Sorry I Didn't Respond Sooner

Have you ever had that dreaded text come through? You know the one. The text you were expecting, but hoping would never actually arrive. Maybe it was about a relationship, bad news, or something you’d been trying to avoid. How do you respond? Do you freeze?
 
I know I freeze sometimes. I’ll see the text come through, read the first few words, and leave it sitting in my inbox. Because if I open it, they’ll see I’ve read it, and honestly, I’m not ready to deal with it yet. So, I leave it there with that little blue dot beside it and promise myself I’ll come back later. I’m not proud of it, but sometimes days pass before I respond.
 
Now, to be fair, maybe I need a few minutes to think through a coherent response. Maybe it’s late and the text can wait until morning. But let’s be honest: I don’t need days. I’m usually just delaying the inevitable.
We all know what it’s like to freeze. Peter did too.
 
One night, around a campfire, Peter got a dreaded question from a servant girl while Jesus was on trial and heading toward the cross. “Weren’t you with Jesus?” Peter froze. He fumbled. And eventually, he denied even knowing Jesus.
 
But somehow, that same Peter becomes one of the boldest witnesses for Christ the world has ever seen.
 
Just weeks after freezing, he stood in Jerusalem, the very city where Jesus had been crucified and publicly preached that Jesus had risen from the dead. The people who killed Jesus could’ve easily turned on Peter too. But the man who once froze around a campfire now boldly proclaimed Christ in the streets.
What changed? That’s exactly what we’re going to look at this Sunday as we continue our series through Acts.
 
Because we all live in a culture where being open about our faith can feel uncomfortable. It can be hard to speak up. Hard to stand out. Hard to be bold.
 
But Acts shows us something surprising: Boldness isn’t a personality trait reserved for extroverts. It’s not natural confidence or charisma. Boldness is a gift God gives ordinary people through the power of the Holy Spirit.
 
I can’t wait to worship with you this Sunday!