I hope you have a chance to enjoy this lovely evening. In our reading yesterday we read how Paul was stoned and left for dead by an angry crowd. Today he and Barnabas continue their journey by returning to the churches in the region they have worked to encourage them. Having faced persecution, Paul's words to the other believers that the way to God's kingdom goes through suffering are poignant since he has been on both sides of persecution. The second paragraph features Paul and Barnabas returning to their home town church in Antioch. In many ways this is my dream for Laurelton, that we would go out in ministry from the church and come back each week to tell the stories of what God is doing and find encouragement together.
God bless you in your ministry,
Sam
Acts
14:21-28
The next day he went on with Barnabas
to Derbe. 21 After they had proclaimed the good news to that city and had
made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, then on to Iconium and Antioch. 22There
they strengthened the souls of the disciples and encouraged them to continue in
the faith, saying, ‘It is through many persecutions that we must enter the
kingdom of God.’ 23And after they had appointed elders for them in
each church, with prayer and fasting they entrusted them to the Lord in whom
they had come to believe.
24 Then they passed through
Pisidia and came to Pamphylia. 25When they had spoken the word in
Perga, they went down to Attalia. 26From there they sailed back to
Antioch, where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work that they had completed. 27When
they arrived, they called the church together and related all that God had done
with them, and how he had opened a door of faith for the Gentiles. 28And
they stayed there with the disciples for some time.
No comments:
Post a Comment