Unity the Spark to Power |Pastor TIm Notz | 5/17/2026

May 17, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: Upper Room, One Accord

The disciples climbed stairs to a Jerusalem upper room—Peter, John, Mary, Jesus’ brothers. Fishermen, zealots, former doubters sat shoulder-to-shoulder. No air conditioning, just oil lamps and sweat. They prayed for ten days straight, voices rising as one. Differences melted in the heat of shared longing. Wind and fire came only after stubborn hearts became pliable. [02:19]

Unity wasn’t uniformity. God didn’t erase their personalities—He aligned their purpose. Jesus’ mother knelt beside the man who’d denied her Son three times. James the brother who once doubted now broke bread with Thomas the skeptic. The Spirit needed combustible hearts, not identical ones.

You face friction with that coworker, that family member, that church member. What if their rough edges are God’s sandpaper for your pride? When did you last pray for—not just tolerate—the person who grates your soul?

“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 Jesus to show you one relationship where He wants you to initiate reconciliation this week.
Challenge: Write three names of people you struggle to love. Pray for them before bed tonight.

Day 2: Divided Kingdoms Fall

Jesus warned that houses divided crumble. Satan doesn’t need tanks to destroy churches—he uses whispered grievances and rehearsed grudges. A family splinters over inheritance. Friends stop speaking after political debates. The enemy grins when we weaponize Bible verses to bludgeon each other. [05:16]

Division isn’t a disagreement—it’s a heart posture. The disciples could’ve split over Peter’s impulsiveness or Thomas’ doubts. Instead, they let grace be thicker than blood. Matthew the tax collector and Simon the anti-Roman zealot found common ground in Christ’s scars.

Your tongue holds demolition power. That text you almost sent, that complaint you bit back—those were spiritual warfare. What conversation have you been avoiding because pride demands an apology first?

“Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand.”
(Matthew 12:25, NIV)

Prayer: Confess any secret satisfaction you’ve felt when someone who hurt you faced hardship.
Challenge: Delete one critical comment from your phone drafts or social media feed today.

Day 3: Unforgiveness: Poison in the Cup

Harbored bitterness works like slow arsenic. The woman nursing a 20-year grudge wakes up with acid in her veins. The man replaying his ex-wife’s betrayal can’t taste his morning coffee. Unforgiveness doesn’t punish them—it pickles you. [10:03]

Jesus didn’t say “feel forgiveness”—He commanded it. When Peter asked if seven pardons were enough, Christ answered “77 times.” The math wasn’t the point. The call was to live unshackled from others’ failures.

That wound you keep poking—what if today’s the day you let it scar over? Who have you given real estate in your heart that Jesus wants to evict?

“Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.”
(Ephesians 4:31, NIV)

Prayer: Thank Jesus aloud for forgiving your worst sin—then speak forgiveness over your offender.
Challenge: Throw away one physical object that represents a past hurt (letter, gift, photo).

Day 4: Specks, Planks, and Honest Mirrors

We judge others by their actions but ourselves by our intentions. The Pharisee spots the prostitute’s sin but misses his own contempt. Peter criticized the woman wasting perfume—then wasted three denials. Jesus’ harshest words were for fault-finders, not sinners. [26:00]

God’s warning is stark: the measure you use will measure you. The gossip gets gossiped about. The critic lives under scrutiny. Mercy, though, boomerangs too.

When you’re tempted to dissect someone’s failure, what if you asked, “Where’s my plank?” When did you last invite a friend to point out your blind spots?

“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?”
(Matthew 7:3, NIV)

Prayer: Ask the Holy Spirit to highlight one area where you’ve judged others but excused yourself.
Challenge: Compliment someone you’ve privately criticized this week—be specific.

Day 5: Daily Bread, Daily Unity

The early church didn’t just share doctrine—they shared meals. Fish stew simmered in homes as converts broke bread with former temple priests. Joy became their trademark. Outsiders marveled at slaves and masters laughing together. Their unity wasn’t forced—it was forged. [01:03:12]

Unity isn’t a sermon topic—it’s a survival skill. Persecution came, but their “one accord” outlasted prison chains. The world noticed their love before their theology. Revival followed their togetherness.

Your small acts of unity matter. The handshake with the cranky deacon. The coffee for the single mom. When did you last prioritize peace over being right?

“Every day they continued to meet together… They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts.”
(Acts 2:46, NIV)

Prayer: Thank God for three people in your church family who’ve shown you Christ’s love.
Challenge: Invite someone from a different generation or background to share a meal this week.

Sermon Summary

We gather around the biblical account in Acts to see a simple, nonnegotiable pattern: unity sparks power. We hold that before the Spirit fell at Pentecost the disciples met in one accord, a homophomadon unity that paved the way for wind, fire, tongues, preaching, and thousands coming to faith. We insist that unity does not erase difference; it binds diverse people with different backgrounds, gifts, and failures into a single harmony so God can move. We recognize that the enemy’s preferred tactic attacks minds and relationships, stirring offense, gossip, and division to steal our peace and paralyze our witness.

We affirm that unity requires active, Christlike choices. We practice humility, patience, and self-discipline so we refuse offense, speak life, and celebrate others rather than hoard influence. We commit to quick forgiveness where possible and to seeking reconciliation as far as it depends on us, even when full restoration will take time or is unsafe. We accept that judging and exposing others invites judgment and exposes our own hidden sins, so we fear the Lord with a holy awe that shapes our speech and actions.

We want a church and family life marked by peace more than comfort or reputation. We believe peace produces abundance, resilience, and effective mission. We understand that relationships carry cost and pain, yet the threefold strength of faithful community withstands pressure and rescues the isolated. We choose to guard unity by prioritizing the mission of healing, growth, and rising, using honesty and grace to restore broken ties and to welcome people into a healthy, vibrant family of faith. When we live this way, God adds to the church, our witness strengthens, and the gospel spreads with tangible power.

Key Takeaways

1. Unity precedes the outpouring of power We must treat unity as a spiritual prerequisite, not a byproduct. When we gather with one mind and one passion we create the conditions for the Spirit to act publicly and decisively. Unity does not demand uniformity; it asks for shared purpose and surrendered wills so God’s presence can be recognized. [02:19]
2. Division destroys gathered spiritual strength Division breaks the relational cords that God intends to make us resilient. When we allow offense, gossip, or territorialism to grow we fragment the body and blunt our impact in the world. We need to choose restoration over retaliation so community can bear burdens and pursue the mission together. [06:23]
3. Unforgiveness poisons the human heart Harboring grudges slowly kills our joy, distorts our witness, and hands the ground to the enemy. Forgiveness frees us first; it cleanses the inward soil where bitterness would take root and spread damage outward. We must refuse to drink that poison and instead open our hands to grace. [10:03]
4. Pride must die for reconciliation Reconciliation requires humility that admits fault, seeks repair, and yields rights to love. When pride persists we barricade relationships and stall God’s restorative work. We should choose the costly path of humility so healing can move from confession to restored fellowship. [23:24]
5. Keep mission above personal grievances We sustain unity when we place gospel mission over personal comfort or credit. Prioritizing healing, growth, and rising reshapes our decisions and measures success by transformed lives rather than by influence. That posture protects the church’s witness and opens doors for people to encounter Jesus. [56:31]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:29] - Global generosity update
[01:12] - Topic introduction
[01:35] - Reading Acts 1:13-14
[02:19] - Unity comes before power
[04:56] - Pentecost and the Spirit
[06:23] - Enemy tactic divide and conquer
[10:03] - Unforgiveness is poison
[15:12] - Choosing unity intentionally
[21:07] - Unity requires humility and discipline
[38:42] - Live at peace as possible
[43:18] - Strength of community explained
[49:25] - How to guard unity
[58:48] - Prayer for forgiveness and reconciliation
[63:12] - Acts 2 result and invitation

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
Acts 1:13-14 (ESV)
"And when they had entered, they went up to the upper room, where they were staying, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot and Judas the son of James. All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers."

Observation Questions

What specific actions did the disciples take together before the Holy Spirit’s outpouring at Pentecost? How does their unity set the stage for God’s power (see Acts 2:1-4)?
The sermon mentions that division "breaks the relational cords" God uses to make us resilient ([06:23]). What examples of division’s destructive effects were highlighted?
According to Matthew 7:1-3 (referenced in the sermon), why is judging others spiritually dangerous? How does this connect to guarding unity?

Interpretation Questions

Why might unity be a prerequisite for spiritual power rather than a byproduct? How does this challenge common assumptions about how God moves?
The sermon states, "Unforgiveness is poison" ([10:03]). How does holding onto bitterness harm both the individual and the community’s witness?
Romans 12:18 says, "If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all." What does "as far as it depends on you" imply about our responsibility in reconciliation?

Application Questions

Is there a relationship in your life where offense or division has created distance? What practical step (e.g., initiating a conversation, releasing bitterness) could you take this week to pursue peace ([39:27])?
The sermon warns against gossip and "speaking death" ([19:06]). How can you intentionally "speak life" this week in conversations about others—especially when tensions arise?
Pride is called out as a barrier to reconciliation ([23:24]). Where might pride be keeping you from admitting fault or seeking forgiveness? What would humility look like in that situation?
The church’s mission is described as "heal, grow, rise" ([47:59]). How could prioritizing this mission over personal preferences or grievances change your interactions at home, work, or church?
Ecclesiastes 4:12 says a "threefold cord is not quickly broken." Who are the people in your life that help you stay spiritually resilient? How can you strengthen those bonds this month?

Sermon Clips

41s

#UnityIgnitesPower

“Unity creates a spark that ignites power. Unity came first. Unity before the power of God fell, there was unity. It's not hard. You look around the world today and you can see that satan is not about unity. In fact, the words that I would say for satan, if he had some kind of vision statement against the church, it would probably be divide and conquer. Actually, go the other way, conquer and divide. Conquer and divide. Because if he can conquer your mind, he can cause us to divide.”

45s

#ForgivenNotCancelled

“How many times have you personally offended God? How many times have you, in one day, offended him? How many times in your own life have you sinned against him with the same sin over and over and over? And yet, he would die for you, he would forgive you, and he wants reconciliation with you. See, this world, what it says right now, you hurt me, I'm gonna get you back. If you hurt me, I don't deserve you don't deserve any kind of reconciliation. I'm canceling you, I'm cutting you off, you're out of my life.”

40s

#GatesWontPrevail

“But I choose to walk in peace and I choose to keep my relationship with God and I choose to keep the vision in front of me. We will heal, we will grow, and we will rise. And this church, I believe this, Jesus said, he is building the church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. You gotta live your life that way because the enemy is going to come against you and sometimes he's gonna get a punch in, but the gates of hell will not prevail against you either since you're part of the church if you're a believer in Jesus.”

49s

#PrideMustDie

“I wrote this down too, pride must die for forgiveness, restoration and reconciliation to happen. I'm going deep today because I'm not only talking about humility which we talk about a lot in pride, but I'm talking about forgiveness and and that's hard enough. But when you start to talk about reconciliation, that's really hard and I and I'm not making light of that, that is hard. But guess what? The bible says that we are called to reconcile with one another. And you know what's really cool? Is that is exactly why Jesus came to earth to reconcile us in relationship with the father. Think about”

46s

#UnityNeedsHumility

“Unity requires a couple of things though. It's gonna require humility, forgiveness, patience, honor for the other person and maturity in the believer or whoever you are. Some people know the word of god really, really well, like better than I do. A lot of people do, quite honestly, better than I do. But they're not very mature in the lord because of how they live their life. Maturity is actually living out what the word of god says. It's being humble in our heart and it's being surrendered to the holy spirit. And when this holy spirit says, no, don't say that. You say, yes, sir.”

36s

#KeepEyesOnJesus

“Peter, when he got out of the boat, as long as his eyes were locked on Jesus, he was walking on water. And when he started looking at everything else, he started going down, started sinking on down. Keep your eyes on Jesus, not not who hurt you, not why they hurt you, not what they said, what they did. All those things may be real. I'm not making light of anything that might have harmed you. I'm not making light of that today. But I'm telling you, don't be controlled by it because now you stepped into the the territory of the enemy because that's where he wants you. He wants you controlled by it.”

34s

#StopGossipAndCriticism

“Stop speaking criticism and gossip. Stop speaking criticism and gossip. And guess what else? Stop listening to it. You don't need to listen to it. It's gonna get on your on the inside of you and not only that, but when you listen to somebody else, like you need to return it back to them and say, hey, you know what? I don't wanna talk about them. Not even sure what's all going on, but that's I just don't wanna talk about that. When you do that, you shut them down as well and you you you kinda convict their heart that they're doing something wrong and there's nothing wrong with that. Godly conviction, not harming them,”

39s

#ProtectGodsFamily

“You are destroy if you're doing it here, you are destroying God's church because I I look, this this isn't my church. I got I got my name on a bunch of stuff, I understand that legally, but in the end, it's his church. And I would caution all of us including myself, watch our mouths, watch what you're saying about one another. You're talking about God's kid. I don't want you talking about my kid. We better be careful about talking about God's kids. He loves them. He loves you. And he wants us to respect one another and to walk in forgiveness and health and healing.”

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Unity the Spark to Power |Pastor TIm Notz | 5/17/2026

Devotional

Day 1: Upper Room, One Accord

Day 2: Divided Kingdoms Fall

Day 3: Unforgiveness: Poison in the Cup

Day 4: Specks, Planks, and Honest Mirrors

Day 5: Daily Bread, Daily Unity

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Unity the Spark to Power |Pastor TIm Notz | 5/17/2026

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