A message from the series “Open Heaven.” In Part 9 of Open Heaven, Pastor Jay drew parallels between the church of Samson and the church of Stephen in Acts 2.

Judges 16:6 (ESV), Delilah is asking Samson:
Tell me where your great strength lies, and how you might be bound, that one can subdue you.

Samson was:
1. Seduced: The allure of the world took Samson’s eyes off his source.
2. Sourced: A sensual spirit found Samson’s strength was tied to his holiness. Holiness is less about what we are not touching as much as it is about what we are allowing to touch us.
3. Separated: Samson didn’t even know the Lord’s spirit had left him. Being separated from God never happens in one step.

Compare this with Stephen’s Church.

In Acts 2:42-47 (MEV), we read of an alive church; Stephen’s Church.
And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation.” 41 Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. 42 And they continued steadfastly (they were devoted) in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. 43 Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. 44 Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, 45 and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need. 46 So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.

Stephen’s church was:
1. Alive and growing
2. Devoted
3. Together
4. Walking in the Miraculous

Our Prayer: Let Stephen’s Church Be My Church

A message from the series “Open Heaven.” Stephen was fed up with up with religion, not because he was fed up with the religious, but because he was fed up with the enemy holding the religious in the stronghold of religion. Religion is the greatest enemy for revival. And it won’t be until we are fed up, and filled up that we get fired up!

A message from the series “Open Heaven.” Stephen did 3 important things that united Heaven and Earth.
1. Declared God is good, even when life is bad
2. His eternal perspective, allowed him to forgive those who did the unforgivable
3. His enemies became his mission field

Independence was only a dream until it was declared, fought for and stood on.

A message from the series “Open Heaven.” In Acts 7:49, Stephen quotes a direct question from Isaiah, “what house will you build for me?” Stephen opens a new season of decision to the church. No longer will the priests be mediators, we now have Jesus, and because of this direct connection: we are provided a clear question. “What house will you build?”

Looking at the scripture in Isaiah, the Lord identifies the kind of people the God looks for so that he might have a relationship with His people. “But on this one will I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at My Word.”

Listen as Pastor Jay walks through three elements to the kind of relationship God wants us to build with Him in this new house or season of Open Heaven.

A message from the series “2024 Sunday Specials.” One of the greatest tests of character is how you handle opposition. Opposition is a part of God’s will for your life; it prepares you for the opportunities ahead.

“There is a real opportunity here for great and worthwhile work, even though there are many opponents.” (1 Corinthians 16:9 GNT)

The enemy is going to throw every kind of opponent at you to cause you to live your life in opposition. Even with MANY opponents there is a REAL opportunity.
1. Where are you pointed?
When you keep your eyes on God, you do not face opposition, you are given opportunity. Proverbs 4:25-27, Ezekiel 8:16, Colossians 3:2

2. Who are you surrounding yourself with?
The people we associate with will have a direct impact on the opposition and harm we face. Proverbs 13:20

3. How dedicated are you to finish the race?
God grow me in the season of opposition because you have an opportunity for us to mature and grow in Jesus. Ecclesiastes 7:8, Philippians 3:13-15

A message from the series “Open Heaven.” Open Heaven is the mandate that we are not merely servants but invited to be friends with God.
The War We Wage is 3-fold:
1. The War of the Spirit
2. The War of Sin (Flesh)
3. The War of Religion

A message from the series “Open Heaven.” Forerunners create the atmosphere of expectancy. The atmosphere of expectancy is the breeding ground for miracles. In Part 4 of the series on Open Heaven, Pastor Jay talks through five atmosphere killers.
1. Religious Judgement
2. Religious Form
3. Willing Ignorance
4. Shame and Condemnation
5. Silence

A message from the series “The Pursuit of Substance.” Pastor Jay sits with Rikki and Bear Perrin to discuss the recent series “The Pursuit of Substance, A Study on 1 Peter.” This was the first series here at Parkway where Pastor Jay lead us verse by verse through a single book of the Bible. The heart of this series was an invitation to maturity, to the deep end of the things of God.

Listen as they discuss ways to study the bible, the hangups of each, and key take-aways from this series.

A message from the series “Open Heaven.” There are five qualifications of the forerunners of the early church as seen in Stephen (Acts 6:1-8):
– Good Reputation: Character and Integrity
– Full of the Holy Spirit: Fruit and Gifts
– Full of the Word of God: Grounded in Him
– Full of Faith: Action Flowing from Being
– Full of Power: the Signs Followed His Belief

A message from the series “Open Heaven.” In Acts 6-8, Stephen talks about God of the Open Heaven. If we are going to see God rule and reign in our lives, we need to be willing to destroy patterns that are controlling us. Patterns are demonic strongholds in your life that God says you don’t have to live with anymore. Why do we get stuck in our patterns? Because they are comfortable.

Watch as Pastor Jay identifies patterns in our lives and identifies a way out of the cycle.

A message from the series “Open Heaven.” Pastor Jay talks about declaring a season of Open Heaven to come.

In Part 1, Pastor Jay lays a foundation for this series. In Acts 7:44-56, Stephen is telling the religious leaders of the day that they have known the God of the tent, they have seen the God of the house (that Solomon built), but he is declaring to them, that they are going to declare and know the God that is part of the Open Heaven.

What Stephen is saying is that before, they had to have a mediator, but now they are being invited to have a direct relationship because God is the God of the Open Heaven.

A message from the series “2024 Sunday Specials.” Sometimes we share space with people, but we don’t know them. God is calling us to be intentional with our relationships. A Father’s Day Message with Men’s Ministry Leader, Mark Swanburg