Our Sunday morning message was brought to us by our Associate Pastor Ryan Crawford.

We stood for opening prayer and the reading of God's word, from the book of Acts 3:1-10.

"When God shows up."

As our friendship day draws closer and we are getting ready for this "Big day" we are making lists of our family members, friends and neighbors, who we want to invite. Like the church in Chapter three of Acts, if we do not invite the most important guest, God, it might seem as if he was an uninvited guest. How can He help the people who show up for this big event, if we do not invite Him?

Have you ever felt like in your hardest of times, when you may be in loneliness, sadness, or distress that God wasn't there? Have you ever cried out in prayer "God where are you?" Then this message is for you.

We will deal with this and show what happens when God shows up. In the Bible we have many examples of moments when God shows up. For instance: He divided the water and parted the Red Sea. He made the wall of Jericho fall down. Fire came down from Mt. Carmel. The Priest stood in silence when He filled the temple. And on the cross, there was darkness and an earthquake.

Here in Acts 3 it's not too far off of what happened at the cross and tomb. Even the Disciples are still thinking freshly, they are just looking for Jesus body and he is not there. Which begs the question, when does God show up?

In the fire, when Daniel was in the lion's den, He was there. In the fear, when the disciples were on the boat with raging water of the sea, He was there. In fellowship "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, I am there among them," Matthew 18:20. And last but not least, in the finale, the day He shows up and takes us all home.

"Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour," Act 3:1. As these two were going to pray, how often had they seen Jesus pray? When our prayer life is consistent, God is there. When is the last time God showed up in your prayer life? A sign of God showing up in our life is a renewal of prayer. When we are in the presence of God, "In the name of Jesus," it is only He that can save, heal and cleanse us. By believing in the power of prayer and God, the lame man got up and walked. The Bible says when we are filled with His spirit; we will have the power of God.

It's amazing that when God shows up in our life, our perception is corrected. When God shows up in our life, we start seeing things differently. And when we see thing differently, we start doing something about it. How many times did they pass the gate and that certain man was there? What changed so they could see him? Do we see people like God wants us to see them? When we allow God to show up we see more clearly. Do people see who the most important man in your life is? Give it to God and see if people will see you in a new light.

"Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk," Act 3:6. They knew what they needed to do. The purpose was clear. As a Christian, is your purpose clear? Do you give to others? When you have no money to give, do you give a lost soul what he needs? Do you help him find Christ? "I love those who love me; and those who seek me early shall find me," Proverbs 8:17.

"And they knew that it was he which sat for alms at the Beautiful gate of the temple: and they were filled with wonder and amazement at that which had happened unto him," Acts 3:11.

"And as the lame man which was healed held Peter and John, all the people ran together and unto them in the porch that is called Solomon's, greatly wondering," Acts 3:11.

When God shows up, we begin to change. Prayer is the tool of success and how we see Christ? Do others see Christ in us? Do we help people find Christ as Peter and John helped the lame man in this story?