Not My Plan

^[36] Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us go back and visit the believers in all the towns where we preached the word of the Lord and see how they are doing.” ^[37] Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them, ^[38] but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work. ^[39] They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, ^[40] but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the believers to the grace of the Lord. ^[41] He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches. ^[1] Paul came to Derbe and then to Lystra, where a disciple named Timothy lived, whose mother was Jewish and a believer but whose father was a Greek. ^[2] The believers at Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him. ^[3] Paul wanted to take him along on the journey, so he circumcised him because of the Jews who lived in that area, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. ^[4] As they traveled from town to town, they delivered the decisions reached by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem for the people to obey. ^[5] So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers. ^[6] Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. ^[7] When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. ^[8] So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas. ^[9] During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” ^[10] After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them. ^[11] From Troas we put out to sea and sailed straight for Samothrace, and the next day we went on to Neapolis. ^[12] From there we traveled to Philippi, a Roman colony and the leading city of that district of Macedonia. And we stayed there several days. ^[13] On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there. ^[14] One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatira named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. She was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message. ^[15] When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. “If you consider me a believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my house.” And she persuaded us. Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. All rights reserved throughout the world. Used by permission of International Bible Society.