Acts 17:26-28
26 And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, 27 that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, 28 for “In him we live and move and have our being…”
Core Texts: Mark 12:30, Mark 16:15-18, Acts 17:26-28
Context: This is the first meeting of Encounter Jesus Fellowship, a informal parachurch gathering Ray launched after stepping away from church planting in November 2025. No offering, no video recording — intentionally designed as a safe space for organic prayer and expectation of signs and wonders.
Main Thesis: God has sovereignly placed every person exactly where they are so they might seek Him — and those who seek will find He was never far away.
Key Points:
- Every detail of your life — timing, location, background — was ordained by God to bring you to a place of seeking Him (Acts 17:26-28).
- Ray shares personal transparency: after 30+ years in ministry, he lost his first love for Jesus, replacing it with pursuit of impact and church growth. The sabbatical is God stripping away distractions.
- True Christians are all seekers — seeking Jesus must remain the primary pursuit above accomplishment, validation, or ministry activity.
- The gathering closes with open invitation for prayer in three categories: salvation, physical healing, and deliverance.
Tone: Highly personal, raw, and expectant rather than formally structured.