Student Devotion Week 16: From Jews to Gentiles: Peter and Cornelius

Key Verse: Acts 10:39-40, “We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a cross, but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen."

It's hard for me to believe people once thought the earth was flat or that it was the center of the universe. Imagine you'd believed that the earth was flat all of your life. How much would it have changed your reality if someone told you the world was actually a big ball circling a gigantic star and that all those tiny pinpricks in the night sky were stars hundreds of times bigger than the earth?

I imagine the Jews in Acts felt the same type of reality check when they found out that God wasn't interested in them only, but wanted to save the whole world. They saw themselves as "the chosen people," but now God was calling them to open the doors to allow non-Jews to receive salvation in Jesus Christ.

In Acts 10 we read that God gave Peter a specific vision to make him realize that Salvation was for all people, not just the Jews. The result of this revelation was an explosion of evangelism that quickly moved beyond Israel's borders and began to echo around the world. That shockwave is still expanding as the gospel is shared with people who've never heard it.

Some people say the gospel is too exclusive since it requires belief in Jesus. On the contrary, the gospel is one of the most inclusive of all faiths because it's open to anyone who believes.

Student Devotion Week 15: The Apostle to the Gentiles: The Conversion of Saul

Key Verse: Acts 9:4-6, "He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”

You can't talk about the New Testament without talking about Paul. In fact, Christianity wouldn't be the same without the life, writings, and influence of the apostle to the Gentiles. Something happened in the life of this one man that served as a turning point in history. Acts 9:1-19 records the amazing conversion of this great man-the transformation from "Saul the zealous Pharisee" to "Paul the crusader for Christ."

Paul's influence cannot be measured. Fulfilling God's will from the beginning, Paul got to be God's vessel to take the message of salvation to all people-not just the Jews. Paul was the first missionary to the rest of us. Part average Joe, part fierce debater, and part loving pastor, Paul's unique character and background made him the perfect choice as the apostle to everyone. Furthermore, God inspired Paul in the writings. He ultimately left behind 13 letters in our Scriptures.

As you read the book of Acts, you see the depth of conviction of this persecutor-turned-true-believer. And he's everywhere: In the marketplace talking to ordinary folks, in the synagogue debating religious leaders, and on the road spreading the gospel from Asia to Europe.

This week we're going to look at the conversion of the Church's first and greatest theologian, and find out why God is still using Paul in our lives today.