JXSW (Jesus by Southwest)
Acts 17:19-21 (HCSB) 19 They took him [Paul] and brought him to the Areopagus, and said, “May we learn about this new teaching you’re speaking of? 20 For what you say sounds strange to us, and we want to know what these ideas mean.” 21 Now all the Athenians and the foreigners residing there spent […]
The Gospel According to Wikipedia
Acts 17:10-12 (NIV) 10 As soon as it was night, the brothers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. On arriving there, they went to the Jewish synagogue. 11 Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to […]
Mobs, riots, and the Truth
Acts 17:5-9 (NIV) 5 But the Jews were jealous; so they rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace, formed a mob and started a riot in the city. They rushed to Jason’s house in search of Paul and Silas in order to bring them out to the crowd. 6 But when they did not […]
The Art of Persuasion
Acts 17:1-4 (NIV) 1 When they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. 2 As his custom was, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3 explaining and proving that the Christ had to suffer and […]
Open Season on Christians
Acts 16:35-39 (NIV) 35 When it was daylight, the magistrates sent their officers to the jailer with the order: “Release those men.” 36 The jailer told Paul, “The magistrates have ordered that you and Silas be released. Now you can leave. Go in peace.” 37 But Paul said to the officers: “They beat us publicly […]
Zoom Out
Acts 16:22-25 (NIV) 22 The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten. 23 After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. 24 Upon receiving such orders, he put them in the […]
On Demons, Money, and Lies
Acts 16:16-21 (NIV) 16 Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. 17 This girl followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These […]
The Church, the Gospel, and Women
Acts 16:13-15 (NIV) 13 On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there.14 One of those listening was a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the […]
Don’t Cut Corners
Acts 16:1-5 (NIV) 1 He [Paul] came to Derbe and then to Lystra, where a disciple named Timothy lived, whose mother was a Jewess and a believer, but whose father was a Greek. 2 The brothers at Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him. 3 Paul wanted to take him along on the journey, so […]
Strengthening Your Core
Acts 15:41 (NIV) 41 He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches. After the important church council of Acts 15, Paul and Barnabas head in different ministry directions. Luke follows Paul through Syria and Cilicia. Paul’s purpose: strengthening the church. I had a coach in college that insisted you were only as strong […]
Pass the bacon, please.
Acts 15:1-2 (NIV) 1 Some men came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the brothers: “Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved.” 2 This brought Paul and Barnabas into sharp dispute and debate with them. So Paul and Barnabas were appointed, along with some other […]
Learning to Lose
23 Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust. Acts 14:23 (NIV) The goal in sports is to win. But one of the most important lessons you learn as an athlete is how to lose. Because, […]
