Paul at the Jerusalem Council
Read: Acts 15:1-31 So, being sent on their way by the church, they passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and brought great joy to all the brothers. (v. 3) Paul’s first missionary journey was a tremendous success, and it had brought great joy because non-Jewish people, the […]
Mistaken for Gods
Read: Acts 14:8-28 Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. (v. 12) I have been mistaken for someone once. Unfortunately, it was not a Greek god, like with Paul and Barnabas. It was Glen Campbell. I never really saw the resemblance, but it was a thrill being mistaken for […]
Perseverance in Preaching
Read: Acts 14:1-7 . . . they continued to preach the gospel. (v. 7) During a Monday night football game between the Chicago Bears and the New York Giants, one of the announcers observed that the Chicago running back, Walter Payton, had accumulated more than nine miles in career rushing yardage. The other announcer then […]
Joy in the Midst of Difficulty
Read: Acts 13:42-52 And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed. (v. 48) I once knew a missionary couple who had some very difficult trials. First, they were sent to a country in South America where a […]
Paul the Preacher
Read: Acts 13:13-41 So Paul stood up, and motioning with his hand said: “Men of Israel and you who fear God, listen.” (v. 16) In Romans 1:16, Paul said: “I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also […]
The Mission to Cyprus
Read: Acts 13:4-12 So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus. (v. 4) In Mark 5, Jesus healed a man with an unclean spirit. As Jesus was getting into a boat, the man started begging to go along. He was so captivated by […]
Going Global
Read: Acts 13:1-3 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” (v. 2) When Jesus ascended into heaven, he spoke these parting words: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the […]
Biking for Words of Hope
As registration for our Near + Far 5K takes off, Words of Hope had one of our Board of Directors take physical activity to the next level: Doug Van Beek had an idea to do his own Bike-A-Thon as a way to raise money for Words of Hope! Doug is going to ride his bike […]
Barnabas to the Rescue
Read: Acts 9:26-31 But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. (v. 27) I once knew someone whose earlier days were full of embarrassing drunken displays and obscenities. Then one day I heard that this man had become a pastor. My response was disbelief. Yet, according to reliable reports, he is now serving […]