A growing church - Day 5

1 Corinthians 5:9-10 (New International Version)

⁹I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— ¹⁰not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world.

The Corinthians misinterpreted Paul's advice, so he had to set them straight. Apparently they had lots of fellowship with other Christians, but no meaningful contact with non-Christians. (Sounds like churches today.) We must keep each other accountable in our churches; but sometimes churches become so self-focused that non-Christians won't go near them. God wants us among other people so they can see the difference God makes in our lives. And if we're going to be effective then this interaction needs to be up close and personal. but don't try to do this alone. All believers need to act as one to interact with a lost and dying world. Otherwise, all our salt will end up back in the saltshaker on Sundays and have no real impact on the world on a day-to-day basis.

Do you have any contact with nonbelievers? Who?

Ask God to show you how to build positive and meaningful relationships with the non-Christians in your world.

A growing church - Day 4

Acts 13:1-5 (New International Version)

Barnabas and Saul Sent Off

¹In the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul. ²While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." ³So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.

On Cyprus

⁴The two of them, sent on their way by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia and sailed from there to Cyprus. ⁵When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. John was with them as their helper.


Over the course of his ministry, Paul went on three missionary journeys and covered thousands of miles sharing the gospel. He wanted the message of salvation to reach as many people as possible, and he didn't mind making a long trip to accomplish that goal. How about you? God may call you to go on a short-term mission trip or even to spend a summer away from home so you can share the gospel with others who don't know Christ. There's lots of work to be done at home, but God's call to all of us is to take the good news to the ends of the earth. If believers don't go, then that goal won't be accomplished.

Pray about whether God wants to use you in mission work in the near future.

Pray for those who are serving as Paul did and taking the gospel to new places.

A growing church - Day 3

Matthew 5:13-16 (New International Version)

Salt and Light

¹³"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.

¹⁴"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. ¹⁶In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

No matter what our spiritual gifts are, all of us are called to share Christ with others. Some of us may be better at it than others, but each Christian has this responsibility. Are you willing to do your part? Unless we make witnessing a core value of our lives, we'll probably be distracted and never get around to witnessing to people. it's easy enough to let other people share their faith, but God wants all of us to be committed to bringing people to Christ. If the Church grows, then it will be because all of us are sharing our faith.

Spend some time thinking about why it's so important to share your faith.

Then think about some ways you can begin reaching out to the people for whom you have a burden. Write some ideas for doing so in your journal.

If you don't have this burden, then ask God to give it to you.

A growing church - Day 2

John 4:21-26 (New International Version)

²¹Jesus declared, "Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. ²²You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. ²³Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. ²⁴God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth."

²⁵The woman said, "I know that Messiah" (called Christ) "is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us."

²⁶Then Jesus declared, "I who speak to you am he."

Jews and Samaritans didn't get along. Although the Samaritans were descendants of Jews, they'd intermarried with pagan people and were considered not true Jews. But in today's Scripture passage, Jews showed how the gospel overcomes such barriers. Jesus was ready to share the good news with people with whom other Jews would not associate. And back in Week 13, we saw Philip go to this region to share about Jesus' resurrection (Acts 8).

If we're going to spread the gospel, then we have to tear down boundaries that seperate us from others. Factors such as race, social and economic status, and different religious beliefs sometimes keep us isolated. But as believers, we have to be willing to cross those barriers for the sake of the gospel.

What's the hardest barrier for you to overcome in sharing you faith.

Ask Jesus to help you overcome these barriers for the sake of the gospel.

A growing church - Day 1

Acts 11:19-26 (New International Version)

The Church in Antioch

¹⁹Now those who had been scattered by the persecution in connection with Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, telling the message only to Jews. ²⁰Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus. ²¹The Lord's hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.

²²News of this reached the ears of the church at Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. ²³When he arrived and saw the evidence of the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts. ²⁴He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord.

²⁵Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, ²⁶and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.

Since we've never lived in Israel, the names of places can all run together. But the Bible records them for a reason. Antioch wasn't in Israel; it was in Syria. It was filled with Gentiles, not Jews. The gospel was bursting past the borders of ancient Israel and beginning to spread to the rest of the world. All of a sudden the makeup of the church was becoming remarkably diverse. There were people of all kinds coming into the church - so many that they were becoming a totally new entity. And once their numbers became large enough, people invented a name for them - a name you and I now share with these early followers of Christ: Christian.

How do you react when people who are very different from you join your church?

Do people in your school see a difference between Christians and non-Christians?

Do your actions show that Christians are different? How?

Week 17: A growing church

The church at Antioch

MEMORY VERSE
The Lord's hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.
(Acts 11:21)

INTRODUCTION
I don't know about you but I'm continually amazed at how quickly babies grow. You see them one month, and they're small and helpless. Then just a few months later, they're walking, talking and generally creating havoc wherever they go.

Amazing.

Most of us have stopped growing by now, so maybe we don't appreciate this as much. I'm sure God meant for babies to stop growing at a certain point, but not the church.

In Acts 11:9-26, we see the Church multiplying and growing exponentially as the gospel moves into new areas. This growth is explosive as the Church tears down the barriers of cultural prejudice, geographical isolation, racial division, and social opposition. This is what God desires for his kingdom - to be continually expanding and bringing more people into the knowledge of Christ.

The same Holy Spirit who inspired this expansion is continuing to work in us today. Many of the barriers faced by the early Church members still threaten us, but they can be torn down just as easily through the Holy Spirit's power.

This week we're going to find out that God wants to use us to reach the world by multiplying the number of believers in our churches.

From Jews to Gentiles, Day 5

⁶So when they met together, they asked him, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?"

⁷He said to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. ⁸But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

(Acts 1: 6-8)

God could have sent Jesus to every part of the world to tell them about salvation, but instead God chose to send you. Part of our job as the church is to take the message of Jesus to all those who've not heard it. There are more than 1 billion people on the planet today who literally have no idea who Jesus is. They have no hope that they can be saved from their own sin. God is sending us out - just as he sent the first disciples - to share the good news with a lost world. God loves them and desperately wants them to know salvation. If this is God's heart, then it should be ours as well.

Have you felt God calling you to share the gospel with people outside your culture?

How can you do that this week...this month...this year?

Ask God to show you where he wants to use you.

From Jews to Gentiles, Day 4

³ Jonah obeyed the word of the LORD and went to Nineveh. Now Nineveh was a very important city—a visit required three days. ⁴ On the first day, Jonah started into the city. He proclaimed: "Forty more days and Nineveh will be overturned." ⁵ The Ninevites believed God. They declared a fast, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth.

⁶ When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust. ⁷ Then he issued a proclamation in Nineveh:
"By the decree of the king and his nobles:
Do not let any man or beast, herd or flock, taste anything; do not let them eat or drink. ⁸ But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence. ⁹ Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish."

¹⁰ When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he had compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction he had threatened.

Jonah 4

Jonah's Anger at the Lord 's Compassion

¹ But Jonah was greatly displeased and became angry. ² He prayed to the LORD, "O LORD, is this not what I said when I was still at home? That is why I was so quick to flee to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. ³ Now, O LORD, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live."

⁴ But the LORD replied, "Have you any right to be angry?"

(Jonah 3:3 - 4:4)

Most of us know about Jonah's aquatic adventures (see Jonah 1 and 2)), but here we find the rest of the story. When Jonah finally obeyed God and preaches to the Ninevites, they changed their ways. Instead of being thrilled, Jonah pouted. He hated the Ninevites and would rather have seen them destroyed. Again, here we have an example of God's compassion for all people, even a brutal people such as the Ninevites.

Prejudice has no place in the church because it has no place in the heart of God. If god can forgive all people, then we must as well. But if the prophets can suffer from prejudice, then so can we.

If God told you to share his love with someone you really despised, could you do it?

Ask God to change your heart so you can love the people the way God does.

From Jews to Gentiles, Day 3

¹My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. ²He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.

³We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands.

(1 John 2:1-3)

Humans are diverse. We have different languages, heritages, customs, and appearances. We live in different environments. But there's one thing we all share in common: Our sin nature. It affects everyoen, and in that respect it's the great equalizer. No one can say she is without sin, and no one can overcome it by her own efforts. John reminds believers to remember where they came from (they used to be lost in sin) and to keep doors open for others. Jesus came to save people who are struggling with sin. That includes everyone. If we're going to be the church of Jesus Christ, then our doors have to remain open to everyone.

Now that you are saved, do you tend to look down on people who aren't?

Ask Jesus to show you how to love all people, not just those you love now.

From Jews to Gentiles, Day 2

The Call of Abram

¹ The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you.

² "I will make you into a great nation
and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
and you will be a blessing.

³ I will bless those who bless you,
and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth
will be blessed through you."

(Genesis 12: 1-3)

Peter thought God's openness to the Gentiles was new, but God had wanted this from the beginning. Abraham was the father of the Jewish people. (Remember that children's song "Father Abraham"?) God told Abraham that he'd father a nation and his children would be special - God's people. But look at today's passage. God told Abraham his desire: That "all peoples on earth will be blessed through you" (verse 3). This was God's plan all along - that everyone could be blessed and have a relationship with him.

If God loves everyone, then how should you treat people outside your race, color, or national background?

Pray that God will help you realize that all people are God's people and that the biggest difference is that some are lost and some are saved.

From Jews to Gentiles, Day 1

Peter's Vision

⁹About noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray. ¹⁰He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. ¹¹He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. ¹²It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles of the earth and birds of the air. ¹³Then a voice told him, "Get up, Peter. Kill and eat."

¹⁴"Surely not, Lord!" Peter replied. "I have never eaten anything impure or unclean."

¹⁵The voice spoke to him a second time, "Do not call anything impure that God has made clean."

¹⁶This happened three times, and immediately the sheet was taken back to heaven.

¹⁷While Peter was wondering about the meaning of the vision, the men sent by Cornelius found out where Simon's house was and stopped at the gate. ¹⁸They called out, asking if Simon who was known as Peter was staying there.

¹⁹While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, "Simon, three men are looking for you. ²⁰So get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them."

²¹Peter went down and said to the men, "I'm the one you're looking for. Why have you come?"

²²The men replied, "We have come from Cornelius the centurion. He is a righteous and God-fearing man, who is respected by all the Jewish people. A holy angel told him to have you come to his house so that he could hear what you have to say." ²³Then Peter invited the men into the house to be his guests.

Peter at Cornelius' House

The next day Peter started out with them, and some of the brothers from Joppa went along. ²⁴The following day he arrived in Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends. ²⁵As Peter entered the house, Cornelius met him and fell at his feet in reverence. ²⁶But Peter made him get up. "Stand up," he said, "I am only a man myself."

²⁷Talking with him, Peter went inside and found a large gathering of people. ²⁸He said to them: "You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with a Gentile or visit him. But God has shown me that I should not call any man impure or unclean. ²⁹So when I was sent for, I came without raising any objection. May I ask why you sent for me?"

³⁰Cornelius answered: "Four days ago I was in my house praying at this hour, at three in the afternoon. Suddenly a man in shining clothes stood before me ³¹and said, 'Cornelius, God has heard your prayer and remembered your gifts to the poor. ³²Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. He is a guest in the home of Simon the tanner, who lives by the sea.' ³³So I sent for you immediately, and it was good of you to come. Now we are all here in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has commanded you to tell us."

³⁴Then Peter began to speak: "I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism ³⁵but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right. ³⁶You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, telling the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. ³⁷You know what has happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached— ³⁸how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.

³⁹"We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a tree, ⁴⁰but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen. ⁴¹He was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had already chosen—by us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. ⁴²He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead. ⁴³All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name."

⁴⁴While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. ⁴⁵The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles. ⁴⁶For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God.

Then Peter said, ⁴⁷"Can anyone keep these people from being baptized with water? They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have." ⁴⁸So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked Peter to stay with them for a few days.

Acts 10: 9-48

You have to give god credit for being dramatic. But why all the theatrics here? Because this event was a big turning point for Peter - and for Christianity. Peter had followed the Law, and as far as he understood it, there were some things you could and couldn't eat. The same was true for people: Some were considered to be God's people, and some were not. In even simpler terms: Jewish people were, and everyone else wasn't. So God started with something less important (food) and then moved to something very important (people) to help Peter understand. Petergot the message: God loves all people - not just Jews - and God wants all of them to be his people. Peter resisted this thought at first. But it was unmistakable what God was telling him, so he changed his mind. God's love is for all people, not just a chosen few.

How would you react if God asked you to change your mind about something you've always believed?

Is there any place in your life where you believe some people are more important than others? Why?

How does this passage help you deal with that?

Week 16: From Jews to Gentiles

Peter and Cornelius

MEMORY VERSE
"We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a tree, but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen. (Acts 10: 39-40)


INTRODUCTION
It's hard for me to believe that people once thought the earth was flat or that it was the center of the universe. Imagine you'd believed the earth was flat all of your life. How much would it have changed your reality if someone told you the world was actually a big ball circling a gigantic star and that all those tiny pinpricks in the night sky were stars hundreds of times bigger than the earth?

I imagine the Jews in Acts felt the same type of reality check when they found out that Go wasn't interested in them only, but wanted to save the whole world They saw themselves as "the chosen people," but now God was calling them to open the doors to allow non-Jews to receive salvation in Jesus Christ.

In Acts 10 we read that God gave Peter a specific vision to make him realize that salvation was for all people, not just the Jews. The result of this revelation was an explosion of evangelism that quickly moved beyond Israel's borders and began to echo around the world. That shockwave is still expanding as the gospel is shared with people who've never heard it.

Some people say the gospel is too exclusive since it requires belief in Jesus. On the contrary, the gospel is one of the most inclusive of all faiths because it's open to anyone who believes.

this week we'll look at the heart of God and his message of love and peace. We'll also see where we fit into God's plan as he sends his gospel to all the nations.

The apostle to the Gentiles, Day 5

Pressing on Toward the Goal

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3: 12-14)


It's tempting to put our leaders on pedestals. They can do more than we can, so we tend to idolize them. Because of that, we can also look down on ourselves. Paul knew the Philippians might begin thinking more of him than they should, so he reminds them that he's growing in Christ as well. Our mentors and leaders aren't better than we are, they've just had more time to work at it than we have. We'll be able to know God as well as they do if we're as diligent as they've been. They aren't superhuman; they're just committed. God uses them as role models to show us it can be done. If we follow in their footsteps, then we'll see the same power and joy in our own lives.

How are you pressing on to be like Christ?

Thank God for the spiritual leaders he's put in you life to show you the way.

The apostle to the Gentiles, Day 4

Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly—mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere men? For when one says, "I follow Paul," and another, "I follow Apollos," are you not mere men? What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. (1 Corinthians 2: 1-5)

For some say, "His letters are weighty and forceful, but in person he is unimpressive and his speaking amounts to nothing." (2 Corinthians 10:10)

We don't know what Paul looked like. From the amazing impact he ahd on so many people, it's tempting to imagine him as a dashing charismatic figure. But the clues in Scripture say otherwise. Paul was most likely not very attractive, and he wasn't even the best communicator. Many speakers of that day dressed well and gave incredibly entertaining speeches. Paul was criticized for not being more like them. Paul wasn't interested in entertainment; he was interested in the power of God. Who do you listen to? If you listen only to those who entertain you, then you might hear an interesting speech, but you'll miss out on people like Paul - and that's where the real spiritual power is.

Spend some time reflecting on where God is moving around you.

Could God be moving you in unexpected ways?

Keep your eyes open for God to speak to you through anyone and anything today, not just in the places you'd expect.

The apostle to the Gentiles, Day 3

For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh— though I myself have reasons for such confidence.

If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless.

But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. (Phillippians 3:3-11)

If you looked at Paul from a religious perspective, then you'd see the perfect minister. Any Israelite of that day would've envied Paul and probably assumed he was a very holy man just by his pedigree. it would be the equivalent of growing up in church, having Billy Graham for your dad, getting straight As in seminary, never getting in trouble and always knowing the right answers in church. Paul basically had all of that going for him, but he saw it as useless. In other words, none of that stuff changed him. It was his relationship with Jesus that mattered, not his polished reputation. Anyone can think you're holy, but what matters is that you really know Jesus.

Read verses 7 through 10 again.
But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,
Try to understand Paul's heart as he wrote that.

Do you feel the way Paul felt?

Ask God to help you truly know him.

The apostle to the Gentiles, Day 2

Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes,

To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ—their Lord and ours:

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful. (1 Corinthians 1: 1-3, 9)

I was always confused when people said they had a "calling from God." I didn't doubt them because Paul obviously had a calling. He even uses the phrase "called to be an apostle" in today's passage. But notice that we also have a general calling. In verse 2 Paul reminds us that all believers have a calling from God to be pure. And we should pursue the calling we've already received. But will god ever call you as Paul was called? Maybe. Callings are very unique, and God uses a variety of ways to help us understand God's specific will. Don't expect Paul's experience, though; look for God's work as it specifically relates to your own life.

Do you feel God may be calling you to some form of specific service?

Ask God to make that calling clear to you. Talk to your pastor or another respected Christian leader for guidance.

The apostle to the Gentiles, Day 1

Saul's Conversion

Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord's disciples. He went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?"

"Who are you, Lord?" Saul asked.

"I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting," he replied. "Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do."

The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone. Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.

In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, "Ananias!"
"Yes, Lord," he answered.

The Lord told him, "Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight."

"Lord," Ananias answered, "I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem. And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name."

But the Lord said to Ananias, "Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name."

Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, "Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit." Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, ¹⁹and after taking some food, he regained his strength. (Acts 9:1-19)

This is one of the most famous stories in the Bible. In fact, it shows up three times just in the book of Acts (see chapters 22 and 26). Why so often? This was Paul's defining moment when his whole life changed. Before this point Paul thought he was working for God, but he discovered he was doing just the opposite. The great thing is that God came to him anyway. Paul knew God loved him, had forgiven him, and was sending him on a mission of great importance. He knew it would cause him pain and probably cost him his life, but it was worth it to serve a God who could love a sinner like him.

What was your conversion like?

How has it changed your life?

Who have you told your conversion story to lately?

Ask God to show you where you could share your story with someone this week.

Week 15: The apostle to the Gentiles

The conversion of Saul

MEMORY VERSE
He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?"

"Who are you, Lord?" Saul asked.

"I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting," he replied. "Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do." (Acts 9: 4-6)

INTRODUCTION
You can't talk about the New Testament without talking about Paul. In fact, Christianity wouldn't be the same without the life, writings, and influence of the apostle of the Gentiles. Something happened in the life of this one man that served as a turning point in history. Acts 9:1-19 records the amazing conversion of this great man - the transformation of "Saul the zealous Pharisee" to "Paul the crusader for Christ."

Paul's influence cannot be measured. Fulfilling God's will from the beginning. Paul got to be God's vessel to take the message of salvation to all people - not just the Jews. Paul was the first missionary to the rest of us. Part average Joe, part fierce debater , and part loving pastor. Paul's unique character and background made him the perfect choice as the apostle to everyone. Furthermore, god inspired Paul in his writings. He ultimately left behind 13 letters in our Scriptures.

As you read the book of Acts, you see the depth of conviction of this persecutor-turned-true-believer. And he's everywhere: in the marketplace,talking to ordinary folks, in the synagogue debating religious leaders, and on the road spreading the gospel from Asia to Europe.

This week we're going to look at the conversion of the Church's first and greatest theologian, and find out why God is still using Paul in our lives today.