How can American Christians hope to speak the truth into our increasingly secular, culturally diverse modern society? Well, the challenge Paul faced in Ancient Athens was quite similar. After all, up to that point in his ministry, he had always gone to the synagogues, speaking to Jews and Gentiles who…

How you listen is perhaps more important than what you hear. Classroom teachers know all too well that preparing quality lessons is only half of the educational battle – students have to engage with the subject matter by paying attention and asking questions about what they don’t understand if they…

So, why doesn’t everyone think the gospel is good news? Today, many people reject the claims of Christ because they don’t want to change their behaviors. Others maintain their trust in sex or drugs or money or politics to give them happiness, so they refuse to turn from these idols…

Sometimes, as we saw yesterday in the case of Lydia, God speaks to people through gentle persuasion, convincing them of the truth of the claims of Christ. Sometimes, He has to do something dramatic and miraculous, as we see today. And perhaps it took a lot to get through to…

How can you reach out to people with whom you have little in common? It’s never been easy to communicate across racial, cultural and socio-economic barriers, but that was Paul’s challenge when he met the first person who came to faith on the continent of Europe. For he was Jewish,…

It was an honest disagreement among earnest Christians. Barnabas wanted to give John Mark a second chance, but Paul understood the need for partners in mission to be reliable. Neither was willing to give ground, and there was simply no way to compromise – John Mark couldn’t go and not…

Okay, so you don’t have to be circumcised to join the Church. We all know that, but how did the early Church come to this decision? And how can their example help our congregations decide what to do in today’s changing and confusing world? First, this passage reminds us that…

In Lystra, no one could deny that the man had been lame from birth. And after his encounter with Paul, no one could deny that he was now able to walk. So, given the people’s belief in the ancient myths that told of how the gods occasionally took on human…

“If I could just see a miracle, I’d believe in Jesus.” If that thought has ever crossed your mind, take a closer look at today’s passage. For in two different towns, signs and wonders didn’t make believers out of everyone – in fact, for many people they had the opposite…

Why did so many of the Jews of Paul’s time refuse to believe that Jesus was their Messiah? Now, to be sure, many of them did in fact come to faith. When Paul came to Antioch in Pisidia (in the place we now call Turkey), he went into the synagogue…