Monday 18th May Acts 19.21-40 The location of Ephesus is an archaeological and tourist treasure, but if it were not for Paul and Luke’s account here in Acts 19 we would never have heard of Demetrius of Ephesus and the riot he led that filled an amphitheatre. One can only imagine in the most tribal … More Waiting for the Spirit – Monday 18th May: Acts 19.21-40
Sunday 17th May Acts 19.1-20 So, today, in our bible reading we see that Paul has travelled to Ephesus, and he finds some disciples. Nothing is said about how he finds them, or even how many – simply that he finds them. There has only been one holiday abroad where I didn’t find disciples on … More Waiting for the Spirit – Sunday 17th May: Acts 19.1-20
Saturday 16th May Cameos from Corinth Acts 18 Acts 18 is like a series of little cameos, with the character and passion of Paul as the common thread, and all kinds of responses from those he meets. We begin in Corinth, a strategic city in so many ways, and while Paul stays a long time, … More Waiting for the Spirit – Saturday 16th May: Acts 18
Friday 15th May Acts 17.16-35 Who do you worship? Who do you love? How have you worshipped God in the last eight weeks? We have all been changing our patterns of worship as we have been unable to gather together in our worship communities. However we have joined together in morning and night prayer, clicked … More Waiting for the Spirit – Friday 15th May: Acts 17.16-35
Thursday 14th May Acts 17.1-15 The explorer and missionary David Livingstone said, ‘I am prepared to go anywhere, so long as it is forward’. Here was a man determined to keep going and not turn back. The idea of turning back never occurred to Paul either. There are there times when we are distracted, or … More Waiting for the Spirit – Thursday 14th May: Acts 17.1-15
Wednesday 13th May Acts 16.16-40 As I considered this passage, in the context of the journey Paul and Silas were on, I was struck by the word ‘concluding’ further back in verse 10. To put this in context, first pan-out to the wide view of the chapter and we can see that as they travelled … More Waiting for the Spirit – Wednesday 13th May: Acts 16.16-40
Tuesday 12th May Acts 16.1-15 I remember once that I was preaching four times one particular Sunday. They were all different messages. I hadn’t prepared my evening sermon, I’d ran out of time. Late in the afternoon I decided I would use one I preached the previous week in a different church. As I began … More Waiting for the Spirit – Tuesday 12th May: Acts 16.1-15
Monday 11th May Acts 15.22-41 In his book Love in the Time of Cholera, Gabriel Marquez talks about a husband and wife who have a disagreement because the husband feels his wife has misplaced his soap. She angrily denies it, and they fall out so badly that for seven months they sleep in separate rooms … More Waiting for the Spirit – Monday 11th May: Acts 15.22-41
Sunday 10th May Acts 15.1-21 In today’s reading things are becoming increasingly difficult in Palestine. Arguments are arising over the issue of circumcision, and so, in order to resolve the issue, Paul and Barnabas set out to Jerusalem. Weeks into an enforced period of staying at home, I wonder if people are experiencing arguments or … More Waiting for the Spirit – Sunday 10th May: Acts 15.1-2
Saturday 9th May Acts 14.21-28 https://cdn.myiknowchurch.co.uk/podcast_file_1588445050upld452309may-wemustenduremanyhardships.mp3 “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God…” So say Paul and Barnabas to one another, and to others, as they travel from town to town and city to city. However, this statement of Paul and Barnabas isn’t a statement of belief, it’s a statement … More Waiting for the Spirit – Saturday 9th May: Acts 14.21-28
