To Live Is Christ: Joining Paul's Journey of Faith

by Beth Moore

Paul felt no responsibility to complete the task Christ had given Peter, or Barnabas, or Timothy.

“We are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

ago and suited for our present generation. Remember you are not responsible for completing anyone else's task, just yours.

In verse 28, Paul named two groups the elders were to keep watch over: themselves and the flock God had given them.

“As a nautical term, it means to hold a ship in a direction, to sail towards…to hold on one's course toward a place.”

do not believe a leader who temporarily veers away from the course should never be allowed to lead again. I can't find a biblical precedent for such thinking.

On the other

leadership when we are having a difficult time staying on the course. We simply cannot lead others to a place to which ...

God has assigned you a flock, you have a serious responsibility to keep a close watch over your own life and to care deeply for theirs.

A crucial part of keeping watch over our flocks is knowing the Word of God!

Have you ever thought, I expected this kind of thing from unbelievers, but I wasn't expecting this from my own fellow believers? If so, you are a part of a large fraternity, with Paul as a charter member.

“I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some” (1 Cor. 9:22). Like Paul, each of us must seek the common ground with those who do not know Christ. We can respond legalistically and shun harmless practices, but if we do, we risk alienating the very people we want to reach.

Bring your heavy conscience to God. When we have a guilty conscience, we shy away from the presence of God. We tend to resist what we need most: an awareness of God's love! Draw near to God!

I finally realized why: he and the others met great difficulty because of someone else's poor judgment.

His glory but sometimes the most difficult storms of all can be those that result from another person's poor judgment. A wrong decision by a business partner, a boss, a driver, a jury, a teacher, a child, or a spouse can have devastating repercussions on other lives.

We feel much greater potential for bitterness and unforgiveness.

Don't pull up the anchor

Don't let a few calm breezes give you a false sense of security in yourself and your surroundings.

Stay anchored in Christ in gentle times too.

Peril caused by another person's poor judgment can often cause feelings of immense helplessness.

Give way to the Master of the seas.

Luke uses the word we when identifying those who gave up hope. He wrote one of the Gospels! How could he lose hope?

This text reminds us that anyone can lose hope when a storm rages.

apart. 6. Listen for God to speak (see Acts 27:24).

We often think a sense of community comes from others accepting

us. Paul's sense of community came from his acceptance of others.

the Forum of Appius and the Three Taverns on his way to Rome, he was greatly encouraged by a group of strangers who met him there because they were his brothers. Their faces were unfamiliar, but they each had been washed in the blood of Jesus Christ. They were family. God used prayer, a sense of mutual obligation, a...

brotherhood and community is not derived from the actions and attitudes of others toward us, but our acti...

The apostle was no clown, but, every time he got hit, he bounced back up for more. Of course, the reason for his perseverance was his deep passion for Christ.

I need Paul’s perseverance. I need that deep passion for Christ to sustain and energize me.

No matter how many times he had been rejected by the Jews, he bounced back up and tried again. He approached them with the same method and the same message.

For this people's heart has become calloused;

rejection: Paul was not trying to take anything away from them. He had something more to give them. He never asked them not to be Jews. He simply pleaded with them to receive their Messiah.

How terribly we cheat ourselves when we have as much as we want from God.

Is it possible we could resist what God is trying to tell us, give us, and work in us? We need to be aware of the possible outcome: our spiritual ears don't hear as well, our spiritual eyes don't see as well, and our hearts develop a toughness.

Thankfully, when I finally relented and became receptive, my spiritual abilities to hear, see, and love were restored to me.

developing calloused hearts.

In this final portion of the Book of Acts, we discover three gains that can accompany a receptive attitude toward God: understanding, perception, and an uncalloused heart.

Understanding: the ability to put puzzle pieces together. Perception: the ability to see past the obvious and “know” God is at work. An uncalloused heart: the willingness to remain tender and open to God and others.

His greatest riches are those things that are conformable, not comfortable.

They all shared one thing in common: they were simple flesh and blood infiltrated by the awesome power of the Holy Spirit. All because they didn't resist.

let's discover how to protect ourselves from being kidnapped by “hollow and deceptive philosophy.” 1. Remember how you received Christ. None of us entered God's family

understand that attackers target vulnerable-looking people. Being confident provides protection. The more you know about Christ, His Word, and His ways, the more confident you will feel. You will be the dread of those peddling strange doctrines.

Husbands should love their wives sacrificially “as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her” (v. 25). Just as a husband must be careful not to abuse his wife's exhortation to submission, a wife must not abuse her husband's exhortation to sacrifice. Some men work several jobs sacrificing time at home in a continual effort to raise the standard of living for their families.

He won't waste arrows on well-armed places. He will aim for the spots you and I leave uncovered. Trust me, I know.

Some of my problems have resulted from personal rebellion. Sometimes I sense Satan is actively opposing my life. Other times I sense he is more passive because he sees me doing a fine job of getting myself into difficulty!

When you and I received Christ, God dropped His Holy Spirit into us, slammed on the lid, and tightened the cap. We've been closed and sealed every moment since. Nothing can get in.

“Satan sure seems to read my mind at times.” My children used to think I could read their minds too. In reality, I simply knew them so well that I sometimes guessed what they were thinking. In the same way, because of our past behavior, Satan can often guess what we are thinking.

Retain an active stance. The word stand appears twice in verse 13:

I can tell you God will meet your every need. I can say that you can do all things through Christ; but until you find out for yourself, it's still a secret. I can tell you, but He will show you. Let Him. He is so faithful.

Contentment is a rare gem. Because Paul ceased letting thieves steal his contentment, his testimony was powerful.