Posts with the tag “persecution”

There's something profoundly unsettling about Acts 14. It reads like an emotional roller coaster—one moment the gospel is being received with joy, the next moment a crowd turns violent. Paul heals a crippled man, and within hours, that same crowd drags him outside the city gates and stones him until they think he's dead.And then? He gets up. Brushes off the dust. Walks back into the city. And keep...  Read More

Have you ever wondered if God could really use someone with a messy past—or if you yourself truly belonged among His people? In Acts 9:26–31, we meet Saul, once the church’s greatest threat, now seeking fellowship with the very disciples he tried to destroy. Fear and hesitation fill the room, until Barnabas steps forward with courage and encouragement. His welcome opens the door for Saul’s ministry and shows us what can happen when the church chooses to see others through the lens of Christ’s transforming power. This story calls us to be “Barnabas-like” believers who welcome outsiders, stand with the vulnerable, and encourage growth in others.  Read More

Can a person really change? Saul’s story in Acts 9 answers with a resounding yes. Once a fierce enemy of the church, Saul encountered Jesus on the road to Damascus and was radically transformed into one of the faith’s greatest champions. His journey reminds us that no one is beyond the reach of God’s grace, and even our weakest moments can become the doorway to powerful ministry. If God could take the church’s greatest persecutor and make him its boldest preacher, imagine what He can do in your life.  Read More