Living Faith Devotional 37

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.

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Living Faith Devotional 36

10/22-10/28 Overview
This week we are returning to the book of Acts. If you have not read the previous chapters with us, you are invited to WATCH the Bible Project videos that summarizes Acts. If you have been reading Acts this year, you may find it helpful to watch the Part 2 Summary video as a reminder of what you have read and where the story goes as we continue reading. 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 25 & 26, the account of Paul on trial in Caesarea among the Roman leaders, his testimonial that he shared with Agrippa, the king of the region near the Sea of Galilee, and the beginning of his journey to Rome to await a trial from his accusers in the presence of Caesar.

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Living Faith Devotional 35

10/15-10/21 Overview
This week we are taking a break from reading the book of Acts to read Paul’s letter to Christians in Philippi. Our reading this past week ended with Paul as a prisoner in Caesarea for two years (Acts 24:27). Acts 16 shares the account of when the church was established in the city of Philippi as part of Paul’s second missionary journey. According to Acts 16 the first convert to Christianity in the city was a woman named Lydia. Her entire household trusted in Jesus and were baptized after hearing Paul share the gospel message. Paul and his traveling companions stayed in Lydia’s house while they were in the city. During their brief time in Philippi, Paul and Silas were put in prison. It seems fitting that years later, after completing his third missionary journey, Paul wrote a letter to thank, encourage, guide, and warn the Philippians while he was in prison yet again in another city. Biblical scholars believe that Paul wrote Philippians during one of three possible time frames. It could have been written as early as his imprisonment in Ephesus in the early to mid-50s, or during the two years he was in prison in Caesarea from about 57 to 59 AD, or while he was imprisoned in Rome for a few years between 61 and 63 AD. This week we will read Paul’s letter in the New Testament known as Philippians.

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Living Faith Devotional 34

10/8-10/14 Overview
This week we are continuing to read part of the book of Acts. If you have not read the previous chapters with us, you are invited to WATCH the Bible Project videos that summarizes Acts. If you have been reading Acts this year, you may find it helpful to watch the Part 2 Summary video as a reminder of what you have read and where the story goes as we continue reading. 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 the conclusion of Paul’s time in Jerusalem, as well as what led to his time in prison for two years in Caesarea.

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Living Faith Devotional 33

10/1-10/7 Overview
This week we are returning to the book of Acts after our break from it during the all-church worship series in August and September. Our journey through Acts began in April 2023. If you have not read the previous chapters with us, you are invited to WATCH the Bible Project videos that summarizes Acts. If you have been reading Acts this year, you may find it helpful to watch the Part 2 Summary video as a reminder of what you have read and where the story goes as we continue reading during the coming weeks. 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:
 
The last chapter of Acts that we read before The Art of Neighboring series was chapter 20. Acts 20 is a portion of the account of Paul’s third missionary journey when he left the city of Ephesus, after spending two years there, to continue towards Jerusalem. On the way to Jerusalem Paul met with the church elders from Ephesus in Miletus sharing a farewell speech not knowing if he would ever see them again. Near the end of the chapter Luke, the gospel writer and author of Acts, writes this, “Paul knelt down and prayed with them all. And there was much weeping on the part of all; they embraced Paul and kissed him” goodbye, sorrowful because “they would not see his face again” (Acts 20:36-37 ESV). This week we will read the conclusion of Paul’s journey to Jerusalem, as well as what Luke shares about the apostle’s time there in Acts 21 and 22, while also reading portion’s of The Gospel According to Luke to see the parallels between Jesus’ ministry and Paul’s.

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Living Faith Devotional 32

9/24-9/30 Overview
During these next ten weeks, you are invited to join us as we continue and conclude our reading of the Acts of the Apostles and portions of the apostle Paul’s letters. We began this journey through the New Testament book of Acts in April 2023 shortly after Easter. The last chapter of Acts that we read before The Art of Neighboring series was chapter 20. Acts 20 is a portion of the account of Paul’s third missionary journey when he left the city of Ephesus, after spending two years there, to continue towards Jerusalem. On the journey to Jerusalem, Paul spent a few months in the city of Corinth. Some scholars believe that during his time in Corinth, on the way to Jerusalem, Paul wrote his letter to Christians in Rome, the heart of the Roman Empire. This week we will read portions of Romans before returning to the book of Acts the following week.
 
Although Paul had not yet visited the city of Rome when he wrote the letter, he was concerned about the struggles Gentile and Jewish Christians were having in the city. Their differing opinions about living their faith as the people of the church of Jesus Christ created ongoing tension. Paul wrote to them in hopes of helping the Jews and Gentiles to become united as the church of Rome. It is Paul’s longest letter within the New Testament and his most thorough explanation of the gospel message.

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Living Faith Devotional 31

9/17-9/23 Overview
Welcome to the final week of The Art of Neighboring all-church journey. The daily devotionals throughout this week will guide us to focus on the power of love, forgiveness, our ministry of reconciliation, living at peace with others if possible, loving our enemies, that we are sent with ministry partners as ambassadors of Christ, and the people who are part of our inner circles, then we’ll conclude the week with an emphasis on God’s Sabbath. The authors of the book remind us that “this is a journey that doesn’t end.” For Avon UMC, this is just the beginning of a new chapter of being more intentional about “neighboring.” In the final chapter of the book, authors Jay and Dave go on to explain that “good neighboring matters” and “it works better than any program, and it works better than any government initiative.” When the people of the Church prioritize loving God and loving our neighbors, God’s kingdom is among us and his will is done here as it is in heaven. Lives are transformed through the love of God. We have daily opportunities to share the love of God that we have received by offering it to our neighbors here in the community where God has placed us and among the people in our circles of influence. Yes, we have been entrusted by the ultimate artist, our Creator, to partner with him in this ongoing art of loving, living, and neighboring.

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Living Faith Devotional 30

9/10-9/16 Overview
Through ongoing interactions with neighbors over extended periods of time, we will eventually experience and enter into the messiness of the lives of others as we develop relationships with them. In The Art of Neighboring book, Jay and Dave remind us that often Jesus “didn’t help people in the way they wanted to be helped.” Loving our neighbor includes setting clear boundaries, and sometimes we have to say “no.” During this fifth week of The Art of Neighboring all-church journey we are focusing on our motives and setting boundaries with our neighbors. Thankfully, the authors ensure us that, “if neighboring is done with the right posture, then people who don’t know God will most certainly come to know him.”
 
*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.

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Living Faith Devotional 29

9/3-9/9 Overview
This week is somewhat of a pause in regards to The Art of Neighboring series. Because of Labor Day, we will focus on “work” and “working for Christ” today through Saturday the 9th. What comes to mind when you think of work? Why does work matter to God? How should our faith influence and guide how we work?
 
As you read and study the daily Bible verses as part of this devotional, you are invited to seek to understand what they reveal about work and working for Christ.
 
*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.

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Living Faith Devotional 28

8/27-9/2 Overview
In their book The Art of Neighboring the authors share that, “the first step to taking the Great Commandment literally is to move from stranger to acquaintance in your relationships…Learning a person’s name is the first and easiest step you can take to become a better neighbor.” The Block Map is a helpful tool for remembering the names of those you meet, as well as writing down things you learn about them. It is important to remember that progressing beyond acquaintances into a growing relationship with neighbors is a gradual process of relatively small, consistent, interactions that accumulate over an extended period of time. During this fourth week of The Art of Neighboring all-church journey we are focusing on our relationships with our neighbors.

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