January’s memory verse:
“...they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, for ‘In him, we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are indeed his offspring.’ '” — Acts 17:27-28
Acts Chapter 14:
Not much should surprise us anymore, but in chapter 14 you will be in awe again! Be ready to note the way the Lord is directing Paul and Barnabas and how with tenacity they continue to speak boldly for the Lord. Look for their devotion as you read this week, especially in the face of opposition.
In Lystra, we meet another man crippled from birth (remember Acts 3?). Unlike last time, when this crowd sees him jump up and walk, they begin to scream. Do they give God glory, do they even acknowledge his mighty hand? Check out the response of the crowds and be prepared for a throwback to your high school Ancient Greece class.
Fed up with the message that Paul continues to proclaim—that Jesus is the Messiah—Jews and the crowds, drag Paul out of the city and leave him for dead. If you were Paul, would you give up? Next to death, what would it take for you to back down or give up the mission God has required of you? Reading on, take note of how Paul ends his first missionary journey and the response of the church when they return back to Antioch.
Here are a few application questions from chapter 14 to ponder this week:
Seeing the power of the miracles that the Holy Spirit enabled them to perform, the crowd started worshipping Paul and Barnabas as gods. How does Paul and Barnabas’ response differ from Herod’s response to the people’s worship in Acts 12:20-23?
After Paul's stoning, he doesn't flee the city that stoned him, but instead, he returns to it. Through trial and tribulation, what can we learn from Paul's example?
If you need a quick synopsis of the events in the previous chapter, keep scrolling.
Summary of chapter 13:
The Church in Antioch sets apart Barnabas and Saul for the work of the Ministry that the Lord has called them to.
Barnabas and Saul sail to the island of Cyprus and Sergius Paulus, the intelligent proconsul, believes in Jesus, the Messiah.
The crew sets sail for Paphos and then Perga, where they say goodbye to John Mark and press on to Antioch of Pisidia.
In the synagogue on the Sabbath, the rulers invite the Brothers to speak a word of encouragement to the people and Paul preaches bold truth.
Miraculously, many Jews are converted and many beg for Paul to continue to preach the next Sabbath.
The crowds on the following Sabbath increase so that almost the entire city is present to hear the Word of God. The Jews grow jealous, and the Gentiles rejoice, for the light of salvation is for all who hear and believe, not just the Jews.
The Jews attempt persecution, but Paul, Barnabas, and the disciples shake the dust off as Jesus demonstrated and continue on their mission, filled with joy and the Holy Spirit.
This Year’s Memory Verse
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. “
Acts 1:8