When the story of Jesus is shared, there’s always a
So Barnabas and Saul were sent out by the Holy Spirit. They went down to the seaport of Seleucia and then sailed for the island of Cyprus. There, in the town of Salamis, they went to the Jewish synagogues and preached the word of God. John Mark went with them as their assistant. (Acts 13:4-5, NLT)
The longing of my heart and my prayer to God is for the people of Israel to be saved. (Romans 10:1, NLT)
When the governor saw what had happened, he became a believer, for he was astonished at the teaching about the Lord. (Acts 13:12, NLT)
Paul and his companions then left Paphos by ship for Pamphylia, landing at the port town of Perga. There John Mark left them and returned to Jerusalem. (Acts 13:13, NLT)
Lessons from this early division:
Good and godly people can
Don’t lose your faith when you discover that a spiritual leader is also a
God can
But Paul and Barnabas traveled inland to Antioch of Pisidia. On the Sabbath they went to the synagogue for the services. After the usual readings from the books of Moses and the prophets, those in charge of the service sent them this message: “Brothers, if you have any word of encouragement for the people, come and give it.” So Paul stood, lifted his hand to quiet them, and started speaking. “Men of Israel,” he said, “and you God-fearing Gentiles, listen to me.” (Acts 13:14-16, NLT)
“Brothers, listen! We are here to proclaim that through this man Jesus there is forgiveness for your sins. Everyone who believes in him is made right in God’s sight—something the law of Moses could never do.” (Acts 13:38-39, NLT)
As Paul and Barnabas left the synagogue that day, the people begged them to speak about these things again the next week. Many Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, and the two men urged them to continue to rely on the grace of God. (Acts 13:42-43, NLT)
The following week almost the entire city turned out to hear them preach the word of the Lord. But when some of the Jews saw the crowds, they were jealous; so they slandered Paul and argued against whatever he said. (Acts 13:44-45, NLT)
When the Gentiles heard this, they were very glad and thanked the Lord for his message; and all who were chosen for eternal life became believers. So the Lord’s message spread throughout that region. (Acts 13:48-49, NLT)
Why do some people say Yes to Jesus, and others say No?
Spiritual climate in the
Search for
Believing in God is
“You believe in God, believe also in me.” (John 14:1)
Experience of
Additional Notes: