What is God Up To?

Church Family,

I hope you’ve been pondering the question, “What is God up to?” as we continue to live into the Eastertide season.

Last Sunday, we explored the story from Acts 11 where Peter wrestles with God’s call to welcome Gentiles into the family of faith—a move that challenged everything he’d been taught. Peter’s vision and his willingness to say, “Who was I that I could hinder God?” opened the door for a new understanding of God’s expansive love, reminding us that God’s plan has always been to bring all people together, Jew and Gentile alike. We reflected on how Jesus modeled this radical hospitality by eating with those considered unclean and how Paul’s letter to the Romans shows that God’s call to include everyone was there from the start, even if humans missed it along the way.

So here’s the challenge for us: Are we – are you – willing to listen when God calls us to step outside our comfort zones and embrace what might feel new or even uncomfortable?

It takes humility to admit where we’ve been wrong and courage to follow God’s lead into places and relationships we might have avoided. Let’s keep asking, “What is God up to now?” and be ready to join in, trusting that God’s love will keep guiding us forward, even when the path isn’t clear.

Did You Miss Sunday’s Message?

Check it out on YouTube using the links and summary below!

Sermon: What Is God Up To?

Key Scriptures:

• Acts 11:1-18 (Peter’s vision and the inclusion of Gentiles)
• Romans 11:11-24 (Paul’s teaching on God’s plan for Jew and Gentile)
• Luke 5:27-32 (Jesus eats with tax collectors and sinners)

Key Moments

[31:55] – Introduction to Acts 11 and Peter’s Vision 
[32:52] – Peter Criticized for Eating with Gentiles 
[33:10] – Peter’s Vision Explained 
[34:25] – The Spirit’s Leading and Gentile Inclusion 
[35:44] – The Meaning of Clean and Unclean 
[37:04] – “Who Was I to Hinder God?” 
[39:04] – God’s Plan for All People 
[41:16] – Humility and Learning from the Past 
[43:10] – Confession, Repentance, and Forgiveness 
[44:01] – Jesus’ Model of Radical Hospitality 
[46:01] – Following Jesus Among the Marginalized 
[47:23] – The Power of Grace and Mercy 
[49:28] – The Humility of Love 
[53:27] – Generational Growth in Love 
[58:22] – A Word to Graduates

Questions to consider:

• Peter was willing to listen and change his mind when God showed him something new. Is there an area in your life where you sense God might be asking you to be more open or humble? What would it look like to take a step in that direction?
• The sermon says, “Our witness is not in our perfection, but in our willingness to keep asking, ‘What is God up to now?’” How can you make space in your life to notice and join in what God is doing, even if it feels uncomfortable or new?
• Confession and repentance are essential to discerning God’s will and movement forward. Is there something you need to confess—either to God or to someone else—so you can move forward in a new direction?
• Jesus modeled eating with outsiders and showing grace. What is one practical way you can extend dignity, respect, or kindness to someone who might feel excluded or judged?
• The sermon encourages us to leave a legacy of greater love for the next generation. What is one step you can take this week to help your family or community move closer to the abundant love of Christ? 

Sermon Quotes:

“People haven’t left the church because they received too much grace or mercy. They’ve left the church because they felt unheard, misunderstood, judged, ridiculed, talked down to, talked about, left out, pushed out. But Jesus never did those things, and we shouldn’t either.”

“God is always calling us to something. God is always up to something. The question is, will we hear it? Will we listen? In the story today, Peter was humble enough to see what they had been getting wrong. God had been up to something for generations to bring the entire world into the family of God, Jew and Gentile alike.”

“God will keep calling us to live as he desires us to live to fulfill his dream for this good creation. God is up to something. And while we may not see it all today, we do get glimpses of it. Those glimpses may seem new and different. But often, they are a glimpse of what God has been up to all along.”