JANUARY 18, 2026 SERMON NOTES

Acts: A Powerful Sermon! 

Acts 3:1-10

1 Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. 2 And a man lame from birth was being carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple that is called the Beautiful Gate to ask alms of those entering the temple. 3 Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked to receive alms. 4 And Peter directed his gaze at him, as did John, and said, “Look at us.” 5 And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them. 6 But Peter said, “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!” 7 And he took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. 8 And leaping up, he stood and began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. 9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God, 10 and recognized him as the one who sat at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, asking for alms. And they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

I. The Church's External Focus (Acts 3:1-3)
1. The Value of Serving with Other People 
2. The Power of Practicing Spiritual Disciplines
3. The Reality of Meeting People's Needs  

II. The Church's Evangelistic Involvement (Acts 3:4-6)
1. Look for Ministry Opportunities 
2. See the Larger Picture 
     i. Live a Consistent Christian Life
     ii. Deal with the Real Issue
     iii. Give Away the Faith
     iv. Reach Out a Helping Hand     

III. The Church's Eternal Difference (Acts 3:7-10) 
1. Discover what Happens when Jesus Moves 
2. Serve Jesus with the Right Attitude 
     i. Guard Against Taking the Credit
     ii. Follow Jesus' Example by Serving  

JANUARY 18, 2026 STUDY GUIDE

Acts: A Powerful Sermon!

Acts 3:1-10

How many sermons have you heard in your life? That's probably hard to number. It's wise to sit under the faithful teaching and preaching of God's Word. God promises that His Word will never return void (Isaiah 55:10-11). Thank the Lord for faithful preachers who rightly divide the Word of truth week in and week out.    

History is filled with great sermons. Can you name a few preachers whom God has specifically used in your life? Do you remember a specific sermon? Was the way he lived his life a powerful sermon? 

The Bible is filled with powerful sermons. Jesus preached the Sermon on the Mount. Major and minor prophets preached God's Word with boldness, conviction, and power. Peter, after being empowered by the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, preached the Word with courage. Paul appealed to Timothy, his young protege in ministry, to "preach the Word."  

Take a few minutes and read Acts 3. Peter preached a simple message to a lame beggar. That sermon, as God worked, changed the man's life. Do you recall a sermon that God used to change your life? 

What biblical insights from Acts 3 make up a powerful sermon? 

1. The Church's External Focus (Acts 3:1-3). Peter and John went to the temple early one afternoon. It was the hour of prayer. The two men hadn't yet entered the sacred space when they met a lame beggar, asking them for money. Is serving the Lord with other people a priority? Are you actively engaged in practicing the spiritual disciplines? Are you aware of hurting, suffering people? 

2. The Church's Evangelistic Involvement (Acts 3:4-6). Peter and John made eye contact with the beggar and got his attention. Peter preached a powerful sermon to a hurting man and a crowd of people. Peter and John didn't give the man money; they gave him Jesus. What's your approach to helping people? How does your church balance meeting physical needs while sharing the gospel?

3. The Church's Eternal Difference (Acts 3:7-10). Peter and John saw the Lord change a man's life. The man entered the temple walking, leaping, and praising God. The people were filled with wonder and amazement. Peter and John quickly gave all the praise to Jesus. When did you last see the Lord change a person's life or soul? How did you glorify the Lord? 

The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob is still using people, changing lives, and being glorified. A personal lesson from Peter and John is never to take the credit for what God did. All the praise must go to Jesus!

Here are three final discussion questions for you and your group. After you answer them, take a few moments and pray together. 

• Why is it valuable to pray, study, and serve with another believer of the same gender (as you see with Peter and John)? 

• What evidence do you see that says your church is externally focused, meaning your church is reaching people outside the walls of your church building? 

• How do you need to praise Jesus now for His activity, grace, and presence?           

Thank you for taking the time to study God's Word. We're honored at FBC Clarksville that you'd connect with us. We hope you'll join us for Bible study and worship on Sunday.   

Have a blessed rest of your week. 

View all of the "Acts" Sermon Series Study Guides at fbct.org/acts.

GROWTH GROUPS

NEW Wednesday night Growth Groups as well as the Sunday night GriefShare Support Group begin in January and we’d love for you to get connected! Check out all of the new 2026 Growth Groups and sign up today at fbct.org/growthgroups.

DNOW WEEKEND - STUDENTS

DNOW is a local weekend retreat, hosted in the homes of our church members and a local church facility. This year it is being hosted right here at First Baptist Clarksville, and we are expecting hundreds of students from local churches to come and encounter Jesus. The cost this year is $55, which includes all meals for the weekend, as well as curriculum, and a t-shirt.

For: Students 6th-12th Grade
Date: February 13-15, 2026
Location: First Baptist Church Clarksville
Cost: $55 (through January 20) $85 (January 21-February 13)

Your student must have a completed Code of Conduct & Medical Release completed by registration to participate in this event.

FIRST STEPS CLASS

UPCOMING CLASS: April 12, 2026, 12-2pm

LOCATION: Grace BUILDING, 3rd Floor Steeple Landing

Our First Steps class is designed for new members and guests. We invite you to join our Senior Pastor, Dr. Ronny Raines, and our ministry team for our next membership class. We'll treat you to a delicious lunch and then help you discover how God wants to use you at First Baptist Church. As you attend the class, we'll cover the following subjects:

• A personal relationship with Jesus Christ

• Meaning of church membership

• Biblical baptism

• The Lord's Supper

• The church's beliefs and vision

• Opportunities to give

• Ways to serve in the church

• Ministries at First Baptist Church 

• Meet our ministry team

• Time for Q&A

• Tour our church facilities

We hope you'll join us for our next First Steps class. You can register by filling out the online form at fbct.org/firststeps or by contacting Dana in the pastor's office at 931.245.0000 or dana.abee@fbct.org.

FIRST BAPTIST MUSIC

Check out all of the First Baptist Worship Team videos from our online worship services at fbct.org/music.

THE VOICE - MONTHLY NEWSLETTER

Stay up to date with all that is going with our monthly newsletter, the Voice! Visit fbct.org/voice!

MEMBERSHIP AND GIVING TOOLS

Fellowship, Worship and Discipleship are fundamental to an obedient life in Christ. First Baptist Church maintains several tools to help us stay connected, share and offer the sacrifice of praise, and grow together. Scroll to the bottom of the home page at fbct.org and click on "app" to see options for adding these tools to your phone or other device. You can use these tools to stay connected to your discipleship group, contact the church, watch past worship services and sermons, as well as support the FBC financially as the Lord directs for you and your family. There are even instructions for how to access these tools using your web browser.

Using these apps, updating your profile information to share with the church is easy. When changes occur in your family life such as a move to a new home, change in email address, etc. you can update your information to be sure that our communication with you is efficient. You can even add a picture to make it easier for your church family to put a name with a face!

Information about any groups that might be of interest to you, such as Connect Groups, teams, committees, etc will be available as well.  Group Leaders can use the tools to take attendance online and access other features.  You can contact the church through the app, read messages from group members/leaders and browse the church directory.

Check out fbct.org/app  for instructions on how to get the app and reach the membership and giving website.

LOVE the time of worship through song today? You can follow us on Spotify and listen to our playlist each week! Follow us on Spotify “First Clarksville” and sing along!