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Acts 1:8 presents the risen Christ’s final commission to His disciples and sets the enduring pattern for the Church’s mission. Across the major translations, the central message remains unchanged: authentic ministry begins with divine empowerment, not human ingenuity. The promise, “you will receive power,” speaks of the Spirit-given capacity to speak, act, persevere, and represent Christ in ways far beyond natural ability. This empowerment is never abstract. It is tied directly to purpose—“you will be my witnesses.”

A witness, biblically, is one who embodies and testifies to the reality of the risen Christ. Witnessing is more than verbal proclamation; it is a life marked by truth, grace, and the authority of Jesus made visible. The geographic movement—Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth—illustrates the outward progression of this calling. It begins where we stand, reaches those near us, crosses boundaries we would not choose on our own, and ultimately touches the whole world. The mission is outward-facing, intentional, and entirely Spirit-driven.

The translations highlight different nuances. The NLT emphasizes the practical dimension—“telling people about me everywhere.” The ESV and NIV maintain the formal commission—“you will be my witnesses.” The Berean Standard reflects closely the structure of the Greek text, holding empowerment and mandate side by side. Together, they articulate the Church’s identity as a Spirit-empowered people bearing the testimony of Jesus across every place, every community, and every generation.

Yet between Acts 1:8 and our daily lives, a gap often emerges. Scripture describes power, but our experience sometimes feels marked by worry, fear, doubt, or persistent sin. It is not that the Spirit has withdrawn; rather, the supernatural is often constrained by the natural—by the patterns of thinking and living that we default to in the flesh. Many believers either forget how to walk in the power of the Spirit or were never taught what that life looks like.

The Spirit is not merely a comforter. He is an active force, the animating power of God within us. Galatians 5:25 captures this call plainly: “If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.” Witnesses are not self-made. They are Spirit-formed, Spirit-enabled, and Spirit-directed. The effectiveness of their lives does not come from strategy, personality, or cleverness, but from the power of the Holy Spirit working through them.

Understanding our design helps bridge the gap. We are created as spirit, soul, and body. The flesh—our fallen, natural inclinations—cannot produce life. The soul—our mind, will, and emotions—can be shaped either by the flesh or by the Spirit. The spirit—the part of us made alive in Christ—was designed to lead. But distraction, pressure, and sin turn our attention away from the Spirit and back toward the flesh. When we live facing the flesh, we live in weakness. When we turn toward the Spirit, the power of God illuminates the soul and brings the whole person into alignment with His purposes.

So the essential question becomes: What are you looking at? What direction is your inner life facing—toward your own strength or toward the Spirit who empowers?

Acts 1:8 is not simply a historical statement. It is an invitation to daily dependence:

“Lord, fill me. Lead me. Empower me to walk in the Spirit and reveal Christ through my life.”

When the Spirit leads, the gap closes. The witness becomes real. The power becomes visible. And ordinary lives become instruments of the risen Christ in the world.

When I think of “the undiscovered country,” I cannot separate it from Joshua’s death 23 years ago. That moment tore open the veil between this life and eternity in a way I could never ignore. For me, it was not an abstract phrase from Shakespeare—it was my son stepping into a place I could not follow, a land I could not yet reach.

At the time, it felt like pure loss, the cruelest unknown. But with years and faith, I’ve come to see it differently. Joshua was not lost—he was found ahead of me. His passing forced me to confront the reality that life here is fleeting, and that eternity is where our hope must rest. He went into the undiscovered country before me, and in a way, he has made it less frightening. His absence has carved out a homesickness in me, not just for him, but for the Kingdom of God itself.

His death also changed how I see the future here on earth. It taught me that every day matters, that the work I do in family, community, and faith is not just about the present, but about building something that reaches beyond me—just as his short life still ripples forward in mine.

So the undiscovered country is two things for me: the eternity where Joshua waits, and the unfolding future I am still walking toward with faith. I don’t fully know what it holds, but I know it is not empty. It is full of promise, memory, and God’s presence.

Study 1 – The Inadequacy of the Law

Texts: Philippians 3:4–7; Romans 3:21

• Key Point: Paul reminds the Philippians that if anyone could claim righteousness by the law, it was him. Yet, he counts all of it as loss compared to Christ.
  
• Discussion:
  
  • Why is the law unable to make us righteous?
    
  • How do human achievements or morality compare to God’s standard?
    
  • What does Paul mean when he calls his former confidence “rubbish” (Phil. 3:8)?
    
• Application: Identify areas where we may be tempted to trust our own performance rather than Christ’s finished work.
  

Study 2 – Righteousness Revealed in Christ

Texts: Philippians 3:9; Romans 3:22–23

• Key Point: The righteousness of God is not achieved, but received—through faith in Jesus Christ.
  
• Discussion:
  
  • What is the difference between “a righteousness of my own” and “that which is through faith in Christ”?
    
  • How does the universality of sin (“all have sinned”) highlight the necessity of faith?
    
  • Why is faith the great equalizer between Jew and Gentile, rich and poor, moral and immoral?
    
• Application: Reflect on whether you find yourself more comfortable with grace when you “deserve it” than when you don’t. How does that reveal lingering self-righteousness?
  

Study 3 – Grace and Redemption

Texts: Romans 3:24–25; Philippians 3:8

• Key Point: We are justified freely by God’s grace through the redemption accomplished in Christ Jesus.
  
• Discussion:
  
  • What does it mean that justification is “freely” given?
    
  • Explore the image of redemption: buying back a slave, paying a ransom, or setting someone free.
    
  • How does Paul’s passion for “knowing Christ” connect with experiencing redemption personally?
    
• Application: Where in your life do you still live as if you were enslaved to sin, shame, or performance? How can you walk in the freedom Christ provides?
  

Study 4 – The Righteousness of God Demonstrated

Texts: Romans 3:25–26; Philippians 3:10–11

• Key Point: In the cross, God demonstrates His justice and His mercy—He is just and the justifier.
  
• Discussion:
  
  • How does the atoning sacrifice of Jesus uphold both God’s holiness and His love?
    
  • What does Paul mean by wanting to “know Christ… and the power of His resurrection”?
    
  • How does God’s righteousness revealed in Christ’s death and resurrection give us hope beyond death?
    
• Application: How can we live in daily assurance that our right standing with God is secure, not in us, but in Christ’s righteousness?
  

Some days feel like clarity. Others feel like fog. And some—like today—feel like walking barefoot across both.

I used to think I’d arrive somewhere by now. That if I worked hard enough, loved well enough, served long enough, I’d earn a sense of “done.” But life keeps reminding me: I’m not done. I’m still becoming.

Becoming isn’t failure. It’s faithfulness.

It’s showing up at 4:45 AM when your body’s tired but your mission calls. It’s holding hard conversations when silence would be easier. It’s sorting through supply chain emails and budgets and broken systems—and sorting through your own doubts and questions at the same time.

Still becoming means I can grieve deeply and still lead.

Still becoming means I can admit I don’t have it all figured out, and still move forward.

Still becoming means the fog doesn’t mean failure—it means formation.

I am learning that becoming is less about building a name and more about building a life worth living. A life rooted in hope. A life that listens before it speaks. A life that chooses quiet, steady presence when the world screams for speed and performance.

And maybe, just maybe, becoming is the point.

So today, I honor the unfinished. The tension. The in-between. The signal that still whispers through the static.

I am still becoming.

And that’s enough.

—John

 Change My Name – Authority in Identity
Text: Colossians 3:17; Revelation 2:17; Luke 10:19–20

Opening Prayer

Heavenly Father,
We come before You in the powerful name of Jesus, the name above every name. We thank You for the gift of gathering in Your presence this morning.

Lord, as we open Your Word, we ask that You open our hearts. Remove the false names we’ve carried — the labels of shame, fear, and failure — and speak the truth of who we are in Christ. Remind us that we belong to You, that You call us Your children, and that You have written a new name for us that no one can erase.

Holy Spirit, teach us today what it means to live in the authority of Jesus’ name. Let our ears be open, our minds be attentive, and our hearts be responsive. Change us by Your Word, for Your glory.

In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

Introduction

There’s an old story told about Alexander the Great. Whether it’s legend or truth, it still carries weight.

A young soldier in Alexander’s army had the same name as his king. But unlike Alexander the Great, this young man was timid, cowardly, and disobedient. The story says that Alexander looked him in the eye and said, “Young man, either change your name or change your ways.”

That’s the power of a name. A name carries identity. It carries expectation. And it carries responsibility.

Now let’s bring it closer to home. As believers, we bear the name Christian. We carry the name of Christ. The question is: Do we live up to the name we carry?

Colossians 3:17 (BSB)
And whatever you do, in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

Revelation 2:17 (BSB)
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who overcomes, I will give the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to the one who receives it.

Luke 10:19–20 (BSB)
Behold, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy;

1. The Weight of a Name

Colossians 3:17 says: “Whatever you do, in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus.”

Notice Paul didn’t say, “Just pray in His name.” He said everything you do is to be done in His name. When you speak, when you work, when you treat your neighbor — you are carrying Christ’s name into that moment.

The third commandment says, “Do not take the name of the LORD in vain.” That’s not only about cursing. It’s about bearing God’s name falsely. If I call myself a Christian but live without Christ, I’m misusing His name.

That’s why the Alexander story cuts so deep. Young man, young woman — either change your name, or change your ways.

2. A New Name, A New Identity

But here’s the beauty of the Gospel: God doesn’t just leave us stuck with the old names of shame and failure. He changes our names.

• Abram became Abraham, the father of nations.
  
• Jacob became Israel, the one who wrestled with God and prevailed.
  
• Simon became Peter, the rock on which Christ built His church.
  

And Revelation 2:17 promises: “To the one who overcomes… I will give a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to the one who receives it.”

Some of us still walk around carrying old names — “failure,” “worthless,” “addict,” “abandoned,” “unworthy.” But in Christ, those names are not the final word. He says, “You are my beloved. You are my child. You are forgiven. You are free.”

Like the song by Audio Adrenaline cries out: “Change my name, I don’t want to be the same.” That’s the cry of a heart being remade by grace.

3. Living in the Power of the Name

When God changes your name, He also gives you His authority.

Listen to Jesus’ words after the resurrection in Matthew 28:18–20:
“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Notice what Jesus says: all authority is His. Not some. Not partial. All. And then He shares that authority with His followers.

• We are sent in His authority.
  
• We speak in His authority.
  
• We live and serve in His authority.
  

This is not authority for our own pride or power — it’s authority for His mission, to make His name known in the world.

The early church believed this. In Acts 3, Peter said to the lame man at the temple: “In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.” And the man walked.

The name of Jesus is not a label — it’s power. It is authority. And as believers, we walk under that authority.

That means when temptation comes, you can stand in the name of Jesus.
When fear rises, you can pray in the name of Jesus.
When darkness presses, you can resist in the name of Jesus.

You don’t just carry His name — you are commissioned in His name.

That means when temptation comes, you can stand in the name of Jesus.
When fear rises, you can pray in the name of Jesus.
When darkness presses, you can resist in the name of Jesus.

You don’t just carry His name — you carry His authority.

4. Personal Example – My Own Struggle with Identity

This isn’t just theory for me.

For much of my life, I ran from God’s call, not with rebellion but with busyness, with roles, with performance. I carried names I didn’t want — “not good enough,” “failure,” “the one who couldn’t quite measure up.” I wore a mask, even at church, family, friends.

When my son died in 2002, I ran into the deepest darkness of my life. I screamed into the night, and I thought God was nowhere to be found. My name in those days felt like “broken,” “unworthy,” “forgotten.”

But God never stopped pursuing me. Like the Hound of Heaven, He followed me with patient grace — through Leisa’s love, through the friends who invited me back, through small signs I didn’t notice until later. Even when I fled Him into ambition, distraction, grief, He kept whispering, “This is not who you are.”

I thought unworthiness was my name. But Christ was already writing a new one.

Today, I don’t run anymore. Sometimes I limp. But I walk with the One who never stopped walking with me.

And that is the hope for every one of us. No matter what old name we carry, God says, “I will give you a new name.”

Application

So what does this mean for us today?

1. Examine the name you carry. Do your actions match the name of Christ?
   
2. Receive the new name God gives. Stop living under labels of shame. Believe what He says about you.
   
3. Walk in the authority of His name. Pray boldly. Live faithfully. Speak courageously.
   

Conclusion

Leaders like Alexander the Great have said, “Change your name or change your ways.”

But Jesus Christ says something even greater: “I will change your name, and I will give you My Spirit, and you will live in My authority.”

That is the promise of the Gospel. You don’t just carry His name — you belong to Him. You are His.

“Rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” (Luke 10:20)

Amen.

Closing Prayer

Lord Jesus,
We thank You for Your Word today. Thank You that in You, our names are not “forgotten” or “unworthy,” but “beloved,” “redeemed,” and “sent.” Thank You that all authority in heaven and on earth belongs to You, and that You share that authority with Your people.

Father, help us to leave this place living not in our own strength, but in the power of Your Spirit. May we carry Your name well — in our homes, in our work, in our community — so that others see not us, but You.

And as we go, remind us of Your promise: “I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

In the mighty name of Jesus we pray, Amen.

Trying, Not Trying, and Trusting

1. Trying in Self-Effort

Like rowing a boat against the current with no oars. You exhaust yourself, but never make it upstream. (Ecclesiastes 1:14; John 15:5)

2. Not Trying at All

Like leaving a field unplowed. The soil hardens, weeds take over, and no harvest comes. (Proverbs 24:30–34; James 2:17)

3. Trying with God’s Grace

Like sailing with the wind in your sails. You still hoist the sail and steer, but the power comes from beyond you. (Philippians 2:12–13; 1 Corinthians 15:10)

4. Resting in God’s Work

Like a child asleep in a father’s arms. Safety is not earned — it is received. (Matthew 11:28–30; Hebrews 4:10)

A Word of Hope

God sees your trying. He knows the weariness of effort. The good news: you don’t have to keep rowing alone. His Spirit is the wind that fills your sails.

“Those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles.” (Isaiah 40:31)

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9)

Your trying becomes fruitful when it shifts from self-striving to Spirit-led perseverance. God does not despise the struggle — He steps into it and makes it life-giving.

Throughout history, humanity has faced turning points where new knowledge and technology reshaped daily life, relationships, and even faith practice. Artificial Intelligence and Neuralink are modern examples, but the Bible and church history give us analogies that help us discern wisely.

• Tower of Babel (Genesis 11): Like humanity’s leap in building with brick and stone, AI and Neuralink reveal both creativity and the temptation to exalt ourselves beyond God’s limits.
  
• The Printing Press: Gutenberg’s invention put Scripture into the hands of ordinary people. Today’s digital tools could just as radically change how truth and ideas spread—for good or ill.
  
• Greek Language and Roman Roads: The infrastructure of the first century helped the gospel spread. Likewise, new tech could accelerate communication and community, if directed toward God’s mission.
  
• Writing and Literacy in Israel’s Story: God’s law written on stone tablets shifted culture from oral tradition to written word. Neuralink’s potential to “write directly on the brain” reminds us that what God writes on the heart remains primary (Jeremiah 31:33).
  
• The Industrial Revolution: Machines reshaped labor, family, and economy. AI threatens similar upheaval to work, identity, and human dignity.
  
• Medical Advances: From vaccines to transplants, technology has extended life and restored health. Neuralink’s promises to heal neurological diseases echo this hope—yet mortality and eternal hope in Christ remain unchanged.
  

These analogies remind us: technology is neither savior nor enemy by itself. It magnifies what is in the human heart. When placed under God’s sovereignty, it can serve His mission. When pursued for pride or control, it becomes Babel again.

Glossary of Terms

• AI (Artificial Intelligence): Computer systems designed to perform tasks that normally require human intelligence—such as learning, reasoning, problem-solving, or generating language and images.
  
• Neuralink: A company developing brain–computer interface technology, designed to connect human brains directly with computers to restore lost functions (such as movement in paralysis) or enhance abilities.
  
• Tower of Babel (Genesis 11): A biblical story where humanity sought to build a tower “to the heavens,” symbolizing human pride and unity apart from God. God scattered them by confusing their languages.
  
• Printing Press: A 15th-century invention by Johannes Gutenberg that allowed mass production of books. It transformed education, culture, and especially the spread of the Bible.
  
• Greek Language and Roman Roads: In the New Testament era, the common Greek language and Roman road system provided a foundation for the gospel to spread quickly across the empire.
  
• Writing on Stone Tablets: God’s giving of the Ten Commandments to Moses (Exodus 31:18), marking a shift from oral tradition to written law.
  
• Industrial Revolution: The period (18th–19th centuries) when machines transformed work, family life, and society, creating both opportunity and disruption.
  
• Medical Advances: Discoveries such as vaccines, anesthesia, antibiotics, and organ transplants that reshaped human health and longevity.
  
• Orthodoxy (Theological): The “right belief” or faithful teaching of the Christian church across history, especially centered on the person and work of Christ.
  
• Idolatry: Worshiping or depending on something created (technology, wealth, power) rather than God.
  
• Stewardship: The biblical principle of wisely managing resources, abilities, and creation as gifts from God, not possessions of our own.
  

“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” – Lamentations 3:22–23

“If anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” – 2 Corinthians 5:17

Each day is a chance to begin again. God’s grace does not run out—it meets us fresh every morning. Whatever yesterday held—failure, fear, or frustration—today we are invited to restart with Him. In Christ, the old is gone. The new is here.

Prayer:

Lord, thank You for Your mercy that gives me a new beginning each day. Help me walk today as Your new creation. Amen.