Student Devotion Week 20: Healing A Rift: The Jerusalem Council

Key Verse: Acts 15:8-9, "God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. He did not discriminate between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith."

From a football rival to y9our nation's sworn enemy, it;s hard to love anyone who isn't on your side-for whatever reason. The tension between two groups can grow from a minor rivalry to anger, hatred, and even violence that's sustained for centuries. This was the case for the Jews and Gentiles. The Jews were called by God to be his chosen people, and everyone else wasn't. Therefore, Gentiles, the name given to any non-Jew, were typically excluded from most Jewish ceremonies and were considered unclean.

So imagine the surprise of the Jewish Christians when Gentiles began receiving the same Holy Spirit they'd received. "You mean, God loves them, too?" Paul and Peter had begun ministries to bring Gentiles into the new Church. But with the inclusion of Gentiles came a huge problem for the Jews: "How do we get along with the same people we've always excluded?" In Acts 15 we read about a heated discussion among Paul, Barnabas, Peter, James, and other apostles and elders of the church concerning this very problem.

This week we're going to look at how the early Church responded to God's call to love all people, not just the ones they were comfortable with. The challenge for the Jewish Christians is also our challenge today as God calls us to love and include everyone-even the ones we see as being on the "other side."

Student Devotion Week 19: Supporting Missionaries: Paul and Barnabas Return to Antioch

Key Verse: Acts 14:23, "Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust."

Before the lofty days of digital photography and fancy computer programs, we had slide projectors. On Sunday nights when I was a kid, missionaries who were home on a break (some called furlough) would come to church and show us a slide show about where they'd been and what God had done in their ministries. You can probably imagine how boring this was for me. I wanted amazing stories of angels, narrow escapes, and exorcisms, but the missionaries never shared those. Instead, it was just the same old stories about people being saved, lives being changed, and communities being transformed by the love of Jesus.

Of course, I'd totally missed the point. They weren't flashy, but those missionaries were literally the heroes of the faith standing before me. These people had left all the cushy comforts of home and traded them for a chance to serve Christ on the front lines and share the gospel. And while they may not have wowed me with their presentations, their spiritual impact was tremendous.

In Acts Paul and Barnabas came home from their mission trip to give the early Church their version of a slide show. Supporting missionaries who come to your church may not be a top priority for you, but it is to Jesus.

This week we're going to see how we can support those who are called to serve on the mission field, even when we're not.

Student Devotion Week 18: Reaching the Lost: Paul's First Missionary Journey

Key Verse: Acts 13:2-3, "While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off."

If you've never been outside the United States, it's tempting to assume everyone around the world lives like you do. My first mission trip to Mexico cured me of that delusion. I had the privilege of helping build small houses for people who lived in huts made out of garbage-literally. Until then, I'd never thought about the needs of those who lived so far away from my day-to-day existence. But once I saw their needs, I could never forget them. Even though their physical needs were striking, they had deeper needs than the physical ones.

This week we see God sending out missionaries to reach a lost world as Paul embarks on his first missionary journey. Some pretty amazing things happen on this trip. But the most important thing is that the message of Christ is preached to people who'd probably never heard it before. The influence of the gospel is beginning to be felt outside Judea, Galilee, and Samaria.

God never forgets about the needs of non-Christians, and God wants them all to come to faith in Christ. In order to accomplish that goal, God is sending us-all of us. No matter who we are or what our spiritual gifts are, all of us are to be involved in reaching non-Christians with the message of Jesus Christ. And until those needs are met, we all have a job to do. So pack your bags. It's time to get going.

Student Devotional Week 17: A Growing Church: The Church at Antioch

Key Verse: Acts 11:21, "The Lord’s hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord."

I don't know about you, but I'm continually amazed at how quickly babies grow. You see them one month, and they're small and helpless. Then just a few months later, they're walking, talking, and generally creating havoc wherever they go.

Amazing.

Most of us have stopped growing by now, so maybe we don't appreciate this as much. I'm sure God meant for babies to stop growing at a certain point, but not the church.

In Acts 11:19-26, we see the Church multiplying and growing exponentially as the gospel moves into new areas. This growth is explosive as the Church tears down the barriers of cultural prejudice, geographical isolation, racial division-to be continually expanding and bringing more people into the knowledge of Christ.

The same Holy Spirit who inspired this expansion is continuing to work in us today. Many of the barriers faced by the early Church members still threaten us, but they can be torn down just as easily through the Holy Spirit power.

This week we're going to find out that God wants to use us to reach the world by multiplying the number of believers in our churches.