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UNSTOPPABLE (8)

by Patrick Edwards

Scripture: Acts 11:1-30, Acts 12:1-24
This content is part of a series.


Title: Unstoppable (8)
Series: Unstoppable
Author: Patrick Edwards
Text: Acts 11:1-12:24

Introduction

I was very blessed to grow up in a Christian household and to have been in church since, frankly, my mother's womb. And with that has come a lot of things about the Christian tradition that I didn't have to work on learning or adjust to. I just grew up with them. Whether it be many of the old traditional hymns, random Bible stories, or just a general knowledge of the history of the church so much of American church life was just woven into my D.N.A. and upbringing.

The danger, though, with such things is sometimes you can assume that certain practices of the faith are essential or are the only way to do things. And it's not often malicious or intentional; it's just what you know and what you've only ever known and thus you just assume that that's the way it is. Of course, you go to church on Sunday morning, evening, and Wednesday night. Or, of course you spend an hour in Sunday School and then an hour singing three hymns, take an offering, listen to a sermon, and close with singing all five verses of "Just as I Am."

Maybe you didn't grow up Southern Baptist like me, but you come from your own traditions. Of course, service is only 60 minutes. Of course, you have to pass offering bags or plates. Of course, kids go down there and babies over there. Of course, this is how we do things. And what often happens is we just stick in these routines and remain firmly committed to them unless something comes along and rocks our world, forcing us to make adjustment and, hopefully, examine our traditions afresh and anew.

For me I had one of those moments in the church in 2016 when I had a stroke. I was pastoring a pretty traditional church in North Carolina where we still sung hymns with an organ and the men wore coats and ties. Even if some of the men in the congregation didn't come summer, the pastor was always expected to do so. Well, a ...

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