August 30, 2026

Acts 16:1-15

What Is God Up To? Part 1

In Acts 16, Paul and his companions set out on mission with careful plans, and watch the Spirit close one door and then another. Forbidden to speak the word in two regions, they arrive in the port city of Troas with no clear direction, but with a mission that has not changed. There Paul sees a vision of a man of Macedonia pleading for help, and the team concludes together that God is calling them to preach the gospel there. Setting sail from Troas, they carry the good news of Jesus to the continent of Europe for the first time.

What unfolds along the way is a story of God’s provision through people. A young disciple named Timothy. Luke, the physician and historian, who joins the team and is given a front row seat to the work of God. And Lydia, a successful business woman worshiping by a river outside the city gate, whose heart the Lord opened and whose home became the birthplace of the church at Philippi. Closed doors, an unexpected dream, a woman’s open house. The guidance of God is rarely predictable, His provision more generous than we imagine.

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Sermon Notes

Acts 16:1-15

What Is God Up To? – Part 1

Pastor Tommy Bailey

“Aslan,” said Lucy, “you’re bigger.”
“That is because you are older, little one,” answered he.
“Not because you are?”
“I am not. But every year you grow, you will find me bigger.”
C.S. Lewis, Prince Caspian

1. The Multifaceted Guidance of God

“We praise God for what He provides, and we should. But how often do we praise God for what He prevents? For the first billion years in heaven we’re going to praise Him for what He prevented.”
Robert Smith Jr

The Guidance of God (vv. 6-10)

  • Directing
  • Correcting

2. The Surprising Provision of God

“I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I too may be cheered by news of you. For I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare.”
Philippians 2:19–20

Three Kinds of Godly Relationships

  • Paul – Ahead of You
  • Barnabas – Beside You
  • Timothy – Behind You

The Surprising Provision of God

  • Timothy (vv. 1-4)
  • Luke (v. 10)
  • Lydia (v. 14)

“[God] is constantly flinging gifts at you faster than you can catch them…What gifts has God flung at you lately? What gifts is he flinging at you right now? Have you been too busy…to notice them or ask where they came from?”
Bobby Jamieson, Everything Is Never Enough

3. The Saving Power of God

“God is God. Because He is God, He is worthy of my trust and obedience. I will find rest nowhere but in His holy will, a will that is unspeakably beyond my largest notions of what He is up to.”
Elisabeth Elliot

Discussion Questions

  • Read the passage together: Before today’s sermon, what did you already know or believe about this passage? Did anything in your understanding shift after hearing the message?
  • Challenge and Reflection: Was there a part of today’s message that was particularly challenging or surprising for you? Why?
  • Unpacking the Message: Pick a quote from today’s sermon notes. Discuss what it means to you.
  • Personal Impact: What’s one specific way you feel called to change or grow after hearing this message?
  • Practical Application: What’s one step you can take this week to put today’s message into practice?
  • Connecting Scripture: Are there other Bible passages or stories this message reminds you of? How do they expand or confirm this teaching?
  • Gratitude: What aspect of God’s character stood out to you in today’s message? How does it inspire praise or gratitude?
  • Pray the Scripture: After hearing the message, is there a specific area where you feel led to pray? How can we pray for one another in light of today’s teaching?

Songs, Readings & Prayer

Songs

“A Mighty Fortress Is Our God“ by Martin Luther
“All Hail The Power Of Jesus Name“ by Oliver Holden, Edward Perronet, and John Rippon
“Holy Spirit, Living Breath of God“ by Keith Getty and Stuart Townend
“Our God Will Go Before Us“ by Keith Getty, Matt Boswell, and Matt Papa
“Doxology” by Thomas Ken and Louis Bourgeois
All songs are used with permission. CCLI License no. 2003690

Looking for our Hymns of the Week or resources to worship anytime? We’ve curated a playlist of hymns TVC Worship has led on our YouTube Channel!

Call To Worship

Come, Let Us Worship

Come, let us worship God the Father, the Maker of heaven and earth!
Let us worship Jesus Christ, the resurrected King of Kings and Lord of Lords!
Let us worship the Holy Spirit, the promised Comforter and Counselor!
All glory and praise be to the One true God, now and forevermore, amen!

Confession of Faith

Treasuring God’s Word – Psalm 86:5

“For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, and abundant in lovingkindness to all who call upon You.”

Leader: What does the Psalmist mean when he says, “For You, Lord, are good”?
People: God is perfectly just and perfectly righteous, the very definition of goodness. “God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all.”

Leader: What does the Psalmist mean when he says, “Ready to forgive, and abundant in lovingkindness to all who call upon You”?People: God’s desire is to be reconciled to all things on earth or in heaven, making peace through the blood of Christ shed on the cross, wanting all people to come to repentance. Therefore, He is eager and ready to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Classic Prayer

Dimitri of Rostov

Open, O doors and bolts of my heart, that Christ the King of Glory may enter!
Enter, O my Light, and enlighten my darkness;
Enter, O my Life, and resurrect my deadness;
Enter, O my Physician, and heal my wounds;
Enter, Divine Fire, and burn up the thorns of my sins;
Ignite my inward parts and my heart with the flame of Thy love;
Enter, O my King, and destroy in me the kingdom of sin;
Sit on the throne of my heart and reign in me alone,
O Thou, my King and Lord.

TVC Prayer Ministry

TVC Ministry: Home Groups
Vocation: Supply Chain
Mission Highlight: Freedom’s Promise
Praying for the Persecuted Church: United Arab Emirates

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