MEETING AGENDA
- OPENING PRAYER – Ask one person to open the meeting in prayer.
- GROWTH QUESTIONS – Ask everyone the Growth Questions.
- ATTENDANCE – Take attendance through the DG Attendance System.
- TODAY’S LESSON – Go over this week’s DG lesson.
- GIVING – Encourage everyone to give on the App.
- CLOSING PRAYER – Ask for prayer requests and pray.
SURRENDERED, EQUIPPED, AND PROTECTED
TODAY’S PASSAGE:
Acts 26:12-23 (NLT) – 12 “One day I was on such a mission to Damascus, armed with the authority and commission of the leading priests. 13 About noon, Your Majesty, as I was on the road, a light from heaven brighter than the sun shone down on me and my companions. 14 We all fell down, and I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is useless for you to fight against my will. ’15 “‘Who are you, lord?’ I asked. “And the Lord replied, ‘I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting. 16 Now get to your feet! For I have appeared to you to appoint you as my servant and witness. Tell people that you have seen me, and tell them what I will show you in the future. 17 And I will rescue you from both your own people and the Gentiles. Yes, I am sending you to the Gentiles 18 to open their eyes, so they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God. Then they will receive forgiveness for their sins and be given a place among God’s people, who are set apart by faith in me.’19 “And so, King Agrippa, I obeyed that vision from heaven. 20 I preached first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout all Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that all must repent of their sins and turn to God—and prove they have changed by the good things they do. 21 Some Jews arrested me in the Temple for preaching this, and they tried to kill me. 22 But God has protected me right up to this present time so I can testify to everyone, from the least to the greatest. I teach nothing except what the prophets and Moses said would happen— 23 that the Messiah would suffer and be the first to rise from the dead, and in this way announce God’s light to Jews and Gentiles alike.
- This truth does not mean that we do not have a freewill. God has given each of us the ability to choose how we will live our lives.
- This is a clear warning about the foolishness of trying to live life “our way” and not “God’s way.”
- DEFINITION – useless (sklēros): hard, harsh, rough, stiff, violent, offensive, intolerable
- When we try to live “our way” and not “God’s way,” we are in for a rough life!
- God’s will is for our best! His plan is always for our good!
Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV) – For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
- The best life we can choose to live is a life submitted to God’s good plan for our lives.
- When Jesus appointed Paul (Saul) to be His witness, Paul had never met Him before. He’d never seen Jesus teach or do miracles. He wasn’t there when Jesus resurrected from the dead or ascended to heaven.
- Jesus promised Paul that he’d be His witness telling others about the things He would show (teach and instruct) Paul about in the future.
- In other words, Paul didn’t have much to offer at the moment of his calling, but Jesus was promising Him that He would equip him as he followed.
- This promise holds true for all of us today too! We don’t have to know it all right now, because Jesus will teach us how to be effective witnesses as we follow Him.
Hebrews 13:21 (NLT) – May he equip you with all you need for doing his will. May he produce in you, through the power of Jesus Christ, every good thing that is pleasing to him. All glory to him forever and ever! Amen.
- Jesus promised Paul that he would rescue Him from the people who would try to oppose him as he went out to preach and be a witness.
- Paul did go and preach, and his obedience led to a powerful move of God that swept through modern-day Syria, Turkey and Greece. Many, many people were turned from darkness to light and brought into the family of God.
- As a result of the great success that Paul experienced, he also faced massive persecution from both Jews and Gentiles everywhere he went, but God was faithful to his promise and protected him from every plot against his life.
- Like Paul, if we choose to hold fast to God’s promises, obey Him, and preach the Gospel, then no matter what troubles we face, God will rescue us from them all.
Psalm 34:19 (NLT) – The righteous person faces many troubles, but the LORD comes to the rescue each time.