November 8th, 2026

“Paul’s Escape Itinerary”

Acts 23:12 – 35

Rev. Tyler Dirks

Sermon Audio

Sermon Outline:

1. The Inconvenience
2. The “Inconsequential”
3. The Inordinate
4. The Interim

Reflection Questions:

1. GK Chesterton says, “An ‘inconvenience’ is only an adventure wrongly considered.” Do you agree? Why or why not?
2. When was a time that God orchestrated things in way that confounded you, and also (eventually) mesmerized you?
3. Read Psalm 105:16-22. What the what?
4. Think of a person in your community who is NOT significant. …Keep an eye on them! Get ready to be amazed!
5. In what ways have you experienced the excessive provision of God?
6. Alexandre Dumas said, “All human wisdom is contained in these two words – ‘Wait and hope!’ ” How do you feel about that?

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November 1st, 2026

“When To Be Shrewd”

Acts 22:22 – 23:11

Rev. Tyler Dirks

Sermon Audio

Sermon Outline:

1. What’s Worth Clarifying?
2. What’s Worth Challenging

Reflection Questions:

1. Read Luke 16:1-9. BE HONEST …Are you comfortable with people (especially kids) reading this story unsupervised? Are you bothered by the fact that Jesus doesn’t offer more caveats or qualifications when He publishes this parable?
2. How do you feel about Jesus saying, “Be as wise as SERPENTS”? Do you wish Jesus had not used the imagery of a serpent when issuing His command to be wise? (especially considering the inescapable, and highly concerning, backstory of serpents in Scripture)?
3. What is a story in Scripture where someone is being as wise/shrewd as a serpent (see Matthew 10:16 and Luke 16:1-9) …And you are a big fan of their shrewdness!?
4. When was a time in your life when you were as shrewd as a serpent and you feel very confident and joyful about making the decision to operate with serpentine shrewdness?
5. What’s worth being shrewd for? And what is the primary thing you are trying to clarify or achieve? Is it really worth clarifying?
6. What’s worth challenging?
7. How do you know if you’re truly united to and in league with Jesus of Nazareth? And specifically, how can you confidently confirm that it is humble and healthy to challenge hypocrisy in others and operate with shrewdness (intensely offering clarity on the ramifications of the resurrection)?

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October 25th, 2026

“Longsuffering Love”

Acts 22:1-24

Rev. Tyler Dirks

Sermon Audio

Sermon Outline:

1. Empathy
2. Expectation
3. Endurance

Reflection Questions:

1. How have you experienced the power of empathy?
2. How have you offered people empathy (especially when you have passionate disagreements with them)?
3. What are you currently arguing about? How are you currently inclined to defend yourself? …HOW might you give up the debate and the defense, and INSTEAD – simply reminisce and relish how God’s mercy has scandalously & supernaturally impacted your life?
4. What is something you really really WANT? And this is something that God created you to want, and God commends you for wanting it? And you’ve been waiting and wanting and waiting and wanting, and you still don’t currently have this thing?
5. How have you experienced the mystifying joy of sharing in suffering WITH God that produces endurance, and endurance that produces character, and character that produces hope?

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October 18th, 2026

“Drama in Jerusalem: Part 2”

Acts 21:27-40

Rev. Tyler Dirks

Sermon Audio

Sermon Outline:

1. Balance & Budget
2. Bizarre Bulwark
3. Bravery

Reflection Questions:

1. How do you feel about being accused and blamed? Thoroughly and personally imagine the tsunami of blame landing on Paul in Acts 21:28. How can you relate?
2. When was a time you felt like a sheep amidst wolves?
3. How has God provided bizarre bulwarks (i.e. strange strongholds, and/or anomalous relief) in your life?
4. When was a time you tried to talk with someone (sincerely striving to honestly engage) even though they had an intense history of hating or blaming you?

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October 11th, 2026

“Drama in Jerusalem: Part I”

Acts 21:17-26

Rev. Tyler Dirks

Sermon Audio

Sermon Outline:

1. Celebration
2. Concerns
3. Conciliate

Reflection Questions:

1. Read what Paul says about the “false brothers” and the “men from James” (i.e. the elders of the church in Jerusalem) in Galatians 2. What do you think? Too harsh?
2. Knowing “the history” between Paul and the elders in Jerusalem (see Gal. 2), do you find it strange that the elders in Jerusalem are so sincerely delighted to welcome Paul and hear his report about God’s love for the Gentiles?
3. How do you feel about people’s “concerns”? …especially when you historically/clearly don’t 100

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October 4th, 2026

“Spirited Tension”

Acts 21:1-16

Rev. Tyler Dirks

Sermon Audio

Sermon Outline:

1. Curator
2. Care
3. Concede

Reflection Questions:

1. What kind of tension has God created and curated in your life?
2. Where do you see God creating and curating tension in the Bible?
3. Read Ephesians 5:15-21 …What kind of tensions exist in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs? What kind of tensions are involved in submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ?
4. What is something that you care a lot about, and subsequently you experience a lot of spirited tension with other people who also care a lot about this thing?
5. Where can you currently apply this portion of the living and active Word of God to your life, “And since he would not be persuaded, we ceased and said, “Let the will of the Lord be done.”?

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September 27th, 2026

“The Serious Business of Joy”

Acts 20:17-38

Rev. Tyler Dirks

Sermon Audio

Sermon Outline:

1. How I Lived Among You
2. I Did Not Shrink Back
3. Cling to Grace

Reflection Questions:

1. What does it mean to serve the Lord with all humility? What movie character best epitomizes and exemplifies what it specifically and sedulously looks like to serve the Lord with all humility?
2. Read 2 Corinthians 2:1-4. Call someone and say, “I just read 2 Corinthians 2:1-4 and I want to talk about it with you for at least 15 minutes.” And then talk with that person about 2 Corinthians 2:1-4 for 15 minutes. And specifically be sure to ask – and wrestle with – the question, “Why does Paul use words like ‘pain,’ ‘anguish,’ ‘affliction,’ and ‘tears’ in this specific situation?”
3. What are the top 2 or 3 things you get to do as an official member of the church?

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September 20th, 2026

“Teamwork”

Acts 20:1-16

Rev. Tyler Dirks

Sermon Audio

Sermon Outline:

1. Collaboration
2. Communication
3. Conviction

Reflection Questions:

1. What was the craziest collaboration experience of your life? e.g. you came together with someone(s) completely different to pull off something incredible?
2. Who do you currently have the best communication with? e.g. Psalm 13:1 communication – where you can express your questions, fears, and doubts without being shut down for being technically wrong. OR you can say something invasive without the other person running away?
3. When you read the Bible are you shocked by how honest and communicative God is? Are you shocked by how honest and communicative God is inviting you to be?
4. What is the central integrating feature (and fixation) of your best relationships and team experiences?

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September 13th, 2026

“Outrageous Amnesia”

Acts 19:21-41

Rev. Tyler Dirks

Sermon Audio

Sermon Outline:

1. Outrage
2. Amnesia

Reflection Questions:

1. What are the top 2 or 3 things that Jesus fails to prioritize, and it honestly makes you kind of upset? (e.g. social status, respectability, institutional rules, people pleasing, family harmony, etc.).
2. In what ways do you see a blustering and hysterical spirit in yourself?
3. When was a time you were so joyfully preoccupied that you forgot to be offended, defensive, annoyed, outraged, etc.?
4. In Hebrews 10:34 God says, “you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one.” REALLY?!???!!???

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September 6th, 2026

“The Way He Does It”

Acts 19:11-20

Rev. Tyler Dirks

Sermon Audio

Sermon Outline:

1. Odd Means & Missed opportunities
2. Actually Knowing Jesus
3. The Expulsive Power of a Higher Affection

Reflection Questions:

1. What is a story in the Bible that truly fascinates you (specifically because it forces you to deal with the weird way God wins)?
2. If you found out that Alex Parman’s grilling apron could miraculously heal people, would you want to make that the main thing about ECPC?
3. Do you think anyone is attempting to superficially add the name of Jesus to their agenda these days (rather than surrendering to Jesus’s agenda)? What’s an example?
4. What specific manipulation resources would you love to see people voluntarily burn – because they have become intimately obsessed with Jesus of Nazareth?

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