February’s memory verse:

"But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God." — Acts 20:24

Acts Chapter 19:

The journey begins as Paul passes through the inland country and arrives in Ephesus. God is working mightily in Ephesus and so is Satan. Extraordinary miracles meet Jewish exorcists. The spiritual battle that Paul talks about in Ephesians 6 makes so much more sense after we read this chapter! It is no wonder that we need to put on the full armor of God!

We watch as the preaching of the Word causes protests and quite a disturbance among the people. Paul turns away a great many people (you will have to read for yourself to find out why) and eventually, the town clerk must quiet the crowd before they are charged with rioting. This chapter is full of historical idol-worshiping and mob mentality, all of which are not that far away from our experiences today.

Here are a few application questions from this chapter to ponder this week:

Comparing John’s baptism with the baptism of the Holy Spirit, why was it necessary for the believers that Paul met in Ephesus to be baptized with the Holy Spirit? What happens if we only repent from our sins but don’t allow ourselves to be filled with the Holy Spirit? What happens if we ignore His promptings and the work He wants to do in and through us?
Why did the group of Jews that tried to use Jesus’ name to cast out evil spirits from a man end up getting attacked and fail in their mission in verses 11-20? What was the impact of this incident on others who heard about it?
Due to the sale of idols, the Gospel message was a threat to the profitability of many businesses. If we decide to turn away from worldliness and live by the Gospel truth, in what ways would the prosperity of certain industries be threatened?

If you need a quick synopsis of the events in the previous chapter, keep scrolling.

Summary of chapter 17:

This week, instead of a bullet point summary of chapter 18, take a look at what Arlee Pearlswig noted as she read:

"Something that has really stood out to me while reading through Acts is that Paul and other preachers of the gospel aren't stating the Truth and expecting people to just accept it blindly—they're taking the time to reason with them (v. 4, 19), pull them aside and explain things to them accurately (v. 26), and use the Scriptures to demonstrate Truth and refute anything straying from it (v. 28). Paul sets up a solid example of how to approach people with logic and reason. He does not ask the Jews and the Greeks around him to simply accept his words; through the Holy Spirit and through devoting himself to the word (v. 5), Paul offers his audiences sound proof that Jesus is the Christ. Our God is not a God of chaos nor confusion; He is Reason. He is Logic. This is why engaging critically in God's Word is so very important. God has given us His Word and His Holy Spirit to explain and demonstrate the gospel. "

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