So What…

…does that mean for my family?

Where in the Word? Acts 13: 16-52 The Preaching of Paul

…can we pray for?

Let’s pray that as we learn more about God, it will allow us to put our lives, our purposes, and our meaning, into the context of His ongoing story.

Cross Reference Verse: Psalm 77:11, 12

“I will remember the deeds of the LORD;

Yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.

I will meditate on all your works

…do we need?

Scrapbooks and old photographs (again)

…can we talk about?

Think about the scrapbooks and photos you have on your shelves. Why do we even keep all those old dust collectors, anyway? Take time with your family and look through some of your old keepsakes just for the sake of reliving some of those old memories. Some of the memories may be good, some may be sad, but they are the history of your family. We can feel connected to family members we never met just by seeing their pictures and hearing their various stories over and over again. It gives us a context in which we see our lives.

Imagine Paul being asked to speak at a church today. He may not bring a scrapbook, but I can envision him pulling out his laser pointer as he turns and gives a narration of his power point slides. The slides are made of various photographs ranging from the exodus from Egypt to David’s reign to Jesus’ death and resurrection. He would walk his congregation through a history of the mighty deeds of God towards His people. For some it would be a reminder, for some a new understanding. But for both, it would give them a way to fit their lives into the context of what God has and is and will be doing.

It seems like it would have been a great witness for Paul to relay his miraculous personal transformation, but he didn’t. He had the original “Damascus Road” experience and he didn’t even share it! Maybe everyone in that time already knew who he had been and who he now was, so there was no need for an explanation; or maybe Paul just wanted people to come away from his message thinking about how great God is instead of what a great man Paul had become.

And consider all your mighty deeds.”