DID YOU KNOW After everything Paul endures in Acts, we might expect the book to close with a final account of his trial. Instead, Luke leaves him in Rome, receiving visitors and teaching about Jesus. The ending invites us to look beyond Paul’s fate to the message he carried. Read alongside Malachi and Job, itContinue reading “The Story Keeps Moving”
Tag Archives: Christian witness
When the Witness Becomes an Invitation
DID YOU KNOW Paul stood before King Agrippa as a prisoner, yet his defense became an invitation to consider Jesus. That turn is easier to understand when we read it alongside Zechariah’s vision of mourning and cleansing and Job’s insistence that integrity matters even where others cannot see it. The settings differ, but each passageContinue reading “When the Witness Becomes an Invitation”
When the World Goes Wrong, What Shall We Do?
DID YOU KNOW There are seasons when the brokenness around us becomes difficult to ignore. We see dishonesty rewarded, vulnerable people mistreated, public trust weakened, and spiritual convictions exchanged for convenience. Our first response may be anger, discouragement, or withdrawal. We wonder whether speaking will accomplish anything, whether silence would be safer, or whether theContinue reading “When the World Goes Wrong, What Shall We Do?”
Faith Was Never Meant to Hide
DID YOU KNOW The Christian life calls us to humility, but humility must not be confused with invisibility. Making much of God certainly requires making less of ourselves, yet we can misuse that truth as permission to remain silent when Christ should be confessed. Acts 9 presents a newly converted Paul who does not retreatContinue reading “Faith Was Never Meant to Hide”
Faithful Before the Spotlight
DID YOU KNOW Did you know that Stephen’s powerful public witness began with quiet service to overlooked widows? When Stephen first appears in Acts 6, he is not standing before the Sanhedrin, preaching to a crowd, or performing signs and wonders. He is selected to help oversee the daily distribution of food to widows. ThisContinue reading “Faithful Before the Spotlight”
Pentecost Was Only the First Basket
DID YOU KNOW “And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” —Acts 2:4 Beginnings awaken something within us. A new ministry, friendship, school year, or opportunity carries an energy that can be difficult to sustain once the unfamiliar becomes ordinary. ActsContinue reading “Pentecost Was Only the First Basket”
When the Messenger Refuses the Spotlight
In the Life of Christ There is something wonderfully refreshing about John the Baptist in Luke 3:15–20. The crowds are beginning to wonder whether John might actually be the Messiah. That would have been an intoxicating moment for almost anyone. Imagine people beginning to whisper that perhaps you are the person God has promised forContinue reading “When the Messenger Refuses the Spotlight”
The Light Was Never Meant to Stay Hidden
DID YOU KNOW There is a temptation among Christians to wait for the “right moment” to talk about what Christ has done. We imagine that one day the conversation will open perfectly, the circumstances will be ideal, our words will be polished, and we will feel completely ready. But Jesus never taught His followers toContinue reading “The Light Was Never Meant to Stay Hidden”
WHEN PEACE BECOMES PART OF YOUR ARMOR
On Second Thought “But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.” —1 Peter 3:15 When we picture spiritual warfare, we often imagine conflict, resistance, and dramaticContinue reading “WHEN PEACE BECOMES PART OF YOUR ARMOR”
A SMALL WORD THAT OPENS THE HEART
As the Day Begins “A man hath joy by the answer of his mouth: and a word spoken in due season, how good is it!” —Proverbs 15:23 We sometimes imagine that God’s greatest work must begin with something dramatic—a powerful sermon, an unmistakable miracle, or a crisis that brings us to our knees. Yet ProverbsContinue reading “A SMALL WORD THAT OPENS THE HEART”