Category: evangelism

Let’s Go Fish!

Mark 1:17 NIV for SGL

Old Testament: Numbers 17 & 18

Poetry: Job 15

New Testament: Mark 1

I used to own a pair of fish that my best friend gave me. I thought I was a decent fish owner. But then I went off to Australia for three weeks and when I returned, I came home to find that the slow-release food supply that I put into the tank, didn’t dissolve. My poor fish starved to death. Oops.

So your reservation to take seriously any of my mentioning of fish, fishing, or fishermen would totally be understandable.

But I ask that you hear me out, just this once, for this particular topic. After all, I did my due diligence and Googled some information.

Mark 1:17 says, “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.”

Being a fisherman was way back then and continues even today to be a daily job. Likewise, as we follow Jesus daily, our casting of nets should happen every day we are around others. If we are called to be fishers of men, all of our interactions need to be with the purpose of building relationships and showing others, verbally and nonverbally, what life with Jesus as our Lord looks like.

Peter and Andrew knew when the best time to go fishing was. According to www.takemefishing.org (I’m totally serious… ) the best time to fish is usually later on in the day. I know that there are probably a gazillion other variables that should be considered, so don’t go dismissing the bigger picture here. Later in the day, the fish are primed for feeding because their metabolism and digestion are roaring. There is a lesson for us here – in order for people to win others to Christ, they need to be primed. In God’s own timing, a person’s heart will be open to receive the Gospel. As fishers of men, we need to be praying for those opportunities to present themselves so we are able to discern what to say and when to say it.

We know from verse 16, that Simon (later called Peter) and his brother Andrew used nets for fishing. Not a pole, line and lure, but nets. They caught hundreds of fish at a time. When Jesus says that he will make us fishers of men, I think His intention is that we not just teach a few people about Jesus, but that we influence hundreds of people, over our lifetime, to consider what life as a follower of Jesus would look like.

We also know from verse 16, that fishing was not a solo effort. It demanded at least a pair to get the job done. Our faith is meant to be in a community. Yes, Jesus goes off to a solitary place in verse 35 of Chapter 1, but that doesn’t mean we live in a vacuum. Working and serving with other believers is how our faith is supposed to be carried out.

I fully admit that sharing the Gospel is not my strength. But as I read this verse, I became convicted that this is something that I need to take more seriously. That’s partly why I chose it to be the verse to memorize for the week. So even though it is a short verse and easy to commit to memory, it’s potential to change my life and the lives of those around me, is significant.

Wanna go fishin’?

-Bethany Ligon

(Originally posted for SeekGrowLove on September 11, 2017)

Reflection Questions

  1. How have you been helped by your fishing community? How can you help them?
  2. How committed are you to following Jesus and fishing for people? What do you find hardest about these jobs? What gets in the way?
  3. Pray to God about how He would like to see you fishing for men/people. What does it look like? When and where will it be done? Who will your fishing partners be?
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With all Boldness

Old Testament: Numbers 15 & 16

Poetry: Job 14

New Testament: Acts 28

At the end of the book of Acts we are following Paul in his ministry as he shares his testimony and all he is learning from God with established groups of believers as well as with those who have not yet heard the good news of Jesus Christ. He is told through a prophet that he will be bound by the Jewish leaders and sent to the Gentiles to share his story.  He is accused by the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem, then arrested and imprisoned while the Roman authorities try to figure out which side of the story to believe.  Over the course of Paul’s imprisonment he is moved to various cities and meets with several governors as well as King Agrippa.  Then finally he is sent to Rome.  During each of these transitions, Paul has an opportunity to share the story of his conversion…who he was…who he is and who he will continue to be through God’s grace.  Every time he is questioned he says something like the following phrase from Acts 23:1 “My brothers, I have fulfilled my duty to God in all good conscience to this day.” 

Paul faced so much opposition during this period of time and yet he continued to stand firm in his belief that God had a purpose for him which would be fulfilled no matter what…arrest, false accusations, storms, shipwrecks, imprisonment, isolation, death threats, nothing was going to stop God’s message from being spread.

As the book of Acts closes we are given a chance to witness Paul as he teaches a group of Jewish leaders in Rome. 

Acts 28:23-30

They arranged to meet Paul on a certain day, and came in even larger numbers
to the place where he was staying. He witnessed to them from morning till evening,
explaining about the kingdom of God, and from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets he tried to persuade them about Jesus. 24 Some were convinced by what he said, but others would not believe. 25 They disagreed among themselves and
began to leave after Paul had made this final statement: “The Holy Spirit spoke the truth to your ancestors when he said through Isaiah the prophet:

26
“‘Go to this people and say,
“You will be ever hearing but never understanding;
you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.”

27
For this people’s heart has become calloused;
they hardly hear with their ears,
and they have closed their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
hear with their ears,
understand with their hearts
and turn, and I would heal them.’[a]

28 “Therefore I want you to know that God’s salvation has been sent to the Gentiles,
and they will listen!” [29] [b]

30 For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all
who came to see him. 31 He proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ—with all boldness and without hindrance!

Some of those who were listening, heard Paul’s message and their lives were changed.  Others found that they couldn’t believe what Paul was preaching and left.  They heard but didn’t understand, they saw but didn’t allow comprehension. Paul kept right on teaching, preaching and sharing his mess so that God’s message could get through.

Oh to have Paul’s boldness and eloquence!  There are many times that we are provided the opportunity to share our own stories of faith with others and we often let them pass us by.  Are we afraid?  Maybe we don’t think they would be interested, or that we’ll be bothering them if we share.  Or maybe we don’t want to offend anyone…but if we are learning from Paul’s example, we need to be sharing our stories of faith regardless of the personal costs.  God’s message will be heard, don’t you want to be a part of that exciting adventure? I promise it’ll be a good one!

-Joyanne Swanson

(Originally posted for SeekGrowLove on November 8, 2018)

Reflection Questions

  1. What do you admire most about Paul? What do you admire most about how God worked in Paul’s life?
  2. How has God worked in your life? When was the last time you told someone one of your stories of faith (it could be a conversion story, or how God provided or guided)?
  3. Does fear keep you from sharing? What is the worst that could happen if you share a story of faith? What is the worst that could happen if you don’t share? What is the best that could happen if you do share?
  4. If you would like to practice writing out a faith story, leave a comment here, we’d love to hear yours!
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Keep on Speaking

Old Testament: Numbers 1 & 2

Poetry: Job 4

New Testament: Acts 18

Acts 18 details the cities that Paul visited on his way from Jerusalem to Greece and some of the highlights in those cities.  While in Corinth Paul again has issues with the Jewish community there and instead finds a Gentile man named Titius Justus who was a worshiper of God.  Paul also has a vision from the Lord saying,

“Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent.  For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.” (Acts 18:9,10)

I understand why Paul would need this encouragement with the number of cities that he had been thrown out of after annoying the local Jewish population with his message.

What I find interesting is the fact that Paul is the first missionary to set foot on the continent of Europe and just recently we read about the first convert in the area, yet even in this “heathen” land filled with idols and false gods God is working in people’s lives and has people who worship him.  These people do not know the gospel and need to hear about Jesus desperately, but even without that knowledge they are seeking God and worshiping him. We see this today in many of the mission fields that we send people into. The people do not know about Christ, but it is obvious that God has been working in their community to prepare them to hear.  This is why it is so important that we get out there and evangelize. The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.

Then while traveling in Ephesus in modern day Turkey, Paul runs into a man named Apollos who was a Jew that knew his scriptures (Old Testament) thoroughly and knew only the message of John the Baptist.  With only this information he was boldly speaking about Jesus and the fact that he was the son of God. He was off on some things, but he was on fire for God and was running with it.

These verses are encouraging because they show that you do not need to have everything figured out theologically in order to follow God.  You don’t need a master’s degree or years of training for him to be working in your life. Now I do think that seeking truth should be an important part of any believer’s life, but all that is needed to get started with God is faith in Jesus, and the Holy Spirit to work in your life.

-Chris Mattison

(Originally posted Feb 27, 2019 for SeekGrowLove)

Reflection & Application:

  1. If you heard the Lord speak to you in a vision do you think he would say, “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent” or “Do not be afraid; START speaking, do not be silent” or something else?
  2. Like Apollos, who didn’t first know the whole story, how has your understanding and knowledge grown? What and who has helped you in this area?
  3. How, where, when and to whom do you think God wants you to share what you know about Him, His Son and His plan of salvation?
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Sharing the Message

– So it will be Received

Old Testament: Leviticus 26 & 27

Poetry: Job 3

New Testament: Acts 17

Acts 17 is very inspiring to me. Paul and his companions are traveling talking to others about God and our savior Jesus. They persuaded some Jews as well as God-fearing Greeks and prominent women. This made others jealous, causing them to make trouble for Paul and the believers. Paul did not stop talking, they went on to another city.

The people in the next city received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true (vs 11). I pray that we have the the same eagerness that I imagine they had. I envision them diving into the Scripture and asking questions, strengthening their relationship with God. Can you guess what happens next? Yep, more trouble and they move on to another city.

In Athens Paul was greatly distressed to find the city filled with idols. I wonder how distressed he would be if he were to see the world as it is now. I know the Bible says there is nothing new under the sun and I don’t doubt that, but it seems that we have more to direct our attention away from God. We have more “things” to distract us from Him. I think that God had a plan with our reading today because Acts warns us about idols and so does Leviticus. Chapter 26:1 says “Do not make idols or set up an image or a sacred stone for yourselves, and do not place a carved stone in your land to bow down before it. I am the Lord your God.” We need to be very careful of what we worship and keep God at the center of it. 

Going back to Paul’s journey, he spoke about the Messiah all over the city. Some people became followers and believed. We need to continue to speak out to others about our faith. I am not saying that we need stand on the rooftops and scream at the top of our lungs, but I am saying that we need to live each day with God in our hearts. People should be able to tell that we are followers of Christ by the way we act. If someone comes to us with something, do not hide our faith but share our love of God with others so they can have a relationship with Him as well. Who knows, you may inspire them to speak out as well.

-Jeani Ransom

Reflection Questions:

Do you have eagerness to learn and study the Scriptures?

Do you have any idols in your life?

If so, how can you remove them?

How can you share your faith with others?

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Step by Step

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Old Testament: Leviticus 8 & 9

Poetry: Psalm 37

*New Testament: Acts 8

The story of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch provides us with an example of how to witness and share our faith with others. Let’s start from the beginning of Phillip’s journey in Acts 8:26.

Philip is told by God to travel in a certain direction. Next he is told to walk next to a certain carriage. His directions are coming step by step. Philip trusts God. He doesn’t demand to know the game plan, but allows the Holy Spirit to guide his way bit by bit. Sometimes, that is how God delivers his instructions to us.

Next, we see Philip addressing the Ethiopian man with a question. Philip sees the man is reading scripture and instead of butting in with his own agenda, Philip asks the man if he understands what he is reading. Starting with a question is a great way to initiate a conversation about faith. This allows the other person to set the tone of the conversation with how he or she chooses to answer. In this instance, I love the man’s response, “‘How can I, unless someone instructs me?’” (Acts 8:31 NLT) He is straight up honest, aware of his own limitations, and you’ve got to admire that!

Philip joins the man in his carriage and instead of launching into his own explanation, he waits for the eunuch to ask his own followup question. Again, Philip is allowing the man to take control of the conversation. Philip is not following his own evangelical agenda, but meeting the man where he’s at with what he wants to know. Therefore, even though the eunuch is admitting to not having knowledge on the subject, Philip is giving him dignity by letting the man determine the direction of their discussion.

I love what Philip does next. Acts 8:35 says “Beginning with the same scripture, Philip told him the Good News about Jesus.” Beginning with the same scripture. That phrase is key. Philip didn’t ignore the eunuch’s questions and launch into his own prepared testimonial speech. He didn’t pull out the Roman Road, or a pamphlet in his back pocket on how to talk to people about Jesus. He related what the man was already reading to the Gospel.

This is not to say anything negative about evangelical tools. In fact, I led a Bible study in college using the Roman Road method, and I think it’s great. There is nothing inherently wrong with these tools, but that’s just what they are, tools. Tools to use with human judgment. Not every faith related conversation calls for your life story on how God changed you. Not to say we shouldn’t tell our stories, but we should find an appropriate way to fit it into the conversation while witnessing. We should never ignore someone asking direct questions about our faith.

One year in my high school art class I sat next to a girl who was openly a non-believer. Art class is one of those few classes in school where you can actually get away with talking as long as you are still focused on your work. When she learned I was a Christian she would come into class with prepared questions for me. I don’t know if she was actually genuinely interested, or if she was just trying to find a way to trip me up. It seemed more like the latter. She asked the hard big questions, like why does evil exist, why did God give us freewill. I never pressed her too much, but I answered her questions. If I didn’t know the answer, I would ask the adults in my life or look it up on my own then come back with an answer later. This went on for several weeks. I didn’t preach at her, but I answered her questions honestly and in doing so, shared the Gospel with her. I prayed for her in my own quiet time with God and asked for his direction during our conversations. I never had a come to Jesus moment with her, but I don’t think I was ever meant to, either. I kept hearing a voice in my head urging me to plant the seed. I don’t think she was ready to receive the Gospel at that point in her life. I believe I was meant to plant a seed that would be given the chance to grow years later. I did all this by meeting her where she was at, with her questions, instead of my own agenda.

Philip quite literally and figuratively meets the eunuch where he is at. Eventually, the eunuch becomes so moved by what he has heard from Philip he decides to be baptized. Church history relates this encounter to how the Gospel came to Africa. After the eunuch was baptized and Philip left him, the man brought his new found faith to his people. This all comes from Philip being willing to follow God and being open to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. Next time you find yourself in a position to share the Gospel, remember Phillip. Remember how Phillip treated the eunuch tactfully with dignity, meeting him right where he was at, just as Jesus does with us.

-Emilee Ross

Reflection Questions

  1. How well do you follow promptings from the Holy Spirit, especially as it applies to sharing your faith? Have you ever felt like you missed a God-given opportunity? How can remembering Philip help you?
  2. What questions do you think are common among the world regarding faith in God?
  3. Pray for guidance and wisdom in knowing how God wants to see you sharing your faith.
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Cast Your Net Wide

Old Testament: Genesis 39 & 40

Poetry: Psalm 17

New Testament: Matthew 13:47-52



There is a sharp difference between commercial fishing and recreational fishing. With recreational fishing that we are all more familiar with, we are selective in the bait we choose and try to reel in one fish at a time: depending on what type of fish you want to catch, you will choose to use something different. For example, if you want to catch catfish like I did when I was younger, you’ll have more luck using stinky chicken liver than ordinary worms (I can tell stories of how bad that stuff can stink up a truck). But commercial fishing is very different: you are trying to catch as much as possible with a net, and will sort out whatever garbage after you have pulled it in. Commercial fishermen are not selective (except in what area to fish in): they cast their net wide and hope for the best.


Jesus compares the kingdom of God/heaven to this type of commercial fishing: at the end of the age, the angels will draw up everybody and then sort them out. The kingdom of God is not seeking individual fish, but casting its net over EVERY potential fish, because every person has a chance at having eternal life. Unfortunately, as with commercial fishing, some are going to be bad and reject the offer Jesus came to bring: they will reap the consequences of their decision
in the end. However, that is the nature of commercial fishing and the nature of the kingdom of God: allowing everyone to have a chance in the net, and letting the angels sort it out in the end.


Jesus called us to be fishers of men and participate in his fishing expedition (Matthew 4:19): however, he was calling us to be like commercial fishermen rather than recreational. We are expected to cast our net of the gospel WIDE, offering it to whoever we come across, not being selective about who gets to hear it. While we recognize that there will be some people who reject our message (and maybe persecute us), we are doing our duty by offering them the
chance of eternal life. Unfortunately, we often pick-and-choose who we think should hear the gospel for various reasons, rather than “being ready in season and out of season” (2 Timothy 4:2) for the person who comes across us. We need to remember our calling as fishermen and put aside our personal preferences.


Ask yourselves these questions today:


1. Are your nets ready? (Do you understand the gospel yourself?)
2. Are you willing to step out onto the boat? (Are you moving towards the people rather than sheltering inside?)
3. Are you prepared for the fish you might encounter along the way? (Are you ready for anybody to accept the message, even if they seem “less desirable” in your eyes?)


– Talon Paul

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Building an All-Star Team

Old Testament: Hosea 12-14

Poetry: Psalm 126

New Testament: Matthew 12

Suppose you were given the task of building a team that was responsible for learning some teachings and convincing everyone else in the world that those teachings were true.  What kind of people would you pick for this team?  I would go with an all-star team of doctors, lawyers, scholars, politicians, successful business people, and someone famous.  Jesus had this same task, but he built an all-star team of fishermen, a tax collector, a zealot, probably some tradesmen, and more fishermen.  These were the occupations of the twelve disciples.  Think about how unremarkable this group was, and yet they were chosen to carry out probably the most important job in the history of mankind, to spread the gospel to the whole world.  They were ordinary people on an extraordinary mission.

And guess what…the mission is not over, especially considering there are about seven billion people alive today that were not living a couple thousand years ago.  I’m pretty sure all of the disciples died so they are not able to help with the work anymore.  God needs a team now to carry on the mission and I suspect he is still counting on ordinary people to join the team.  Yes, I am talking about you.  God wants you to help preach the gospel to all of the nations.

But what is the message?  In Matthew 10:12, Jesus said he wanted them to go out and preach about the kingdom.  He wanted to make sure that everyone knew about the coming kingdom.  Is everyone going to accept the message?  Absolutely not.  Jesus said if they don’t accept the message, shake off the dust of your feet and move on to the next place.  It might seem odd that Jesus was sending them to places where they would be rejected, but he still thought it was important that everyone should hear the message so they can make the choice themselves.  If someone doesn’t hear about the kingdom, they don’t have a chance to accept the kingdom message.

Is it going to be easy?  Nope.  Jesus said we are like sheep in the midst of wolves.  He told us that it won’t be easy, and in fact, it could be dangerous.  Moreover, if you choose to be on this team, the message is not always viewed favorably and your own family may hate you for it, even to the point of your own family having you killed.  Jesus said in Matthew 11:11 that no one was ever greater than John the Baptist, yet his life ended when they chopped off his head.  However, Jesus tells us the good news in Matthew 10:39, “He who has found his life shall lose it, and he who has lost his life for my sake shall find it.”

In Matthew 12:19, it talks about Jesus’ approach.  He won’t quarrel or cry out, and nobody in the streets will hear his voice.  I believe this is our model of how to spread the gospel message.  We are not looking for a fight.  We don’t have to get angry with people because they disagree with us.  We do not have to stand on street corners and scream at people that they are going to hell if they don’t repent.  We just need to speak the truth in love.  Explain to people what is going to happen in the future, especially what happens to them after they die.  Tell them about the kingdom and how to attain salvation.  If they are not interested in what you are saying, move on.  There is no need for a heated debate and there is no need to keep pestering them.  Just shake off the dust and move on.  You can feel good that you gave them a chance for eternal life.  The only time you should feel bad is when you had the opportunity to talk to someone and kept silent.  What if they would have embraced the gospel message, but nobody ever gave them that chance?  That would be a tragedy to let someone die eternally without ever trying to save them.

Fortunately, it is not our responsibility to make sure others attain salvation.  It is only our responsibility to make sure they hear the gospel message.  Don’t put any pressure on yourself for results.  It is only your job to make sure that people have a choice and they don’t have a choice unless someone tells them about the choice.  Matthew 12:50 says that whoever does the will of Jesus’ Father is a brother, sister, or mother of Jesus.  That is a family I hope you want to be a part of.

-Rick McClain

(originally posted April 30, 2017 for SeekGrowLove)

Reflection Questions

  1. Do you consider yourself a part of Jesus’ family – why or why not? What do you think Jesus would say?
  2. How do you do at telling others of the choice they have? What can you do this week to tell someone else – who, how, when?
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God’s Two Witnesses

Old Testament: Ezekiel 15 & 16

Poetry: Psalm 96

*New Testament: Revelation 11

Following our strange detail about John eating the Scroll that God gave to him, we are finally going to learn about what the Scroll says through what John tells us! Unfortunately, it is very detailed, also strange in some ways, and has been the cause of many interpretations over the past 2,000 years. However, we are going to do our best to humbly try and understand what John says in this passage, while focusing on his main point. I don’t assume that my interpretation is 100% correct, so I invite all of you to critique it by looking at the text itself and speaking with other Christian teachers that you trust.

We are introduced to two Witnesses, or two Martyrs, who are proclaiming to people “their testimony”. Now, throughout Revelation, we see that John testified to “the testimony of Jesus Christ” (1:2, 9) and that the Christian martyrs from chapter six also had a “testimony” that they proclaimed (6:9). We will learn later that Christians are able to overcome Satan using “their testimony” as well (12:11). Narratively speaking, it is likely that these two Witnesses have the same testimony as John and the Christians. That testimony is the gospel message about Jesus’ death, resurrection and eventual return to establish God’s kingdom, as can be seen throughout the whole letter. In other words, the two Witnesses are two individuals that are faithfully preaching the gospel to those around them.

There has been speculation as to whether these are literally two individual people that are to come in the future, or whether they represent what the churches are supposed to be doing, since they are described as lampstands like the churches (compare 1:20 and 11:4). I assume that these are representatives for what the churches, and us, are supposed to be doing, but also don’t believe that John’s main point is in their identity; John’s main point to this vision is what is produced by their faithful preaching of the gospel.

After the two Witnesses are killed, resurrected, and exalted to God’s space, the people actually repent of their evils! In 11:13, it states that people “gave glory to the God of heaven”, which is repentance language. As we saw in the previous seven seals and seven trumpets, and will see in the later seven bowls, God’s judgment actions are not enough to bring about repentance; but the faithful preaching of the gospel message is enough, even if Christians die for it!

My encouragement to you today is to behave like these two Witnesses; faithfully preach the gospel, even at the expense of your own life. Whatever the cost may be for you, the reward is going to be more than you ever imagined! And just like the story of Revelation states, that reward is coming soon, after the Church does her job of faithfully preaching to the nations. Are you ready for that day to come?

Talon Paul

(originally posted for SeekGrowLove on Nov 13, 2019)

Reflection Questions

  1. As Talon asked, “Are you ready for that day to come?” That’s the most important question.
  2. Whatever your age or occupation, how can you help preach the gospel?
  3. What is your testimony of Jesus Christ and his Father and God? Who needs to hear it?
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Paul Preaching Jesus

Theme Week: Review of Paul – Acts 26

Old Testament: Ecclesiastes Intro (below)

Poetry: Psalm 49

            In the Movie, Forrest Gump, the titular character, Forrest Gump, met three different Presidents in the Oval office.  First, he met President Kennedy while a member of the All-American football team. He later met President Johnson to receive the Medal of Honor. Finally, he met President Nixon to receive an award for player of the year while on the national Table Tennis team.  Of course this was all fiction, but wouldn’t it be kind of cool to actually be invited to meet the president?

            As we review Paul this week, today we read in Acts 26 that Paul was given a chance to meet, not the president, but the King.  Paul appears before King Agrippa.  The back story is interesting and you can read about it in Acts 21-26.  Here’s the Cliff Notes version:  Paul came back to Jerusalem after his third missionary tour, he was accompanied by several people including some Gentile believers in Jesus.  Paul went to the Temple to offer a sacrifice of purification (he was still Jewish and did not want to be offensive to his fellow Jews).  The Jews who opposed Paul for being a Christian used this event as a chance to try to get rid of Paul and falsely accused him of bringing a Gentile into the temple.  Paul was arrested and given multiple trials in several different locations.  This gave him a chance to keep giving his testimony and preaching Jesus Christ in all kinds of high places including before the Jewish ruling court, the Roman Governor, the King of Israel and Paul hoped to ultimately be sent to Rome where he could preach the good news of Jesus Christ to Caesar. 

In today’s reading Paul is on trial before King Agrippa, but he’s using this as an opportunity to proclaim the Gospel to the King.  It’s no small irony that in trying to silence Paul and prevent him from preaching Jesus Christ, his enemies actually gave him a huge platform to preach Jesus Christ.

This reading is helpful in that it shows us an example of how Paul preached Jesus Christ.  He begins by drawing a point of connection between himself and his audience.  He begins by talking about those points that he and King Agrippa both have in common.  He shows respect to Agrippa.  I think this is so important, especially in today’s world where people are so divided and confrontational.  The person of God who seeks to share Christ should treat others with respect.  The only difference between you and an unbeliever is faith.  You may be the first one who is proclaiming Jesus Christ to another.  Don’t demean or put down your audience.  Show them respect.  Honor what truth they already have, even if it isn’t all the truth that you have.  Try to find areas where you can connect with them.  Attempt to build a bridge and not a wall.

Paul talks about his credentials as a faithful Jew who followed the Torah all his life.  He claims his past and who he was, and then he shares how God has brought something new into his life through faith in Jesus Christ.

-Jeff Fletcher

Reflection Questions

  1. What key points can be learned from Paul about how to preach Jesus Christ? Of those you list which is an area you you could use some experience or refinement?
  2. How well do you show respect to unbelievers? Why is it important? What happens when we don’t?
  3. How are your bridge-building skills? Think of a specific unbeliever you would like to have a conversation with about Jesus. How can you show them respect? What do you have in common already? What pieces of truth might they have that you can acknowledge? Why do they need Jesus? Why do they need you to tell them?
  4. Where has God placed you to share about His Son?

Ecclesiastes Introduction

Solomon (the teacher), the son of David wrote the book of Ecclesiastes to probe the meaning of life.  Solomon attempted to find fulfillment in every pleasure he could imagine – only to find that everything was meaningless.  He then pursued accomplishments, and found that they were meaningless as well.  In fact, without God, everything is utterly meaningless.

Most of the book is pretty depressing until we get to chapter 12, where Solomon finally revealed his insights in verses 13 and 14, “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter:  Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.   For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.

-Steve Mattison

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Ring Out!

Old Testament: 1 Chronicles 19-21

Poetry: Psalm 146

New Testament: 1 Thessalonians 1

How often does the Lord’s message ring out from you? How often do you mention and talk about the return of Jesus Christ? Have you had the joy of seeing someone you told about Jesus telling others about Jesus even in the midst of trial and persecution?

Before we jump into 1 Thessalonians, let’s back up a minute to consider the city of Thessalonica, its church, and the missionary, Paul , who would be writing this letter to them. We know from Acts 16 that Paul had not necessarily planned to include this Macedonian (northern part of Greece) city in his second missionary trip. He had wanted to go into the province of Asia but was prevented from traveling there by the Holy Spirit. Then Paul received the vision at night of the man from Macedonia calling out for help – and Paul and his companions went right away.

First stop – Philippi, which ended with a jail stay with Silas, complete with a hymn sing, an earthquake and a saved jailer. It was time to move on. Next stop, Thessalonica. When Paul answers the call of the Macedonian man in his vision he answers big. Thesssalonica was the largest city, the capital city of Macedonia. It was known for its seaport as well as its major highway, commerce, wealth, and strong Greek (pagan) character which all combined together to create a booming city of sin. A city of sin in need of the message of Jesus. A city of sin in need of the message of Jesus and needing to know that Jesus is coming back.

Thessalonica did have the benefit of a Jewish synagogue and community with some God-fearing Greeks as well. So as was his custom, that is where Paul would start. Acts 17 tells that Paul spent three Sabbaths in the synagogue teaching about Jesus from the Scriptures. Some believed, others were jealous of this new missionary with a new message about the Messiah who had come once and would come again. They created a mob which you can read about in Acts 17:5-9 but the end result was that Paul and Silas fled from Thessalonica that night (sent by the brothers) and would travel on to meet and minister to the Bereans (who were more noble than the Thessalonians because they examined the Scriptures daily to see if what Paul said was true. Acts 17:11) Perhaps that daily searching in the Scriptures could be one of the reasons why we don’t have a letter or two from Paul to the Bereans in our New Testament?

Anyway, that’s the background information we are given on Paul’s ministry to Thessalonica. He likely hadn’t been there too long – perhaps only 3 weeks, perhaps a little longer -but he spent that time teaching them the Scriptures about Jesus. The newfound Christian church there would definitely see more persecution as those in the city had not only persecuted Paul while he was there but even sent agitators to Berea when they heard Paul was preaching there. They would not stop just because Paul was out of town. It wasn’t an easy town to be a new Christian in – maybe you can relate.

Fast forward a few months and Paul is now in the city of Corinth. In his first letter to them Paul would tell the Thessalonians he had wanted to come see them again and again to see how they were standing up- but Satan had prevented it. So, he did the next best thing – he had sent Timothy to go check things out. Timothy had just returned to Paul with overall good news about the church in Thessalonica, as well as a few things to iron out in their understanding and actions – and so Paul would take the occasion to write a letter to them – and thus we have the the book of 1 Thessalonians. What would he tell them that we should hear, too?

-In prayer, thank God always for those who are standing strong in the faith.

-To be one others will thank God for, your faith must produce work, your love must lead to labor, and your hope in your Lord Jesus Christ must give you endurance. How are you doing in those areas?

-Realize that God’s message is for all those loved and chosen by God – share it, don’t hoard it.

-People are imitating you – make sure you are imitating Jesus.

-Keep doing what Jesus (and Paul) would do – even in the midst of suffering.

-The Holy Spirit wants to see the message spread and gives power and joy when the message is received and welcomed.

-Let the Lord’s message ring out from you! Everywhere! Let your faith in God be known! Everywhere! (Pick a spot to start today – you can’t start with everywhere – but you can start somewhere.)

-Change! Turn away from your idols (self, pride, worldly attitudes and actions, sin) to serve the living and true God.

-God raised Jesus from the dead to rescue us from the coming wrath at the time of judgment. Wait faithfully for God’s Son to return from heaven. He wants to rescue you, but not just you.

It is a great time to note that each of the 5 short chapters in this letter from Paul to the church in Thessalonica will end with teaching and encouragement regarding the return of Jesus Christ – and why it makes a difference in how you live your life today. How will you live your life today because Jesus is coming back?

-Marcia Railton

Reflection Questions

  1. Does the Lord’s message ring out from you? If so, how and when? If not, what can – and will – you do to make it so, how and when?
  2. Who do you know who needs to be saved from wrath? Who may God be calling you to spread the good news to -perhaps its not who you were thinking of first? Ask God to show you who and how and have a stronger passion for sharing the good news. Remember – Jesus is indeed returning and it is closer today than ever before. Why is this important?
  3. How are your work, labor and endurance holding up? Do you need to fine-tune your faith, love and hope in order to see more/better work, labor and endurance?
  4. What do you love about 1 Thessalonians 1? It’s so short re-read it a couple of times today.
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