Points of Meditation & Reflection

Sermon Title & Text “Devoted to Spiritual Growth” Acts 9:31 ESV
Devoted: Key to Personal and Church Growth
Message in a Sentence: Past, Present, Future, God has a plan for your life.
• Spiritual growth, like muscle growth, relates to how we respond to stress/distress in our life. Modern ideas of spiritual growth tend to be based on ease & removing challenges. Today, we meet 4 people at the intersection of who they’ve been & who Christ is. 3 grew spiritually & 1 struggled to fully give his heart to God.
LongView of Your Spiritual Growth: God has a LongView.
1. Stephen: When God’s truth costs you every-thing
• Man of Character: None withstand Stephen’s wisdom & the Spirit
• False Witness: Men instigated to distort work for the Lord as evil
• Christ Centered Response: Christ centered not legal response
• Rejection: Killed. Christ approves Stephen,Saul approves people
2. Philip: Follow God rather than Culture
• Saul Ravages: Church scattered cf 1:8 v 8:1. Philip to Samaria
• Crowds Receiving: So there was much joy in the city
• God Leads: From fruitful to empty city. 1 baptized soul rejoices.
3. Simon the Magician: A Matter of the Heart
• Past Magician: Amazed people has crowd & approval 8:10
• Heart Not Right: Offers money to receive the Holy Spirit
• Repent & Pray: Invited to repent but asks others to do it for him
4. Saul{Paul}: God uses Crooked Sticks to Draw Straight Lines
• Threats & Murder: Saul given authority to arrest disciples
• Intersection: Lord meets on Damascus road 9:4-6
• Witnesses: Others hear but don’t see
• God’s Plan: God directs Saul to & Ananias in the city 9:10-12
• Immediately: God’s revelation has immediate transformation
• People miss God’s Plan in You: Fear of Saul 9:21, 23, 26, 29
• Saul Increased: Strength & confounding, proving Jesus as Christ

Ministry Report: Acts 9:31 The culmination of the reports of individuals growing in their walk with the Lord, is that the overall ministry multiplied in Judea & Galilee & Samaria. All had peace, were being built up, walked in the fear of the Lord & comfort of the Holy Spirit.
Christ’s purpose in us is to experience Him & then share Him.

To continue to develop your relationship with Christ, spend time every day this week praying and meditating on this passage and it’s truths [EveryDay Jesus - below].

Edward

Everyday Jesus: Lord grow us spiritually so that we may be used by You.

· Monday: Read Acts 6:7-9:31 Read & take notes of the 4 souls that address their past to be fully used by God. Ask the Lord to show you how each account relates to your own relationship with the Lord.
· Tuesday: Read Acts 6:7-8:3 Stephen was filled with the Spirit, rejected by people & stoned to death. But he was received by the Lord! God used Stephen’s death to scatter the church exactly where Christ said in 1:8. Ask God to deepen your devotion to Him, in the face of opposition. Express your sincere desire to be used by God.
· Wednesday: {Day of Fasting} Read Acts 8:1-8; 8:26-40 Stephen died & Saul was ravaging the church, Philip went to Samaria & proclaimed Christ. There was much joy in the city. Yet, God sends him to a deserted city for 1 person. Seek God’s wisdom to clearly hear His plan, His direction & His purpose for you.
· Thursday: Read Acts 8:9-25 Simon the Magician had crowds following him & said he “is the power of God”. He believed & was baptized but struggled to move [repent] from his past. So didn’t experience a full relationship with Christ. Today, let us all pray that God reveal to us any/everywhere that we are devoted to our culture & past instead of Christ.
· Friday: Read Acts 9:1-31. Notice Saul’s transformation from 7:58, 8:1-3, 9:1-2 to his meeting Christ. People struggled to accept Paul’s faith b/c of his past. But to God, he was a “chosen instrument of mine”. The people that should’ve celebrated him most, tried to kill him. But God had a plan, Saul continued to grow and the overall church grew. As you read & meditate on Saul’s life - for Christ, ask God to be your strength & guide in the challenges/attacks you face in your life.
· Saturday: Read Acts 6:7&9:31Reflect on your notes & time this week with these 4 men. Collectively they represent individual growth that strengthens the entire body of Christ. Re-read 9:31 and ask God how He wants to grow you spiritually for the sake of the collective church.