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Please ll out a Get Connected form and place it in the offering basket after the message- thanks! Creekstone Church is on Facebook. Join the Creekstone Facebook page for up to date news feeds and special information. Check out Creekstones website, which is updated weekly with new information, audio sermons, etc. - www.creekstonechurch.com Creekstone teaching is on iTunes. Search Creekstone Church and subscribe for free.

CREEKSTONES MISSION
"Creekstone Church exists to glorify God by helping people come alive to the wonder of Gods grace."

WE AIM TO ACCOMPLISH THIS MISSION:

Through Grace-Driven Teaching, Through Grace-Shaped Community, and Through Grace-Motivated Outreach.

Welcome to

ESSENTIAL BELIEFS
The Bible
The Bible is Gods special revelation to humanity, centering on the glory of Gods grace through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. Therefore, as the word of God, the Bible alone is our ultimate authority for all of life, theologically, devotionally and practically.

Creekstone Church
creekstonechurch.com

CONTACT TEAM LEADERS

McKay Caston, Pastor of Preaching & Leadership mckaycaston@gmail.com Andy Woznicki, Pastor of Community and Discipleship ajwoznicki@gmail.com Jesse Turk, Coordinator of Worship Arts creekstonemusic@gmail.com Tom Keel, Technology Coordinator creekstonetechnology@gmail.com Matt Stephenson, Pastoral/Administrative Assistant mbstep2055@gmail.com Graham Sibley, Coordinator of Youth Ministries gmsibl7262@northgeorgia.edu Jim Keane, Greeter & Hospitality Team Leader jimandjanetkeane@windstream.net Brett Howell, Set Up & Facilities Team Leader bahowe1437@gmail.com James Fitts, Usher Team Leader jctt9563@northgeorgia.edu Dottie Smorey, Children & Nursery Ministry Team Leader, creekstonechildrensministry@gmail.com Dean Legler, Logistics & Transportation Team Leader, dean.legler@gmail.com Larry Charles, Compassion in Action (CIA) larrycharlespt@yahoo.com Creekstone is a partner with Campus Outreach, a ministry on the campus of the University of North Georgia. For more information, contact Campus Director, Caleb Martin at jcalebmartin@gmail.com.

Faith
People are reconciled to God, not by their own good works, but through faith alone in the good works of Jesus. Therefore, someone becomes a Christian not by doing for God, but by receiving from God.

Grace
Salvation being through faith alone means that people are reconciled to God by grace alone through the substitutionary death of Jesus. Therefore, the Christians standing before God is a gift, not a reward.

Jesus
Our only hope of forgiveness, righteousness, and eternal life is only gained through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, not by any merit or effort of our own.

The Glory of God

The goal of our theology is that God alone would receive the glory for redeeming, adopting and empowering sinners with new life. Therefore, there is no room for selfrighteousness in the gospel, but only for boasting in the cross of Jesus. For a more in-depth survey of our theological orientation, check out the Westminster Confession of Faith and Catechisms and/or our extended theological summary on the Creekstone website. The Creekstone ofce is located on the Historic Square at 40-B Public Square South just above the Mass Bay Trading Company.

T odays Message: An Unimaginable T ransformation Acts 9:1-22

THE REVOLUTION: A STUDY IN THE BOOK OF ACTS

Message #19 An Unimaginable Transformation
TODAYS BIBLE PASSAGE: Acts 9:1-22 (ESV)
But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 2and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. 3Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. 4 And falling to the ground he heard a voice saying to him, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? 5 And he said, Who are you, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. 6 But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do. 7 The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. 8 Saul rose from the ground, and although his eyes were opened, he saw nothing. So they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. 9And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank. 10Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Here I am, Lord. 11 And the Lord said to him, Rise and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying, 12and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight. 13 But Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem. 14 And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name. 15 But the Lord said to him, Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. 16For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name. 17 So Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him he said, Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be lled with the Holy Spirit. 18 And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized; 19and taking food, he was strengthened. For some days he was with the disciples at Damascus. 20 And immediately he proclaimed Jesus in the synagogues, saying, He is the Son of God. 21 And all who heard him were amazed and said, Is not this the man who made havoc in Jerusalem of those who called upon this name? And has he not come here for this purpose, to bring them bound before the chief priests? 22 But Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus was the Christ.

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION & DISCUSSION:

1) Saul was in no mood to be converted. How does his dramatic transformation provide a strong case for the validity of his testimony? 2) As a law-driven man, what do you think Saul thought that Jesus would do to him? What do you think his encounter with Jesus taught him about grace? 3) Why do you think experiencing grace can be traumatic? 4) How can our suffering prepare us to be instruments of grace in Gods hands? 5) Is there anyone whom you think is unsavable? How might this passage encourage you?

STAY IN THE CURRENT

Get Connected The Get Connected card in the bulletins are for you to ll out and place in the offering basket after the message. Let us know you were here! Our offering goes to support the ministry of the gospel locally through Creekstone, regionally through our church planting partnerships, and globally thorough the missionary families we support overseas in India and Africa. Your giving is making a difference! K-Group Year End Celebration Sunday, May 19 Join us after the service in the high school cafeteria on Sunday, May 19, for a K-Group Year End celebration pot luck. Church-Wide Spring Picnic Sunday, May 26 Meet us at Yahoola Creek Park (near the playground/garden) on Sunday, May 26, from 5:30-7:30, for our annual Church-Wide Spring Picnic! Just bring your own picnic, lawn-chairs, frisbees, etc., and well enjoy time with friends old and new. Communion June 2 Our next Communion Sunday is planned for June 2. Membership Sunday June 9 Our next Sunday to receive new members is June 9. If you have completed Creekstone 101, just ll out your membership questionnaire and give it to Andy Woznicki so that we can set up a membership appointment. We are excited for you to become an ofcial partner in the gospel with Creekstone! Ministry Teams: Get in the Game! If you are not serving on a Ministry Team, we need you! Get in the game by signing up for more information on the Get Connected form and put it in the offering basket after the message. Facebook: Creekstones Online Community Portal Our Facebook page is Creekstones public, online portal to the Creekstone community. If youd like to communicate with the church to ask a question, highlight a ministry opportunity, let folks know that you have a lost and found item fro Sunday, provide funeral arrangement information or just say, Hi!, just go to facebook.com/creekstonechurch and post on the wall. Be sure to subscribe to notications so that you will not miss any info facebook.com/creekstonechurch. Past Sunday messages are available on the Creekstone website and iTunes. For all Creekstone events and news, see news at www.creekstonechurch.com

A LISTENING GUIDE FOR TODAYS MESSAGE: The Big Idea: ______________________________________________________. I. II. III. IV. V. VI. I may be more like Saul than I want to admit (vv. 1-2) Experiencing grace can be traumatic (vv. 3-9) Grace really means grace (vv. 10-15) Suffering does not mean that God is against me (v. 16) Grace gives me new eyes (vv. 17-19a) Grace gives me a new mission (vv. 19b-22)

A Challenge: ______________________________________________________.

Grace Changes Everything