Living Faith Devotional 17

6/11-6/17 Overview
In the verses and chapters of The Acts of the Apostles that we are reading this week Paul and Barnabas complete their missionary journey and return to Antioch, some believers go to Antioch teaching that to “be saved” a person must become circumcised, Paul and Barnabas dispute and debate the teachings, discernment and a decision about Gentiles and Jewish faith practices for Christians is sought out by Paul and Barnabas when then they go to Jerusalem to speak to the leaders there, clarification is provided by the Jerusalem council led by Jesus’ brother, James, Paul and Barnabas part ways because of a disagreement about John Mark, and Paul begins visiting the churches that were formed during his first missionary journey.

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Living Faith Devotional 16

6/4-6/10 Overview
On May 28th we celebrated the Day of Pentecost as a church family. The celebration continues on June 4th. We are celebrating the gift of God’s presence with us through the Holy Spirit, the birth of the church in Jerusalem as described in Acts 2, the wonderful things God has done, and the ongoing transformational work of the Spirit within Christians, the Church, and the world. May the Spirit of the living God fall afresh upon us.
 
In the verses and chapters of The Acts of the Apostles that we are reading this week, Barnabas and Saul are sent off on a missionary journey by the Holy Spirit from among the believers in Antioch while they are fasting and worshiping the Lord with the church (Acts 13:2). During their journey the two go to Cyprus to speak to the Jews in the synagogues, John Mark joins them for a short period of time, Saul begins to be called “Paul” (Acts 13:9), the journey continues to various locations, Saul/Paul heals a man who had been unable to walk since birth (Acts 14:8-10), the people of Lystra believe that Paul and Barnabas are Greek gods who have come to the earth, and Jews “from Antioch and Iconium” attempt to kill Paul by stoning him (Acts 14:19), but he survives.

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Living Faith Devotional 15

5/28-6/3 Overview
During the earliest centuries of Christianity, Easter and the Day of Pentecost were the two most significant holy days of the Christian year. The celebration of Pentecost is a special and holy time for us as well! On May 28th we will celebrate the Day of Pentecost as a church family. The celebration will continue on June 4th. We will celebrate the gift of God’s presence with us through the Holy Spirit, the birth of the church in Jerusalem as described in Acts 2, and the ongoing transformational work of the Spirit within Christians, the Church, and the world.
 
In the verses and chapters of The Acts of the Apostles that we are reading this week Peter explains to the believers in Jerusalem what God has done in regards to the Gentiles in Cornelius’ household, Gentiles in Antioch turn to God through faith in Christ and join the church there, Barnabas recruits Saul of Tarsus to help him teach and lead the Christians in Antioch, the Holy Spirit enables some believers to have a prophetic spiritual gift, Christians financially support their brothers and sisters in Christ in need in other places, the first of the twelve apostles is martyred, and Simon Peter miraculously escapes from prison.

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Living Faith Devotional 14

5/21-5/27 Overview
In the verses and chapters of The Acts of the Apostles that we are reading, this week Saul’s ministry continues even after Jews in Damascus conspire to kill him, Peter’s ministry reveals the Spirit and power of Christ working in and through him, and the first gentiles join the expanding church as the members of a household of a Roman Centurion respond to the Good News about Jesus through faith and receiving the Holy Spirit.

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Living Faith Devotional 13

5/14-5/20 Overview
In the chapters for this week from The Acts of the Apostles, the church becomes “scattered throughout Judea and Samaria” because of increasing persecution (Acts 8:1 NIV), the Holy Spirit does mighty works through Philip among the Samaritans, an Ethiopian official who serves the queen is baptized as a believer becoming a catalyst for the spread of Christianity onto the African continent, and the persecutor of Jesus followers known as Saul of Tarsus has a life changing encounter with Christ which alters the direction of his life.
If you have not watched it yet, you are encouraged to WATCH the first of two Bible Project video summaries of the book of Acts to understand it more clearly before reading the verses on Monday. The video is available on YouTube: Book of Acts Summary (Part 1) by the Bible Project:

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Living Faith Devotional 12

5/7-5/13 Overview
As we continue reading and studying The Acts of the Apostles, in the chapters for this week the apostles’ prayer from Acts 4:29-30 is being fulfilled, the apostles endure greater persecution, new leaders are chosen from among the believers as part of leadership delegation, and Stephen becomes the first martyr.
 
If you have not watched it yet, you are encouraged to WATCH the first of two Bible Project video summaries of the book of Acts to understand it more clearly before reading the verses on Monday. The video is available on YouTube:
Book of Acts Summary (Part 1) by the Bible Project:

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Living Faith Devotional 11

4/30-5/6 Overview
The Acts of the Apostles began with Jesus’ final message to the disciples and his ascension, quickly transitioned to the coming of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost, and as we continue reading it will share decades of stories of the ongoing work of the Spirit within the apostles and disciples as they fulfilled Jesus’ commission to be his “witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8 NIV). As we read throughout the coming days, weeks, and months, trust the Holy Spirit to guide you and the people of Avon UMC to continue being Jesus’ representatives and witnesses in our local community, throughout Greater Hendricks County and Indianapolis, among people we do not normally associate with, and further and further across the globe. Our journey through the book of Acts this week shares how the earliest Christians lived into a fulfillment of Jesus’ prayer from John 17.

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Living Faith Devotional 10

As part of our living relationship with The Bible as disciples of Christ we are reading and studying the New Testament in 2023. During the Lenten season of the past few months, we read and studied The Gospel According to Matthew. Last week we began to read Acts, which is also known as The Acts of the Apostles. The book of Acts begins with Jesus’ final message to the disciples and his ascension, it quickly transitions to the coming of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost, and then shares decades of stories of the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit within the apostles and disciples as they fulfilled Jesus’ commission to be his “witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8 NIV). As we read throughout the coming days, weeks, and months, trust the Holy Spirit to guide you and the people of Avon UMC to continue being Jesus’ representatives and witnesses in our local community, throughout Greater Hendricks County and Indianapolis, among people we do not normally associate with, and further and further across the globe.

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Living Faith Devotional 9

4/16-4/22 Overview
Jesus’ earliest disciples had a living relationship with the holy scriptures. Those of us who are Jesus’ apprentices today need a living relationship with The Holy Bible too. As part of our living relationship with the Bible we are reading and studying the New Testament in 2023. This Living Faith Devotional will provide you with a reading plan to help you to read and study much of the New Testament this year. During the Lenten season of the past few months, we read and studied The Gospel According to Matthew. This week we will read the resurrection account from Luke’s Gospel, then move into the companion volume known as Acts or The Acts of the Apostles. You are encouraged to watch The Bible Project video about the New Testament either on Sunday or some other day during the week to provide a brief overview of this portion of the holy scriptures. The video is available on YouTube. New Testament by The Bible Project: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0BrP8bqj0c

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Living Faith Devotional 8

Introduction
During this Lenten season we have been on a journey with Jesus. Through this devotional we have been invited to read the entire Gospel According to Matthew. This week we will conclude with the resurrection account, as well as returning to some of the previous portions of the gospel as a reminder before we transition into other New Testament documents during the weeks and months ahead, including the entire Acts of the Apostles. On the Christian calendar this week is the first week of the Easter Season. The United Methodist Book of Worship states, “The Easter Season, also known as the Great Fifty Days, begins at sunset Easter Eve and continues through the Day of Pentecost. It is the most joyous and celebrate season of the Christian year.” We hope you will join us to celebrate the resurrection of our Savior on Easter morning at 7:00, 9:30, or 11:00 am.
 
If you did not read Matthew during the Lenten season, you are encouraged to watch a brief video on Youtube about the Gospels, then join us in reading the verses this week:

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