The Twelve Apostles - 12 Part Series
The Ordinary Twelve: June 9- September 1, 2024
The original 12 were more like us than you might think; ordinary, but called of God. Let’s embrace our commonness and celebrate the one who called us. In this study of the original 12 disciples we will learn of their unique personalities and how each of them were important to the building of the church. In this, we will discover our special we are as well, even though we too are quite ordinary.
Week 1: Ordinary but Chosen (Luke 6:12-16). Pastor Robb Williams
One of the greatest compliments that we could receive is being called a “Christian”, or a “follower of Christ”. We may be a strange bunch, and we all are descendants of the original 12. Of all the traits of the Twelve, the three that are pretty well fitting and also representative of us are Ordinary, Imperfect but Chosen.
Week 2: Peter the Rock (Matthew 16:13-23). Pastor Robb Williams
Peter is the first named apostle within each of the four listings in the Bible. Impressive? Well, sort of. It is also true that he best fits the general profile of the apostles; Peter was ordinary, imperfect, but chosen. Maybe that’s why he leads the list…. Let’s briefly consider a few aspects of Peter's life and align ourselves with his “rock-ness” more than his “clay-ness.”
Week 3: Andrew the First (John 1:35-42). Pastor Robb Williams
In the world’s eyes, Andrew definitely slipped from prominence to obscurity, but Andrew did not seem to care and he finished strong. I’m not sure how influential you are (or are not), but one thing is for sure, position or prominence does not matter.
What matters is your confidence and determination to accomplish what God wants you to accomplish. Andrew was driven by priorities, and we can be too.
Week 4: James the Thunder (Matthew 20:21). Pastor Robb Williams
We are looking into the life of James this morning. The “thunder- like” personality of James shows us how much Jesus appreciates a motivated and active person. We could accuse James of a lot, but not inactivity. James dug some pretty decent holes for himself, but he stayed active. I don’t know about you, but to me that’s great news. After we look into James’ life, let’s no longer be guilty of inactivity, even if it means making mistakes along the way.
Week 5: John the Loved (John 13:22-25). Pastor Robb Williams
Some of the greatest statements on the love of God were made by, (who else) the “apostle whom Jesus loved”. John mentioned love 50 times in just one book! He experienced the love of Jesus, he demonstrated it and under God’s influence he wrote a lot about it. So, for the love of John, let’s sharpen our love skills and live out God’s love in each coming day.
Week 6: Philip the Cautious (John 6:5-14). Pastor Robb Williams
14 July 2024 Video unavailable
The character traits of the apostles could have positive or negative effect. Today’s trait; “caution”, in the life of Philip is no exception. Philip, much like Andrew, was calculated and practical. Some of us need to develop a healthy caution to life, but others could consider being less cautious. Calculation, introspection and watchfulness are all good ideas, but there is a point when we need to up and go! In this message we’ll find three great examples of caution from the life of Philip and learn a healthy balance between “caution” and “let’s go” .
Week 7: Bartholomew the Honest (John 1:43-51). Pastor Robb Williams
While Bartholomew (Nathanael) is barely mentioned in the Bible, the mention that he does have is impressive. Bartholomew was such a great guy that we can learn enough from his one Bible mention to challenge us a lifetime. While we will enjoy a brief look at his remarkable life, we will especially be challenged by the disciplines and healthy habits that made him that way.
Week 8: Matthew the Penitent (Luke 5:27-32). Pastor Robb Williams
Matthew (Levi) was a bad man who gave it all to Jesus. Yet he became a man who used all his skills and connections so that others could know Jesus too. That is quite a legacy. After we look into Matthews’s life, let’s consider our own reputation, our potential legacy and decide if indeed it is what we really want it to be. The great news is that our legacy is still in process.
Week 9: Thomas the Questioner (John 20:28). Pastor Robb Williams
In today’s age of Twitter, Thomas would have been pretty popular. His brief remarks are pretty powerful. We are looking into his three one-liners and will definately be better for it. Thomas clearly struggled with aligning his life up with what he believed. After this morning’s brief look at Thomas, we too can align our behaviour up even more closely with what we believe.
Week 10: The Forgotten (Luke 6:15; John 14:22-23). Pastor Robb Williams
Have you ever felt like you don’t fit the Christian mold? It’s probably because you have forgotten how crazy- diverse the mold really is. As we look at three under- the-radar apostles today, we’ll see how wide the range of God’s call really is. As unlikely as these disciples seem, they are just what Jesus needed… and so are you.
Week 11: Judas the Traitor (Matthew 26:48-49). Pastor Robb Williams
If Jesus had a “Judas” within his elite 12, might we have a few? Well, let’s not be hypocritical (no names, no witch hunts), but rather, let’s consider our own “Judas Potential”. As we finish our series on the apostles we will look at how Judas gradually became a traitor, and then run from any similarity that we may see.
Week 12: The Last Supper (John 13:21). Pastor Robb Williams
The Last Supper is one of the greatest Christian paintings of all time. It has been admired, copied and mimicked for centuries. Everyone from Darth Vader to Bart Simpson have been sacrilegiously painted into da Vinci's famous work. Today however, we will explore the depth of meaning as it astoundingly represents John 13:21. The core subject? Betrayal. What do we do when a close confidant betrays us?