TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul. Acts 13:1
Read: Acts 11:19-26
Listen: Acts 11
TODAY’S MESSAGE
The church fans out of Jerusalem due to persecution through the Jewish diaspora. But the author of Acts tells us a group of guys recognize God’s heart is not only for the Jews but for everyone. They take the good news of Jesus to the Greeks in Antioch. They know God wants to include all people in his family, so they choose to include the Greeks. This choice begins a domino effect. The church in Antioch models what it means to include people from different backgrounds. Incredibly, they choose to include Saul, the former church persecutor. Watch this video clip as Pastor Aaron Buer tells us the church leadership team ends up being very multicultural (Acts 13:1). The church in Antioch models what it means to choose to include.
As Christians today, we should model to the world what it means to include others. Our businesses can choose to value diverse voices. We can invite others to serve with us. Our friendships can reflect our choice to stretch our hearts to match God’s heart. We can do our part to make our churches welcoming to those who aren’t like us.
IN YOUR CHAIR TIME TODAY
Choose to include others. Thank God for the work he is doing to stretch your heart to match his heart for all people. Ask him to help you see the people around that you need to include.
Download a printable PDF of the BTW week here.
