“Ambassador in Chains” Acts 21:27-36

These days, from time to time we hear about folks accused of doing things someone else had done.  A case of mistaken identity they call it.  That’s not what we see in Jerusalem that day.   The crowd of Asian Jews definitely had the right guy.  Paul was certainly who they thought he was.  He was [...]

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“The Law & Salvation” Acts 21:17-26

I rather doubt that Paul ever told Jews to ignore Moses and the Law, which was the rumor circulating about Paul among Jewish believers in Jerusalem.  
Paul said that the law was good, but he also reminded Jew and Gentile alike that it didn’t save.  The law, Paul said, was extremely helpful in teaching us our need for [...]

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“The Lord’s Will Be Done” Acts 21:1-16

We tend to base our decisions on the avoidance of risk or pain. “Wisdom” is defined by safety or profit rather than by what is right.
In this passage, we see that Paul patterned his life after Jesus. He did not choose the safe or easy path but rather the right path. His [...]

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“Rich” Ephesians 1:15-23; 3:14-21

One of the idols we worship in our culture is wealth.  We want to be rich. 
Paul says, “We are rich beyond our imagination!  If you could just see it and value it!” 
So he prayed for the Ephesians: “I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know…the [...]

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“Living with Abandon” Acts 20:13-38

To “live with abandon” means to live in complete surrender to something, with complete disregard for anything else.  Usually, this abandon refers to following our natural instincts with total disregard for any moral restrictions.  This, of course, is inevitably disastrous.   
Paul lived with abandon, but not to his natural instincts.  He lived with abandon to the task God had [...]

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“People, Places and Preaching” Acts 20:1-12

In today’s passage, we get a feel for what it would have been like to have been among Paul’s ministry team.  In a few verses, we travel with Paul to five separate locations.  Beginning in Ephesus, we make our way to Macedonia, Greece, Syria, back through Macedonia, into Philippi and stop in Troas.  Along the [...]

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“What a Riot” Acts 19:23-41

I think this is a great story.  The characters are a riot and true to life.
Demetrius:  He sounds all pious about the worship of Artemis, but that is just a smoke screen.  He’s into religion for a profit.  He sure does know how to push the hot buttons, though.
The crowd:  They’re hysterical, shouting “Great is [...]

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“Revival” Acts 19:1-22

After the sons of Sceva got a whuppin’ by a demon-possessed man, a revival broke out in Ephesus. That’s an odd start, but the tell-tale signs were there. The believers experienced a genuine fear of God that caused them to radically repent of their sins, most of which had to do with what [...]

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“Teachability” Acts 18:18-28

Apollos was intelligent and gifted, but he needed some mentoring.  He didn’t have all the facts, and he needed some direction.  Evidently, as smart and talented as he was, he humbly and thankfully accepted the correction and help of Aquilla and Priscilla.  Apollos became very effective and fruitful in his witness for Jesus because he was teachable.  This is a good reminder for all [...]

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“Be reconciled to God” 2 Cor. 5:11-21

Reconciliation is hard work, maybe the hardest work of all.
Here’s the amazing thing.  Even though it was our sin that alienated us from God, it was God who did all the hard work to reconcile us to himself.  He took the offense of our sin upon himself, making forgiveness possible.  All we have to do [...]

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