Start by listening to the stories of others

When Paul spoke to the learned people in Athens, he noted that they had built a statue “to an unknown God!” (Acts 17:23). They had done this as a safety measure,  just in case they had missed out on one of the many gods – they wanted to cover all their bases. 

What I like about Paul's response to this statue is that he didn't dismiss their religious efforts outright, but rather used it as a bridge to the gospel of Jesus. We would be wise to use this approach even in our own lives as people are still seeking God today. Sadly they are not looking for God in the church, as the church may have failed a lot of people over the years. 

However, it is good to remember that we are not offering them the church (per se), we are offering them Jesus.

Philip Moore offers us this advice: “Luke tells us to stop dismissing people’s stories and instead use them to point people towards Jesus. When we listen for ways to build bridges and point out Jesus where people have missed him, opportunities to call people to repentance are never far away. God is looking for tour guides – ordinary people like you and me.”

What do you make of this? 

Whose story do you need to listen to today? 

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Not Far

"It is not far to go
for you are near.
It is not far to go,
for you are here.
And not by travelling, Lord,
men come to you,
but by way of love,
and we love you." - Amy Carmichael

Acts 17:27 - "God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us."

Living in Grace
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The mess it creates

We witnessed something today that revealed exactly how sin messes with God's created order. As I was taking the boys home in the car, we were caught in a slight traffic jam. The cause of the jam was a vehicle trying to make an illegal right turn across a busy intersection -all of this in peak hour traffic!

Needless to say he wasn't able to do it quickly as cars sped past, in both directions. His actions caused frustration and irritation with many drivers, until eventually someone got out their car to explain to the guy that he was doing something illegal and that in the process, he was causing a back-log of traffic.

In my mind, this is exactly what sin does - it causes havoc for a whole lot of people, not just the person steering the 'vehicle.' I may think that my actions are personal and only influencing my world, but I don't always see the trail of destruction that is left behind. For this reason, God doesn't condone sin - it destroys the sinner, as well as impacting innocent bystanders.

Romans 2:5 - But because you are stubborn and refuse to turn from your sin, you are storing up terrible punishment for yourself.

Acts 17:30 - “God overlooked people’s ignorance about these things in earlier times, but now he commands everyone everywhere to repent of their sins and turn to him."

What do you think?

Living in Grace
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You can be a Jason

In Acts 17 we read the story of Jason, who helped Paul and Silas when they were travelling through Thessalonika. We don't know much about him, except that he was brave enough to host "wanted men". The disciples were trying to keep a step or two ahead of the hired thugs, that were trying to drive them out the city - and Jason played a key role in sheltering them for a while. For me, he is an unsung hero of the New Testament. His actions may not seem to be that courageous, but for me they were brave. It was this bravery that nearly got him killed (read the story in Acts 17 to see what I mean).



“A hero is no braver than an ordinary man, but he is brave five minutes longer.” - R.W. Emerson. 

God may not call you to do something that will make headlines, but even our simple act of obedience may be the bravest thing we do today.

Thought: You can be a 'Jason' today!

Living in Grace
D3LM3