SCRIPTURE: Acts 17 

KEY POINTS TO PONDER: Here we see Paul, Silas, and Timothy go to Thessalonica, and then Berea, and then Paul is separated from the disciples and sent to Athens alone for his safety. Paul, alone in the midst of this big city, where most people were worshiping Greek gods and probably hadn’t even heard of Jesus, steps out in the power of the Holy Spirit to proclaim the gospel. Even though, from human standards, this would have been a terrifying and seemingly impossible task, Jesus provokes Paul to share his name. How do you share about Jesus’ salvation with people who haven’t a clue who Jesus even is? Paul finds a connection point. He walks around Athens, and he studies it, and seeing an altar to an unknown god, he uses that as a way to point to Jesus. When reaching out to friends and family and people in our lives who are unknowing of Jesus and the Bible, we can ask God to show us those same connection points to connect the truth of Jesus with the lives of others. It may be terrifying, but we can trust Jesus will give us ways to share the gospel with those he puts in our path. 

CHALLENGING TERMS: The Areopagus in which Paul spoke (v. 19) was the “hill of Ares” (Ares was the Greek god of war). The court of the Areopagus would have dictated much of the cultural and religious life in that city at the time. 

REFLECTION: Who is someone you want to communicate the gospel to? What’s a connection point that you might be able to use to connect their lives with the story of Jesus? 

PRAYER: Father, thank you that you give us the words to share our faith with others, and that you empower us by your Holy Spirit to do so! 

Pray that God would open your eyes to see more and more ways to connect others’ lives to the gospel.