During the 20+ years I worked for the Potomac Ministry Network I drove a lot. My daily commute took the better part of three hours. Therefore, I often “redeemed the time” by listening to worship music or a good audio book. Today, I spend most of my time working in my home office. I teach online university and Bible college classes. I write. And I prepare messages for my preaching ministry as an interim pastor.
On the Road Again
A recent assignment has me back on the road. Almost every weekend I face a 344-mile-round-trip drive to serve as interim pastor at Jakes Run Assembly of God in Fairview, WV. The church is full of sweet people who love Jesus. They are easy to preach to. They have a nice well-maintained debt-free church building. They have a large modern gymnasium/family activity center. Plus the church is only a few miles from West Virginia University.
Since I have 5-6 hours behind the wheel every weekend, I’m currently making the most of my time by listening to N. T. Wright’s The Challenge of Acts: Rediscovering What the Church Was and Is. Wright personally reads the audio version of the book with a thoughtful, scholarly, and pleasing British accent.
Perhaps today’s most respected Pentecostal scholar, Dr. Craig Keener, says “Wright presents his insights in a highly readable, engaging, and often witty way … he … also challenges our hearts and lives in today’s world.” So far, one of my favorite quotes comes from Wright’s summary of Peter’s reluctant and surprising ministry to the Gentile army officer, Cornelius. It is clear that Peter was blown away when God poured out the Holy Spirit on Gentile believers and they spoke in tongues just as the Jews did on the Day of Pentecost.
If you’re in ministry and you want God to do new things, get on prayerfully doing the present things and be ready for surprises.1
—N.T. Wright
Indeed, the book of Acts is full of numerous surprising acts of the Holy Spirit and I believe God still wants to surprise and use us in powerful ways today. I highly recommend The Challenge of Acts: Rediscovering What the Church Was and Is by N. T. Wright in both the audible and Kindle versions of the book.
1 N. T. Wright. The Challenge of Acts: Rediscovering What the Church Was and Is (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Academic, 2024), 57, Kindle Edition.