10/22-10/28 Overview

This week we are concluding our read through of the book of Acts that began in April. Between the end of Acts and the beginning of the Advent season in December, we will read letters Paul wrote during his imprisonment. If you have not read the previous chapters of The Acts of the Apostles with us, you are invited to WATCH the Bible Project videos that summarize Acts. Below are the links for the summary videos available on YouTube:

A Book of Acts Summary (Part 1) by the Bible Project:

 

A Book of Acts Summary (Part 2) by the Bible Project:

 

This week we will read Acts 27 & 28, the final two chapters of the book. The chapters document Paul’s long journey to the city of Rome, as well as his ongoing ministry “proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ” during the two years he spent under house arrest in the heart of the Roman empire (Acts 28:31 NRSV). The end of the book may feel like there is a lack of a conclusion, but that seems to be intentional. Luke, the traveling companion of Paul who wrote The Gospel According to Luke and The Acts of the Apostles, reminds us with the open ended conclusion to Acts that continuing to be witnesses for Christ to the ends of the earth, sharing the gospel message with those who have not yet heard it, inviting everyone to respond with us by repenting and trusting in Jesus for the forgiveness of sins, submitting to the lordship of Christ, joining other believers by doing life and ministry together as part of the church, and continuing Jesus’ work until he returns is our responsibility during this time in history.

 

Below are some suggestions and questions to help you as you read scripture this week:

1. Approach scripture with humility. Seek to receive what the Bible reveals without trying to make it say what you want it to say.

2. Invite the Holy Spirit to speak a message to you through the verses you read.

3. What do these verses reveal about God?

4. What do these verses reveal about humanity?

5. What do these verses teach me about myself?

6. How do you see yourself in the story when reading biblical narratives?

Which of these characters would I be?

In what ways is their story similar to my story?

7. Read, study, and discuss scripture with a small group or another person.

8. Use a Study Bible. A Study Bible is a very helpful tool that includes information shared by scholars about historical and cultural realities during the time depicted or the era of the document, the author, when the book might have been written, the intended audience of the document, themes and messages within a book or letter, and more. The NIV, NRSV, ESV, and NLT Study Bibles are worth considering if you do not own one. There are a few available from the AUMC Library in the back of the Chapel. You can also purchase a Study Bible from ChristianBook.com, Cokesbury.com, or Amazon.com.

 

*If you do not have a Bible, consider downloading the YouVersion Bible App for free from the Apple App Store or Google Play for your smartphone or tablet. You can also use www.BibleGateway.com to look up and read various translations of Bible verses online for free.

 

Sunday (10/29)

READ part of Psalm 90 to set your focus on our God:

“Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” – Psalm 90:12 NIV

 

LISTEN to a hymn or worship song that helps you to worship the Lord.

 

READ Matthew 22:36-40, Jesus sharing the greatest of the 613 commandments. How does being loved by God help you to love him in response? How does loving God help you to love your neighbor? How does loving your neighbor help you to love God?

 

PRAY now and throughout the day letting Jesus’ message guide you. Pray for our sisters and brothers in Christ who are part of Avon UMC, as well as for fellow believers in Greater Hendricks County, and Christians throughout the world.

 

 

Monday (10/30)

READ Psalm 90:12 to begin your devotional time:

“Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” – Psalm 90:12 NIV

 

LISTEN to and/or SING to a hymn or worship song that helps you to worship our Creator.

 

READ Acts 27:1-38. Consider using the questions and suggestions from the Overview portion of this devotional during this study time. Luke connects what Paul did with the bread and sailors on the ship during the voyage in verse 35 to what Jesus had done during the Last Supper from Luke 22:19.

 

PRAY through your day, including offering thanks for the presence of the Spirit of Christ with us, as well as praying for the people you will be with or have been with.

 

 

Tuesday “Reformation Day” (10/31)

READ Psalm 90:12 to help you to center yourself in God.

 

SOLITUDE and SILENCE. You are encouraged to spend a few minutes alone with God sitting, kneeling, laying down, or walking. Spend these minutes letting the message of the psalm roll around in your heart and mind. Let it fill your thoughts.

 

READ Acts 27:39-44 and Luke 23:47. The verse from The Gospel According to Luke takes place immediately after Jesus died on the cross during his crucifixion. What do you notice about the centurions in the accounts?

 

PRAY for the people who are not Christians. As names of people you know come to mind, pray for them specifically. Ask the Lord to help them to see Christ in and through Jesus’ followers throughout the world. Ask the Holy Spirit to continue working in the lives if this who are not Christians to enable them to take steps towards truly understanding the God who is revealed in and through Christ Jesus.

 

 

Wednesday “All Saints Day” (11/1)

READ Psalm 90:12 to begin your devotional time.

 

LISTEN to and/or SING a hymn or worship song that helps you to worship God.

 

READ Acts 28:1-10. You may find it helpful to use questions or suggestions from the Overview portion of this devotional as you reflect upon what you read. What does this account reveal about hospitality? What does this account reveal about the power of God to heal?

 

PRAY for those who are sick, injured, and in need of physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual healing, including people you know, as well as those you have heard about through news publications. Also, pray for care givers and people God works through to heal those in need. The list could include doctors, nurses, counselors, therapists, pharmacists, and people who work for companies that produce medical equipment, medications, etc.

 

 

Thursday (11/2)

READ Psalm 90:12 to focus your heart and mind on the Lord.

 

SOLITUDE and SILENCE. You are encouraged to spend a few minutes alone with God sitting, kneeling, laying down, or walking. Spend these minutes seeking to simply be with the Lord.

 

READ Acts 28:11-16. Which word, phrase, or verse is the Holy Spirit using from the text to speak to you today? If you are not sure, slowly read it again inviting the Spirit to reveal God’s message for you for today as you read.

 

PRAY using the ACTS acronym as a guide:

Adoration (praise God)

Confession

Thanksgiving

Supplication (concerns for yourself and others)

 

 

Friday (11/3)

READ Psalm 90:12 to begin your time with God.

 

LISTEN to and/or SING to a hymn or worship song that helps you to worship the Lord.

 

READ Acts 28:17-31 and Luke 24:45-47. Paul is guided by the Holy Spirit to share a message from the holy scriptures of the Hebrew people with the local leaders of the Jews in Rome in verses 26 & 27. Luke 24:45 reveals that the resurrected Jesus used the Hebrew scriptures to help the disciples to understand what was written about him that became fulfilled in his life, death, and resurrection. You are encouraged to use a question or suggestion from the Overview portion of this devotional as you reflect upon what you read.

 

PRAY thanking God for the life and ministry of the Apostle Paul, as well as for Luke recording it and other stories from the earliest decades of Christianity within the book of Acts. You are invited to conclude your read through of the book of Acts using the printed prayer, your own, or a combination of the two:

 

Lord Jesus, continue sending your followers to the ends of the earth as your witnesses. Spirit of the living God, continue providing opportunities to share the gospel message with those who have not yet heard it, and a holy boldness for people of faith to courageously speak. We pray that those who are invited to respond with us by repenting and trusting in Jesus for the forgiveness of sins, as well as submitting to the lordship of Christ, will be ready for the invitation when it is shared. Guide us to be radically hospitable as new people who are unlike us join us as part of your Church. Thank you for the life we are blessed to live together as the family of God and body of Christ. May the transformational work of Jesus continue in and through us, and all the apprentices of Christ throughout the world, until He returns. Heavenly Father, let your kingdom come and your will be done one earth as it is in heaven. Amen.

 

Saturday (11/4)

How are you going to remember and observe the Sabbath this weekend? The Sabbath is a day each week that is set apart from the others to stop, rest, worship, and delight in the Lord and what he has given us. You may need to incrementally observe the Sabbath by setting aside an increasing portion of a day each week beginning with an hour, then increasing it to multiple hours or part of a day the next weekend or month, and eventually designating an entire day for remembering and observing the Sabbath.

 

LIGHT a candle and LISTEN to a worship song or hymn before reading the verses for today as a way to prepare your heart, mind, body, and soul for observing the Sabbath.

 

READ Psalm 46:10 and Psalm 37:7 during the morning. These verses are a reminder to stop and “be still” in God’s presence. Our Sabbath theme for this weekend is “STOP.”

 

How does stopping and “being still” help you to remember that Jesus is our king?

 

What are the things you need to stop worrying about today and during this season that you can offer to God in prayer?

 

What work do you need to set aside for another day so that you can stop and focus on the Lord as you observe the Sabbath?

 

How are you going to help others to stop working for at least a few hours this weekend?

 

SOLITUDE and SILENCE. You are encouraged to spend ten, twenty, or thirty minutes alone with God seeking to rest in the peace that can only be found in and from the Lord. If you struggle to stop and rest, consider laying down, kneeling, or sitting on a very comfortable chair or seat. If you need a nap, then sleep so that your mind and body receive the rest that you need.

 

PRAY however the Holy Spirit guides you to pray.

 

TIME for REFLECTION. Either write in a journal or notebook the ways you were intentional about loving God and others this past week, or discuss them with a close family member or friend. It may be helpful to write or talk about what you need to stop doing to be able to observe the Sabbath for an entire day and live a healthier pace and rhythm for your life.

 

 

READ Matthew 12:1-13 during the afternoon or evening. The man in the synagogue in these verses was restored by Jesus on the Sabbath day. Christ can restore your heart, mind, and relationships. Jesus is described as the “author of life” in Acts 3:15. In addition to being our Creator, Christ is our Healer. His life reveals that the God who made us wants to be with us. What do you need to STOP doing today, or this weekend, so that you can be present with Jesus and receive the healing power of Christ?

 

What part of your life needs the healing touch of Christ? Your body? Your soul?

Your heart? Your mind? A relationship?

 

How are you going to set the Sabbath apart this weekend from other days of the week?

 

PRAY and live in response to the Lord of the Sabbath. You may find it helpful to use the words from the verses you read today as a guide for your prayer.