When Evidence Outshines Expectation
- Free Church
- Jun 16
- 3 min read
When Evidence Outshines Expectation | Gareth Nicholson | 15 June 2025
YOUTH DAY & FATHER'S DAY
Youth Day
Commemorates the courage of young people during the 1976 Soweto Uprising.
Reminder: the youth have the power to shape the nation.
We are courageously building a better future!
Father’s Day
A day to honor fathers and father figures.
Highlights their vital role in identity, emotional health, and belonging.
THE PERFECT STORM — THEN & NOW
The October 1991 storm was a rare, destructive convergence of three systems — symbolic of the storms in our society.
In South Africa today:
Fatherlessness: lack of role models, emotional/psychological impact.
Social pressures: especially on youth (media, identity struggles).
Economic strain: unemployment, busyness, hardship.
These have led to anxiety, hopelessness, broken patterns — especially for youth and fathers.
BUT
“We serve a God who calms the storm.”
The evidence can outshine the expectation!
Following the story of Peter and John healing a lame man in Acts 3, Acts 4 details the reaction of the religious leaders.
The priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to Peter and John while they were speaking to the people. They were greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people, proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. They seized Peter and John and, because it was evening, they put them in jail until the next day. Acts 4:1-3
They had Peter and John brought before them and began to question them: “By what power or what name did you do this?” Acts 4:7
Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people! If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a man who was lame and are being asked how he was healed, then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed.
Acts 4:8-10
Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”
Acts 4:12
When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. But since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them, there was nothing they could say.
Acts 4:13-14
They were ordinary, unschooled men — yet bold, full of faith and the Spirit.
The miracle was undeniable, and people were astonished.
Key Point:
The evidence (courage, healing, transformation) outweighed the expectation (uneducated, ordinary).
FROM ORDINARY (EXEPECTATION) TO BOLD (EVIDENCE)
Temptations to avoid:
Fear of judgment
The belief that your past defines you
Truth:
Jesus transforms the ordinary into the bold.
Through Jesus, you’re connected to the Father who:
Makes you a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17–18)
Gives you identity and confidence (Rom. 8)
Fills you with the Holy Spirit and courage (John 14:26, Acts 1:8)
Many hear the voice of the enemy due to:
Absent father figures
False expectations
Lies about identity
Truth in Christ:
“I am who You say I am.”
What you believe about yourself matters.
Raised to feel insignificant? Jesus says you're significant.
Humility isn’t denial — it’s owning your God-given strength and giving Him glory.
The enemy thrives on lies — replace them with God’s truth.
Discussion Questions for Life Groups:
Personal Reflection
In what areas of your life do you feel “ordinary” or “unqualified”? How might Jesus be calling you to boldness in those very places?
Have you ever experienced a time when God's work in your life outshone others’ expectations of you? What happened?
What lies have you believed about yourself that might be holding you back from living fully in your God-given identity?
Youth & Identity
How do social media and societal pressure shape the identity and confidence of young people today?
What does it look like to stand for truth and hope in a culture that often promotes fear or despair?
Fatherhood & Role Models
What impact do you think absent or present fathers have on shaping identity and faith?
How can we — regardless of age or background — become spiritual role models for those around us?
Spiritual Transformation
Acts 4 speaks of ordinary men doing extraordinary things through the power of Jesus. What does this teach us about the role of the Holy Spirit in our everyday lives?
How can we move from fear of expectations to faith in God’s calling on our lives?
Calling & Purpose
What does it mean to you to be “evidence that outshines expectation”? Where is God asking you to be that evidence in your family, school, workplace, or community?
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