SERMONS — First Alliance Church

Posts in Ben DiStefano

In Power | Week 8: Redirected In Power | Acts 16:1–10, 14–15

In Power | Week 8: Redirected In Power | Acts 16:1–10, 14–15

Join us this Sunday as we conclude our spring series called In Power with a look at what happens when God redirects the vision we have for our lives. It’s been a fun series to explore what it looks like when we live a life that is lived in the power of the Holy Spirit. Our hope is that we will continue to be people and a congregation who daily lean into the leading, directing, and power of the Holy Spirit at work in our lives.

Pastor Ben will also be sharing about our Summer Prayer Initiative, including three different ways to continue our prayer emphasis over the summer months.

Ben DiStefanofacCOMMSMay 31, 2026Acts

In Power | Week 5: Refreshing In Power | Acts 3:1–20

In Power | Week 5: Refreshing In Power | Acts 3:1–20

Join us this Sunday as we continue in our series, In Power. We’ve been exploring what our lives and our church look like when we live in the power of the Holy Spirit, who Jesus promised would come to us. So consider this: what would be refreshing to you right now in your life? What would give you a moment of … “ahhhh” … in your life? What happens when the refreshing comes to us in the power of the Holy Spirit?

Ben DiStefanofacCOMMSMay 10, 2026Acts

In Power | Week 4: Community | Acts 2:41–47

In Power | Week 4: Community | Acts 2:41–47

Join us as we continue our series—IN POWER. What does it look like to have life giving power from God moving in and through us? We’ve explored the source of the power is the Holy Spirit; this power manifests both naturally and super-naturally; and the management of the power is at the discretion of the Holy Spirit.

This Sunday, we’re going to make a shift into some of the pragmatic ideas of living in power, more specifically, how the early church modeled Community In Power—this is how we live together.

Ben DiStefanofacCOMMSMay 3, 2026Acts

In Power | Week 3: Holy Spirit | Acts 2:1–13, 36–41

In Power | Week 3: Holy Spirit | Acts 2:1–13, 36–41

Join us this Sunday, as we continue our series called “In Power.” Using the stories of the early church we’re exploring what it looks like to live in the power of the Holy Spirit. If the same spirit that raised Christ from the dead now lives in us (Romans 8:11), then what does that look like in our life, what does this power do for us, and is it possible that we’re power deficient?

Ben DiStefanofacCOMMSApril 26, 2026Acts

In Power | Week 2: Alive In Power | Acts 2:1–13, 36–41

In Power | Week 2: Alive In Power | Acts 2:1–13, 36–41

Join us as we continue our new series “In Power.” We’ll investigate how to be alive in power based on the early church as found in the book of Acts.

Ben DiStefanofacCOMMSApril 19, 2026Acts

In Power | Week 1: Authority and Power | Acts 1:1–8

In Power | Week 1: Authority and Power | Acts 1:1–8

Join us as we begin a new series ”In Power”. We’ll investigate how to be alive in power based on the early church as found in the book of Acts.

Ben DiStefanofacCOMMSApril 12, 2026Acts

A View to the Cross | Part 5: MADE ALIVE! | Luke 24:1–12

A View to the Cross | Part 5: MADE ALIVE! | Luke 24:1–12

In Jesus, God takes dead things and brings new life to them. What we believe is dead, is made alive through Jesus Christ. This Sunday, we celebrate the resurrection of our Savior. Easter Sunday gives us the greatest news we could ever imagine—that death comes to life in Jesus.

Ben DiStefanofacCOMMSApril 5, 2026Luke

A View to the Cross | Part 2: Fully Surrendered | Luke 9:57–62

A View to the Cross | Part 2: Fully Surrendered | Luke 9:57–62

Many of us have been encouraged to “take Jesus with you” into every area of our lives—work, home, school, etc. While that’s not necessarily a bad idea, Jesus’ original idea is much better.

Join us this Sunday as we continue our series titled “A View to the Cross” learning about some important lessons from Jesus as we approach Easter Sunday.

Ben DiStefanofacCOMMSMarch 22, 2026Luke

A View to the Cross | Part 1: Pivotal Moments | Matthew 16:13–21

A View to the Cross | Part 1: Pivotal Moments | Matthew 16:13–21

Can you believe that Easter is only 3 weeks away? In the days leading up to what we call Easter Sunday, it is said that Jesus set his face towards Jerusalem (Luke 9:51). Over the next few weeks, what would happen if we turned our attention to the teachings of Jesus as He made His way to the cross, the tomb, and the resurrection?

Join us this Sunday as we begin our new series, A View to the Cross, with a message on one of the most pivotal moments in history.

Ben DiStefanofacCOMMSMarch 15, 2026Matthew

Vision Sunday | Begin, Belong, Believe | 2 Timothy 2:1–2, 14–16, 22–26

Vision Sunday | Begin, Belong, Believe | 2 Timothy 2:1–2, 14–16, 22–26

Join us this Sunday as we take a look at the Vision that God has been impressing upon our leadership as we consider how FAC can move faithfully forward into the future.

Ben DiStefanofacCOMMSFebruary 22, 20262 Timothy

Five Prayers | Week 5: The Anxious Prayer | Philippians 4:2–9

Five Prayers | Week 5: The Anxious Prayer | Philippians 4:2–9

For all of us, over the years, there have been a number of anxious moments–from career paths, to marriage and family, to launching the kids into their own lives, and our own health scares.

Join us as we continue our prayer series and as we look at The Anxious Prayer–how we handle the anxiety that comes with life.

Ben DiStefanofacCOMMSFebruary 8, 2026Philippians

Five Prayers | Week 4: Our Posture in Prayer | 2 Chronicles 7:14

Five Prayers | Week 4: Our Posture in Prayer | 2 Chronicles 7:14

Join us this week as we continue our prayer series and look at the importance of reading Scripture in context and discovering some prayer postures that we can use in our own prayer life.

Ben DiStefanofacCOMMSFebruary 1, 20262 Chronicles

Five Prayers | Week 1: The Prayer of Jabez | 1 Chronicles 4:9–10

Five Prayers | Week 1: The Prayer of Jabez | 1 Chronicles 4:9–10

Maybe you remember a craze in the early 2000s where Christian publishing was all in on the prayer of Jabez. From coffee mugs to neckties, this prayer was reprinted over and over again. I’m not sure the message of the passage survived the marketing. What is the heart of this prayer, and what can we learn from this short prayer in the Old Testament?

Join us this Sunday as we begin our look at Five Prayers we can be praying in our lives.

Ben DiStefanofacCOMMSJanuary 11, 20261 Chronicles

Five Prayers | Introduction: Elevate Your Vision | Psalm 121

Five Prayers | Introduction: Elevate Your Vision | Psalm 121

As Christians, we believe that prayer is central to the Christian life. Scripture says we should “pray without ceasing”.

Dive into God’s Word as we start the new year off with a sermon series on prayer.

Ben DiStefanofacCOMMSJanuary 4, 2026Psalms

Heaven and Nature Sing | Luke 2:10–20 | Christmas Eve

Heaven and Nature Sing | Luke 2:10–20 | Christmas Eve

Do you remember the greatest gift you ever received as a kid—the one given with so much love and thought that it stayed with you long after the wrapping paper was gone? Scripture tells us that God’s greatest gift was given the same way, from a heart of deep love and with our very best in mind. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son,” a Savior born not just for a moment, but for eternity.

This Christmas, the question isn’t whether the gift has been given—but whether we’re willing to open it and truly receive the good news of great joy.

Ben DiStefanofacCOMMSDecember 24, 2025Luke

Heaven and Nature Sing | Advent Week 3: Song of JOY | Psalm 32

Heaven and Nature Sing | Advent Week 3: Song of JOY | Psalm 32

Our Advent series continues as Pastor Ben shares with us some of the elements necessary to compose a song of JOY in our lives.

Ben DiStefanofacCOMMSDecember 14, 2025Psalms

Heaven and Nature Sing | Advent Week 2: Song of PEACE | Isaiah 9:6–7a

Heaven and Nature Sing | Advent Week 2: Song of PEACE | Isaiah 9:6–7a

This Sunday, we continue in our Advent series, this week looking at the theme of Peace. In Jesus, we have the PEACE of heaven brought to the hearts of all people.

Ben DiStefanofacCOMMSDecember 7, 2025Isaiah

Heaven and Nature Sing | Advent Week 1: Song of HOPE | Luke 1:5–25

Heaven and Nature Sing | Advent Week 1: Song of HOPE | Luke 1:5–25

This week, we look at the idea of HOPE that at times feels so fragile in the world we live in.

Ben DiStefanofacCOMMSNovember 30, 2025Luke

Lessons Learned | Mark 6:45–51

Lessons Learned | Mark 6:45–51

This Sunday, PASTOR BEN RETURNS and shares with us what the Lord has been reminding him of over the last number of months. His message centers on Mark 6:45–51 as we see the profound power and presence of Jesus in our lives.

Ben DiStefanofacCOMMSNovember 23, 2025Mark

Grace Upon Grace | Week 8: More Than We Can Imagine | Ephesians 3:14–21 | 6/15/25

Grace Upon Grace | Week 8: More Than We Can Imagine | Ephesians 3:14–21 | 6/15/25

Ben DiStefanofacCOMMSJune 15, 2025Ephesians