Is Christianity Just a Feeling?
Is Christianity just a feeling? Acts 3 gives us a more concrete answer. Luke describes a man who had never walked being healed at the Beautiful Gate. The event is public, physical, and personal. When the crowd gathers, Peter does not claim the power for himself. He points them to Jesus and calls them to respond to what God has done.
That matters because Christian faith is not vague optimism or a private mood. Peter’s message is not, “Trust my feelings.” He interprets the healing through the story of Jesus and calls his hearers to repent and turn to God (Acts 3:19). His courage has a backstory, too. The disciple who once denied Jesus now speaks openly about him. Peter did not become flawless. But failure did not have the final word when grace changed him.
Where does our value come from?
An old baseball card featuring Cal Ripken Jr. also includes a player many people might overlook: Bobby Bonner. The card becomes a simple picture of a deeper question: Where does value come from? Our worth is not measured by our record, achievements, or reputation. The gospel points us beyond our résumé to whose we are.
The card helps illustrate that truth, but it is not evidence for the healing or the resurrection. Those claims deserve to be considered on their own terms.
Changed lives are not a substitute for historical inquiry, and no single testimony settles every objection. But testimony matters. Peter’s witness directs attention away from Peter and toward Jesus. The man who was healed had a story, too. And each of us can speak honestly about what Christ is doing now, without making our past the center of the story. Faith makes claims about what God has done, and it changes how we live.
Watch the full video to follow the complete message from Acts 3–4 and hear the story behind the card. Then explore The Jesus Discoveries, a look at ten archaeological finds connected with Jesus’ story.
