Student Devotion Week 14: An Amazing Conversion: Philip ant the Ethiopian

Key Verse: Acts 8:32, "This is the passage of Scripture the eunuch was reading: “He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he did not open his mouth."

Learning to drive is an interesting experience. Typically your parent or driving instructor will take you to some deserted road or parking lot for behind-the-wheel training. Driving seems easy-press the gas to go, use the wheel to turn-but a little more finesse is involved. After a few lurching starts and screeching halts, hopefully you start to get the hang of it. Or at least your instructor prays you do before he gets whiplash.

Learning new skills takes time. The disciples had to take some time to learn to walk in the Spirit. Having the Spirit of God present with them all the time meant they'd experience amazing new opportunities and an intimacy with God they'd never experienced before.

The same can be true for us as we learn to walk in the Spirit. But as it was with the first disciples, it will take some trial and error for us to work out the kinks.

This was certainly true for Philip, one of the seven chosen to help the apostles. This week we'll learn how the Spirit worked within the encounter between Philip and the Ethiopian. Each day we'll tackle a different aspect of the story and pick ways we can learn how to respond to the Holy Spirit in our own lives. You never know-by the end of the week, you might be part of a similarly amazing story.

Student Devotion Week 13: God's Perfect Plan: The Dispersion of the Church

Key Verse: Acts 8:4 "Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went."

Have you ever seen those Magic Eye Pictures? You know, the ones that look like just a bunch of jagged colors but when you stare at them in a certain way, a picture will supposedly leap out at you in 3-D? I never could see the picture; in fact, staring at it just gave me a headache. But other people would swear that right in front of me-in the midst of a bunch of chaos-was an incredible picture. I have to say it's still hard for me to believe.

Sometimes our lives will look like those pictures: Completely random jagged edges, and totally incomprehensible. But the Bible is very clear about the fact that even when things seem totally out of control, God has his firm hand on history. God is able to work every circumstance for his purposes and his glory-at all times. In Acts 8:1-8 we see the early church face a huge wave of persecution. It looks bleak for the fledgling body of believers as they're scattered everywhere. But this period of turmoil would serve to spread the gospel faster than anything else in the book of Acts.

Even when we believe nothing can be done, God can still do whatever he wishes in order to fix the situation. As we think about God's sovereignty this week, watch how God brings a perfect plan to fruition out of what looks like complete chaos.

Student Devotion Week 12: The Martyrdom of The Saints: The Stonging of Stephen

Key Verse: Acts 7:55-56, "55 But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56 “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”

Tertullian, a church leader in the second century, said, "The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church." He was living through times of intense persecution, yet he saw the Church continue to grow and thrive. No matter how many Christians lost their lives, the Church continued to expand.

This kind of persecution began with the martyrdom of Stephen. When faced with a mob that wanted to destroy the fledgling Christian Church, Stephen gave bold witness to Jesus Christ. In response to the enraged mob stoned him. His death wouldn't be the last, either. Throughout the history of the early Church, people gave their lives for the gospel: Stephen, James, Peter, Paul. Yet the Church continues to multiply again and again.

This kind of martyrdom does not exist just in the Bible. As you read this, people all over the world are still giving the ultimate sacrifice in order to spread the gospel of Christ. You and I may never be asked to make that sacrifice, but daily we'll be asked to give our lives to Christ as we serve him wherever he chooses to use us. This week we're going to ask the question: Would I be willing to give my life for Christ? Until we understand the sacrifice of past saints, we won't be able to follow in their footsteps today.

Student Devotion Week 11: Shared Ministry: Choosing the Seven

Key Verse: Galatians 6:9, "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."

Moses was tired. He'd been listening to one disagreement after another. I imagine him mediating a dispute between two people who claim to have created manna soup, and both want the patent on the recipe. The Israelites had been coming to Moses with these kinds of questions all day, and the line still wrapped around the tent-twice, "This is ridiculous", he thought. "I can't keep this up." But he was the leader of Israel-wasn't settling disputes his job? If so, then how does the leader of a million people wandering in the desert go on a vacation?

Next in line was Moses' father-in-law who had some advice of his own, "Moses, share the load. It's not all up to you." So Moses did, and he got that vacation.

Just like Moses, the apostles figured out early on that they couldn't do ministry by themselves. So God helped them choose others to share the ministry of his kingdom. Everyone in the early Church had a part to play in ministry.

This week we're going to think about the shared ministry of the Church. Whether you know it or not, God has a place for you to serve, and the whole concept of church won't work unless you get involved. It's time we all got off the pews and into the game.