What's Your Story?

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Opening Prayer

Continue to work in me and with me, Lord, because I love You and declare to serve You fully.

Read Acts 22:6-21

^[6] “About noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me. ^[7] I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, ‘Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me?’ ^[8] “‘Who are you, Lord?’ I asked. ” ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting,’ he replied. ^[9] My companions saw the light, but they did not understand the voice of him who was speaking to me. ^[10] “‘What shall I do, Lord?’ I asked. ” ‘Get up,’ the Lord said, ‘and go into Damascus. There you will be told all that you have been assigned to do.’ ^[11] My companions led me by the hand into Damascus, because the brilliance of the light had blinded me. ^[12] “A man named Ananias came to see me. He was a devout observer of the law and highly respected by all the Jews living there. ^[13] He stood beside me and said, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight!’ And at that very moment I was able to see him. ^[14] “Then he said: ‘The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from his mouth. ^[15] You will be his witness to all people of what you have seen and heard. ^[16] And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name.’ ^[17] “When I returned to Jerusalem and was praying at the temple, I fell into a trance ^[18] and saw the Lord speaking to me. ‘Quick!’ he said. ‘Leave Jerusalem immediately, because the people here will not accept your testimony about me.’ ^[19] “‘Lord,’ I replied, ‘these people know that I went from one synagogue to another to imprison and beat those who believe in you. ^[20] And when the blood of your martyr Stephen was shed, I stood there giving my approval and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.’ ^[21] “Then the Lord said to me, ‘Go; I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’ ”

Meditate

What needs of people today provide bridges of opportunity for faith-sharing?

Think Further

How do you communicate the Gospel to those who don’t want to hear it? That was Paul’s challenge as he began speaking to this crowd of angry religious leaders. They already knew everything they wanted to know about God. Anything Paul said would only set them off. As a follower of Christ today, you may have faced similar, though less volatile, situations. The reality, no matter how you spin it, is that telling people they need to repent of their sin and accept Jesus Christ can cause friction.

Paul handled the situation by simply telling his story, the unvarnished facts of what God had done in his life. That’s a good strategy for today, because it’s hard to argue with a changed life. He also built his testimony around three questions that helped him make the case for Christ. The first was, “Who are You, Lord?” (8). The blinding light and voice from heaven forced him to re-evaluate a lifetime of religious assumptions, something he wanted his present listeners to do. The second question was, “What shall I do, Lord?” (10). If Jesus really is alive, then this question required a response. The final question came from Paul’s first spiritual director, Ananias, “What are you waiting for?” (16). There’s a time to debate spiritual ideas, but there’s also a time to make a decision. That was the point of Paul’s speech.

As we’ll soon see, Paul’s audience rejected his message, but those who say “yes” to Jesus today find that “What shall I do, Lord?” is the essential question. God had an assignment (10b) for Paul, one that would change his life and the world forever. God has an assignment for you too. It probably won’t be as remarkable as Paul’s, but it’s guaranteed to change your life and your world forever.

Apply

What’s your story? What has God done in your life? How has God changed you? Who could you tell?

Closing prayer

Lord, make clear to me what Your assignment is for me. I long for dedication and courage to rise to the task.

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