Sermon Info
Summary
What if you took time to look at the narrative of what God has done in your life over just the past six months? Who are the people you met during this season that you didn’t know pre-2020? What has occurred in your workplace? What circumstances have come into your life or the purview of your family? What books have you read? What voices have you encountered and heard? What elements continue to surface? How has God used this season to accomplish His purpose in your life? Have you been resistant to His work or a willing participant? Every part of your story is poised to accomplish God’s purpose in your life. Every episode is building on that foundation. How is He moving, working, blessing and what are you doing to further that work?
Content
It’s not inconsistent to simultaneously hold brothers accountable while amending to help unbelievers discover.
Paul wanted to take him along on the journey, so he circumcised him because of the Jews who lived in that area, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. Acts 16:3
Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. 1 Corinthians 9:19-20a
The individual episodes of our lives should contribute to the overall purpose of our lives.
So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers. Acts 16:5
It’s always the people we encounter who matter most.
- Timothy was a young disciple, who happened to be biracial.
- Lydia was an influential leader, who happened to be a woman.
- The slave girl was an annoyance, who became an opportunity.
- The jailor was a man willing to die for his job, who found greater joy in Christ.
The people are always the purpose. Relationships always have the greatest return on investment.
...he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole household. Acts 16:34b
And any effort we make to (reach, serve, or strengthen) will always be worth it.
I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings. 1 Corinthians 9:23
