Read: Acts 16:16-40
Think: In Acts 16, Paul and his companions continue to proclaim the Gospel to anyone and everyone who would listen. Even when they faced opposition and upon imprisonment, they did not give up sharing the Gospel message. One of the most consistent themes in the book of Acts is the amount of tenacity, resolve, and focus that the followers of Christ exhibited. Not just once, but numerous times, they endured persecution in order to take the message of Jesus Christ to city after city, to family after family, to person after person. Faith requires tenacity, strength, courage and resolve.
Act: When I first became a Christian (at the age of 21), many of my friends urged me to reconsider my profession of faith in Jesus Christ, saying “Christians are weak people.” My immediately changed life proved otherwise. Within only hours of turning my life over to Christ, I was able to turn away—and stay away— from habits that hurt me and others. The book of Acts reminds us that Christians are not weak. True Christians are empowered by the Holy Spirit of God to live “set apart” within the culture, to bravely face opposition to the Gospel, and remain resolved and focused on the mission God has given them—to tell the story of Jesus Christ’s love and forgiveness! Today, evaluate your tenacity, strength, and resolve as a Christian. If you need more strength…ask God for more—and keep asking.
Pray: Dear Lord, you know me. You know where I am tentative or insecure. Give me more of Your Holy Spirit. Show me, through the book of Acts, how to boldly share my faith. Give me strength to stand against the culture. Grant me the immediate outpouring of your Holy Spirit, Lord. I need more of You today. Amen.
Be full of faith today!
