Welcome to week 14 of Weekly Word!
We pray that these weekly readings continue to stir your heart as you abide in Christ! Below, you’ll find your readings for this week, along with discussion questions and a short devotional for you to enjoy at the end of the week.
Readings:
- Acts 26
- Judges 3:7-11
Devotional:
Readings: Acts 26 | Judges 3:7-11
In the quiet of Judges 3, we witness the heartbeat of God’s mercy. The Israelites “forgot the Lord their God,” yet the moment they cried out, God’s compassion was stirred. He raised up Othniel, not because the people were worthy, but because His love is relentless.
In Acts 26, we see that same relentless love pursuing a Pharisee named Saul on the road to Damascus. Paul’s speech before Agrippa isn’t just a legal defense; it is a song of gratitude. He marvels that God would take a persecutor and turn him into a witness.
When we read these passages together, we are invited to fall on our knees in worship of a God who doesn’t abandon us in our wandering. Whether we are in a season of “forgetting” like Israel or “resisting” like Saul, the Spirit is still calling, still delivering, and still making all things new.
Discussion Questions:
- Paul’s testimony focuses on the move from “darkness to light.” Reflecting on your own life, what is one specific “darkness” that God’s light has recently dispelled?
- Othniel was the first judge, setting a standard of faithfulness. How can we “remember” the Lord’s past faithfulness this week so we don’t fall into the cycle of forgetfulness?
Dig Deeper
As we near the end of our reading in Acts, let’s camp out on this message from Antioch’s 2020 sermon series, “Unstoppable,” as Pastor Stephen Castleberry examines the end of the book of Acts.
Have you ever considered how Acts ends? What if the end of Acts is less about wrapping up the story of the early church and more about what our responsibility is today?
We are praying for you as you dig into God’s Word this week!