From Out of Options to Outspoken

11 Mar From Out of Options to Outspoken

Read Acts 28:11-31 (NLT)
Thought for the Day: Obstacles are nothing compared to God’s faithfulness!

No one has done more to advance the Gospel than the Apostle Paul. While he started off as a prominent early opponent of the First Century Church, he was stopped in his tracks by a vision of Jesus and this led to his personal confession of faith and baptism. In the following years, he set off on his first, second, and third missionary journeys. On each journey, he established new regional churches. However, through his time, he wanted to go to the capital of the Roman Empire, the city of Rome, to preach the Gospel. Yet despite his best efforts, Paul ended up anywhere and everywhere other than Rome.

Everything changed when he was arrested in Jerusalem, confined to prison, and finally appealed to Caesar. When Paul finally arrived in Rome, he arrived in chains. But rather than feeling hopeless in the face of his loss of freedom, Paul shared his faith. He held onto a promise he had made to the Romans: “And I am sure that when I come, Christ will richly bless our time together.” Rather than seeing himself as out of options, Paul openly shared the impact Jesus had had on his life. He was outspoken and many followed Jesus as result.

At various times in our lives, we wonder “Why does life make no sense?” At these moments, let’s remember Paul’s example and take time to focus on the good. God has blessed us in the past and He continues to bless us now. After all, the obstacles of today are nothing compared to God’s faithfulness (past, present, and future). So, when we feel stuck, let’s be open about the positive impact Jesus has had. Then, we can go from out of options to outspoken!

In Christ,
Pastors Stan and David