God With One Person

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Acts 1:1–8
“In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, ‘you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.’ So when they had come together, they asked him, ‘Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?’ He said to them, ‘It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.’” [07:10]

1 Corinthians 15:17
“And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.” [10:28]

Romans 1:16
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” [31:28]

Observation questions

What details in Acts 1:1–3 show that Luke presents Jesus’ resurrection as something witnessed and supported by evidence, rather than merely a private spiritual idea? [08:38]
According to Acts 1:3, what was Jesus speaking about during the forty days after his resurrection? What descriptions of God’s kingdom stand out?
What order does Jesus give the disciples in Acts 1:4–8 before sending them out as witnesses? What are they told to wait for, and what will they receive?
What places are included in Jesus’ expanding mission—Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth—and what kinds of relational or cultural boundaries do those places represent? [20:29]

Interpretation questions

Why does Paul say that faith is futile if Christ has not been raised? What does this show about how central the resurrection is to Christian faith? [10:16]
Jesus calls his followers to be witnesses, not saviors. How does that distinction shape what a believer is responsible for when speaking about Jesus with another person? [29:48]
Why is it important that the gospel reaches Samaria and the ends of the earth, not only Jerusalem? How does this challenge the idea that the gospel belongs to one culture or type of person? [22:56]
How can a believer speak about Jesus as true good news for everyone without treating another person’s culture, background, or dignity as inferior? [25:22]

Application questions

Is there a person in your life—a friend, neighbor, coworker, family member, or classmate—whom you have hesitated to speak with about Jesus? What makes that conversation feel difficult? [32:32]
Which fear is strongest for you: not knowing enough answers, making a relationship awkward, being rejected, or being seen as pushy? How might Acts 1:8 change the way you carry that fear? [29:07]
Jesus’ kingdom is a world where justice, reconciliation, healing, and peace are made whole. Which part of that good news might connect most naturally with the real burdens of someone you know? [13:22]
In what ways might you be tempted to confuse the gospel with your own preferences—politics, habits, worship style, language, or cultural expectations? What would it look like to point someone to Jesus rather than trying to make them more like you? [23:38]
What is one small, loving step you could take this week for someone who does not yet follow Jesus: pray for them by name, ask about their spiritual story, share part of your own story, invite them to a meal or group, or offer to go with them? [34:00]
How would your approach to sharing faith change if you truly believed that God changes hearts and that your role is simply to offer a faithful, loving witness? [30:25]
Think about the people who helped you move closer to Christ. What did their patience, invitation, or courage mean to you? How might God use you as a bridge in someone else’s life? [36:04]

Sermon Clips

61s

#HeDidWhatWeCouldnt

“Why is the world messed up? Because we're messed up. But the good news is that God came and fixed things in ways we could not. He came, he took on our broken flesh, and he wore it as our representative and lived a life of perfection. He carried our humanity to the cross. There, it was given the death that deserved, and then it didn't stay in the tomb. He brought it up, yes, and amen, and resurrected it and even ascended to the father with it and said that's the way it's supposed to be. To have this healed relationship with us and the father's arms around us, this is it. He did what we could not do.”

36s

#PointToJesus

“None of us want to impose our faith. None of us wants to make somebody else a project. That's not what we're doing. All we're doing is telling the other person who's hungry where to find food, telling the other person who's thirsty where the drink is. And somehow along the way, I stumbled into it. So why wouldn't we share this with the people we love?”

44s

#TrustTheHolySpirit

“There's a part of me that I like, oh, I failed because they didn't come, or I failed because, oh, they they weren't interested. No. You take the gospel and the power of the holy spirit, lead the results to god. It's up the hand. The only way we fail is if we don't offer a loving witness. That should give us great freedom. So the question isn't can you do this? Here's the this is the really convicting questions. Is do you trust the holy spirit enough? Do you trust him enough to have him help you cross that line?”

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Why is the resurrection not merely private truth?

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How does the Holy Spirit empower Christian witnesses?