Pastor Matt Sturdevant began a new sermon series on the book of Acts, examining Acts 1:1-11 and establishing that Jesus continues his mission through the Holy Spirit-empowered church. He made five key points from this passage: Jesus's work is both finished (redemption) and unfinished (mission), we need the Holy Spirit rather than just more human effort, believers must stay focused on the mission instead of getting distracted, the mission is clear according to Acts 1:8, and Jesus's ascension means the mission continues through his disciples. The central verse, Acts 1:8, reveals that power comes from the Holy Spirit, the purpose is to be witnesses (not experts), and the plan extends from local to global - Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

Matt also presented two helpful charts during the sermon: the "JAR" chart showing how John, Acts, and Romans fit together in answering key questions, and a structure chart breaking Acts into three sections with Peter (chapters 1-7), Philip (chapters 8-12), and Paul (chapters 13-28) as central figures. He concluded with three applications: we cannot experience God's power without surrendering to Jesus, Jesus's mission is now our mission as disciples, and we cannot live the Christian life in our own strength but need the Holy Spirit as our helper and guide. The passage ends with Jesus's ascension and angels redirecting the disciples from gazing into heaven to getting moving on their mission.

Pastor Matt began a comprehensive 16-week journey through the Book of Acts, which is part of a larger "Bible in a Jar" series covering John, Acts, and Romans. He explained that while John shows us who to trust, Acts reveals how to live out our faith, demonstrating that Jesus' mission didn't end with His ascension but continues through His Holy Spirit-empowered church.

Focusing on Acts 1:1-11, Pastor Matt highlighted a crucial distinction: Jesus' work is both finished and unfinished. The work of redemption is complete—as Jesus declared "It is finished" (John 19:30)—but the work of ministry and proclamation continues. The disciples were instructed to wait in Jerusalem for the promised Holy Spirit because "God's work cannot be accomplished with human strength alone." The key verse, Acts 1:8, provides both the summary and outline for the entire book, showing how the gospel would spread geographically from Jerusalem to Judea and Samaria, and ultimately to the ends of the earth. Pastor Matt connected this historical foundation to Hope Church's Vision 2028, emphasizing that understanding the early church's methods and dependence on the Holy Spirit is essential preparation for their future ministry expansion.

Pastor Matt delivered an Easter message focused on the resurrection of Jesus Christ from John chapters 20-21, declaring that "the resurrection of Jesus is the greatest turning point in history and demands a response." He began by explaining how certain events in history divide time into "before" and "after," with Jesus' resurrection being the ultimate example that changed everything about everything.

Pastor Matt walked through four key truths about the resurrection found in these chapters. First, the resurrection turns despair into hope, as demonstrated when Mary Magdalene went to the tomb in grief but encountered the risen Jesus who spoke her name. Second, it transforms fear into mission, shown when the disciples moved from hiding behind locked doors in fear to boldly proclaiming the gospel. Third, the resurrection confronts our doubts, illustrated through Thomas who moved from skepticism to declaring "My Lord and my God" (John 20:28). Finally, the resurrection restores broken people, evidenced by Jesus' restoration of Peter after his three denials, giving him three opportunities to affirm his love.

Pastor Matt concluded that the resurrection matters for three reasons: hope is real because Jesus defeated sin and death, no one is beyond restoration since "the worst thing in life doesn't have to be the final thing," and the resurrection demands a response because we all must decide what we will do with Jesus. He ended with a clear presentation of the gospel, explaining that God created us for relationship, sin separates us from God, Jesus came to save us, and we must respond by trusting in Him as Savior and Lord.