by Matthew Borgstrom | Dec 24, 2017 | Bible Exposition, Bible Study, Faith, Peace, Repentance, Salvation
So, Christ’s first coming brought peace to the soul, but his second coming will also bring peace to the earth. No matter what then, our hope must always remain fixed on the Prince of Peace, lest we try to obtain peace superficially by thinking that peace is tied to...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Dec 17, 2017 | Adversity, Bible Exposition, Bible Study, Gospel
In Acts 4, Luke makes it very clear that the gospel advances through the midst of adversity, instead of through the removal of adversity. So in the end, it doesn’t matter who rejects Jesus Christ or treats him with contempt; it doesn’t matter what the world says...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Dec 10, 2017 | Bible Exposition, Bible Study, Repentance
In Acts 3:18-26, Peter declares that before the blessing of the kingdom prosperity comes the blessing of repentance. God will bring this about and that’s why Christ came to show Israel and the world the heinousness of their sin and that God’s people Israel must...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Dec 3, 2017 | Bible Exposition, Bible Study, Repentance
In Acts 3:19-21, Peter says the times of refreshing and restoration of the kingdom will be brought about by a complete repentance of the Jewish people. This demonstrates God’s incredible patience for if Christ established his kingdom on earth in the early...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Nov 26, 2017 | Bible Exposition, Bible Study, Church
The same phrase, “being together” is used in Acts 2:47 as was found at the beginning of v.44. This means that the Lord wasn’t adding people to some church directory in heaven, but he was adding them to the “togetherness” of the body of Christ. Those...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Nov 19, 2017 | Baptism, Bible Exposition, Bible Study, Repentance
As we consider Acts 2:38, the question arises—Why did Peter emphasize baptism to such an extent to this particular crowd? This goes back to what we discussed last week; that repentance indicates a turning from sin unto God. Many have rightly described it as doing a...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Nov 12, 2017 | Bible Exposition, Bible Study, Faith, Repentance
Throughout Acts, the concepts of faith and repentance were so inseparable that the apostles had no hesitation describing the same event with both words. I’ve also heard it said that how could there be a turning to God (faith) if there is not a turning from sin...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Oct 29, 2017 | Bible Exposition, Bible Study
In Acts 2:36, Peter makes the resounding statement that God has declared this Jesus who was crucified to be both Christ and Lord. So is what you have made Jesus in your life the same as what God has made him—Lord/Master? Here’s how we know—Luke 6:46 “Why do you call...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Oct 22, 2017 | Bible Exposition, Bible Study
Why does Peter leave vv.19-20 of Acts 2 in his quotation of Joel 2 if those things were to happen off in the future? It’s to demonstrate that this outpouring of the Spirit points to the coming of the great and terrible Day of the Lord in which God will judge the...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Oct 15, 2017 | Bible Exposition, Bible Study, Dependence, Prayer
In Acts 1:14, Luke records that this gathering of believers was devoted to prayer. In light of the consistency of the practice of and instruction for prayer in the NT, why might it be lacking in our lives? There are only a few reasons: 1) Self-reliance; 2)...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Oct 8, 2017 | Bible Exposition, Bible Study, Dependence, Equipping the Saints, Spiritual Alertness
At the beginning of the book of Acts, the promise of the Spirit is highlighted again with regards to the disciples. I thought it would be helpful to think about how those texts in John 14-16, regarding the Spirit, apply to all believers. The specific wording leads...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Oct 2, 2017 | Bible Exposition, Bible Study, Biblical Fruit, Child-like Dependence, Dependence, Expository Preaching, Humility, Involvement, Obedience, Pleasing Christ, Resurrection, Servant Mindset, Spiritual Readiness, True Greatness
By the end of John 20, all of the disciples have believed in the Risen Christ and were thus fully assured that he had resurrected from the dead. But were they ready to carry on Jesus’ mission? In other words, could Acts 1 have followed John 20 instead of John...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Sep 25, 2017 | Bible Exposition, Bible Study, Discipleship, Faith, Fear, Following Christ, Obedience, Resurrection, Trust, Unbelief
While John’s response in John 20 is better than seeing the empty tomb and disbelieving in Christ’s resurrection and even probably better than Mary’s assumption of foul play with Jesus’ body, yet it is not a true faith because if John’s faith is only able to operate...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Sep 11, 2017 | Bible Exposition, Bible Study, Expository Preaching, Faith, Fear, Obedience, Trust, Unbelief
What is the purpose of the abrupt ending of Mark 16? That is discovered by considering what the desired response would have been to the angel’s commands. The correct response would have been faith in the words taught by Christ regarding his death and resurrection and...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Aug 27, 2017 | Substitution of Christ, Suffering, Uncategorized
In the end, after this vapor has vanished from this earth, we will share in Christ’s glory as we are transformed into sinless beings with eternal bodies, fit to worship him forever. Can you faithfully endure, knowing what is to come? Is the reward of eternal glory...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Aug 20, 2017 | Atonement, Atonement of Christ, Substitution of Christ, Suffering
What is gained by having this prisoner exchange highlighted, seeing that Barabbas appears in all 3 Synoptic gospels? Jesus can fulfill all of what was predicted regarding his death and atonement for sins without this detail; without having a murderer released instead...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Aug 6, 2017 | Atonement, Atonement of Christ, Following Christ, Pleasing Christ
With this unjust persecution coupled with the untenable death sentence, how could he not say anything back to the Sanhedrin in Mark 14:63-65? How could he not defend himself, knowing the level of injustice he was experiencing? Surely, it was because he knew he must...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Jul 25, 2017 | Following Christ, Pleasing Christ, Suffering, Uncategorized
Now it’s definitely a godly trait to submit to mistreatment when it catches you off guard and/or overpowers you. We are called to respond with a faithful testimony in the midst of hostility as found in 1 Pet. and James. Typically, these types of things surprise and...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Jul 16, 2017 | Following Christ, Prayer, Uncategorized
In light of the necessity of prayer, why don’t we pray for ourselves or others as we ought? The answers won’t be surprising—we lack faith or we lack dependence or both. We don’t believe prayer works because we can’t see immediate results or we don’t believe God hears...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Jul 10, 2017 | Following Christ, Prayer, Uncategorized
It’s this real fight of faith and summit of submission that we see in Jesus in Mark 14:32ff, which not only secures our salvation, but provides the ultimate prototype for all Christian obedience. The final critical component put forth is that the Christian life is all...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Jun 30, 2017 | Obedience, Pleasing Christ, Unbelief
We can probably relate a little bit with Christ here in Mark 14 as the disciples dispute what he is telling them. Perhaps we have spoken with someone and shared our concerns about the trajectory of their life, but they haven’t taken us seriously, even if they weren’t...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Jun 11, 2017 | Obedience, Pleasing Christ
Mark 14:1-11 — Now the Passover and Unleavened Bread were two days away; and the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to seize Him by stealth and kill Him; 2 for they were saying, “Not during the festival, otherwise there might be a riot of the...
by Matthew Borgstrom | May 30, 2017 | Spiritual Alertness, Spiritual Readiness
Mark 13:24-37 — 24 “But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light, 25 and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers that are in the heavens will be shaken. 26 Then they will see the Son of...
by Matthew Borgstrom | May 21, 2017 | Millennial Kingdom
Mark 13:5-13 — 5 And Jesus began to say to them, “See to it that no one misleads you. 6 Many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He!’ and will mislead many. 7 When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be frightened; those things must take place; but that...
by Matthew Borgstrom | May 14, 2017 | Biblical Hope, Faith, Following Christ
Mark 13:5-12 — 5 And Jesus began to say to them, “See to it that no one misleads you. 6 Many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He!’ and will mislead many. 7 When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be frightened; those things must take place; but that...
by Matthew Borgstrom | May 7, 2017 | Eschatology
Mark 13:1-4 — 13 And as he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher, what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!” 2 And Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? There will not be left here one stone upon...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Apr 30, 2017 | Great White Throne of Judgement, New Heavens and New Earth, Premillennialism
Revelation 20:7-10 — 7 And when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison 8 and will come out to deceive the nations that are at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle; their number is like the sand of...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Apr 30, 2017 | Resurrection
Romans 6:1-14 — What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? 3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Apr 9, 2017 | Eschatology
1 John 2:28 – 3:3 — 28 And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming. 29 If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Apr 7, 2017 | Eschatology
So, whether you believe that the church is raptured out of here before or during the tribulation, the events of the end times will begin suddenly. How do you know if you’re ready? We will talk extensively about being on guard, taking heed and keeping alert as we work...
