Welcome to week four of Weekly Word! We hope you’re staying warm and safe in this wintry weather!
Below, you’ll find your readings for this week, along with a few helpful discussion questions and a short devotional for you to enjoy at the end of the week.
Readings:
- Acts 7-8
- Luke 5:10
Devotional:
Readings: Acts 7-8 | Luke 5:10
The death of Stephen in Acts 7 looked like a tragic end, but Acts 8 reveals it was actually a beginning. The persecution “scrambled” the believers, sending them out like seeds to Samaria and beyond. Philip finds himself in a desert with an Ethiopian eunuch, proving that God’s mission isn’t stopped by tragedy—it’s fueled by it.
Jesus told Peter in Luke 5:10, “From now on you will be catching men.” Fishing is hard work, often done in the dark, and requires great patience. Sometimes, God uproots our comfortable lives because He wants us to fish in new waters.
If you feel like your life has been “scattered” lately, or if you find yourself in a “desert” season, look around. God has a great purpose for you where you are, and He promises to be with you! As you allow God to use disruptions as opportunities for His Kingdom, you aren’t just surviving; you are fishing.
Discussion Questions:
- Stephen’s sacrifice in Acts 7 was a turning point. How does his “death to self” exemplify the life of a “fisher of men” Jesus describes in Luke 5:10?
- Philip went where the Spirit led (Samaria, the desert). Who is one person in your “outlying” circles you feel prompted to reach?
Dig Deeper
The disciple Peter has a story we all can relate to. One moment, he is denying that he knows Jesus, and two months later, he is boldly proclaiming Jesus’ resurrection to the people who put Christ to death! What changed? How did Peter go from living as a coward to living boldly?
In this sermon from the Live series, Pastor Andy teaches on three things that must happen if you want to live boldly.