Highrock Church

After his dramatic encounter with Jesus, Saul grows increasingly bold in proclaiming that Jesus is the Messiah. As opposition against him intensifies, some of his enemies plot to kill him, forcing him to escape the city with the help of fellow believers. When Saul arrives in Jerusalem, many disciples are understandably hesitant to trust him because of his former persecution of Christians. However, Barnabas steps forward to testify about Saul's genuine conversion and ministry. Anger and pride might help to destroy an enemy, but love can turn enemies into friends, and even family!

Looking for a previous devo? Want to share one with a friend? Start here:

https://www.highrock.org/daily-devotionals/

For Reflection:

- What do you learn about God through Saul's journey?

- What do you learn from Barnabas' intervention in Saul's situation?

- Have you ever struggled to believe that God could truly change someone, including yourself?

- In what ways might God want you to help encourage and strengthen other believers?

- Prayer: Lord, thank you for your transforming grace! Help me believe in the Spirit's power to truly change lives, including my own.

Many of us have someone we deeply love - someone kind, generous, and sincere who doesn't follow Jesus. So how do we make sense of Jesus' claim to be "the only way" without losing sight of God's love?

· · ·

👉🏻 Check out other Highrock sermons

👉🏻 Check out Highrock's 15-min daily devotionals

In this flashback to May 25, 2021, we see Philip encounter a high official of the extensive and powerful kingdom of Ethiopia. This official just so happened to be reading from Isaiah, a passage we know as Isaiah 53 — a passage that predicts the suffering and sacrifice of the Messiah. This miraculous encounter ends with the baptism of the first Gentile into this new community, acting as a preview of what is to come — that God was about to extend the invitation into God's family to the ends of the earth and to all people. Will we, like Philip, be ready to respond to the opportunities that God provides?

Looking for a previous devo? Want to share one with a friend? Start here:

https://www.highrock.org/daily-devotionals/

After hearing that many people in Samaria have received the gospel, the apostles send Peter and John to visit the new believers. When Peter and John pray for them and lay hands upon them, they receive the Spirit in the same way as the Jewish believers had during Pentecost. When Simon the sorcerer sees the Spirit being given through the apostles' ministry, he offers them money in an attempt to purchase this spiritual power. Peter rejects his offer and warns him that God's gifts cannot be bought or controlled for personal gain. God cannot be bought or controlled but when we surrender to God, God may choose to do seemingly impossible things in and through us, such as transforming historical enemies into sisters and brothers.

Looking for a previous devo? Want to share one with a friend? Start here:

https://www.highrock.org/daily-devotionals/

For Reflection:

- Why do you think it is important to recognize that God's gifts cannot be earned or purchased?

- How have you seen people, perhaps even yourself, pursue Jesus for personal advantage rather than for a relationship with him?

- How might the Spirit be inviting you to examine your own motives for serving God? (see Psalm 139:23-24)

- Prayer: Lord, give me a sincere heart that seeks you for who you are, and help me receive your gifts with humility, gratitude, and faith.

Stephen concludes his defense by reminding the council that God's presence has never been confined to a building, even one as important as the Temple. Additionally, he reminds them of their long history of rejecting all of God's messengers, the prophets. In other words, it is something other than a loyalty to God that motivates Stephen's persecutors. Hearing these words, the religious leaders become enraged. Stephen, filled with the Holy Spirit, sees a vision of heaven opened and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. As they stone him to death, Stephen follows the example of Jesus by praying for God to forgive those who murder him. Unlike his persecutors, Stephen's identity is truly rooted in God to the very end.

Looking for a previous devo? Want to share one with a friend? Start here:

https://www.highrock.org/daily-devotionals/

For Reflection:

- What do you believe gave Stephen the courage to speak the truth despite the danger he faced?

- Which is more challenging for you: standing for truth when facing opposition, or showing grace and forgiveness towards those same people when they hurt you?

- In light of the previous question, how might God be inviting you to grow in either courage, grace, or both?

- Prayer: Lord Jesus, give me the courage to remain faithful to you, the grace to forgive others, and the confidence to trust you in every circumstance.

Stephen's answer to the authorities moves from the patriarchs to Moses. Though Moses was chosen by God and raised up to deliver Israel, he was rejected at every turn by his people. When Moses promised God would send a prophet like Moses, perhaps he was speaking of this persistent rejection! The patriarchs and Moses highlight two key stories of their national identity, and both have clear patterns of the people rejecting God's chosen savior. We can see already how this pattern leads to Jesus, God's ultimate chosen, but rejected, savior.

Looking for a previous devo? Want to share one with a friend? Start here:

https://www.highrock.org/daily-devotionals/

For Reflection:

- What do these rejected saviors reveal about God, about us, and about Jesus?

- Who are the key people in your spiritual story? What are the key events? Do you see any themes?

- "Comfort kills" - do you see this maxim at work in your life, and if so, how might your life be leaning too much into comfort right now?

- Prayer: Lord, help me to trust your guidance rather than rejecting it as has so often happened in the past and so often in my own life.

Standing before the Jewish council, Stephen begins his defense by recounting Israel's history. Stephen reminds his listeners of the covenant God made with Abraham and then turns to the story of Joseph. Though Joseph was rejected and sold into slavery by his brothers, God was with him. Joseph later was in a position to save his family. Stephen is not telling random stories; he is laying out the patterns of how God moves in the world, especially through rejected saviors like Joseph, and Jesus — a theme on which Stephen will continue to build.

Looking for a previous devo? Want to share one with a friend? Start here:

https://www.highrock.org/daily-devotionals/

For Reflection:

- How well do you know God's story? Would you be prepared to explain Jesus' message to someone else?

- How well do you know your own story? Would you be able to share your own story to someone who was curious about the hope within you (1 Peter 3:15)?

- What would help you to be better prepared to share those stories?

- Prayer: Lord, thank you for your faithfulness throughout every generation — help me trust that you are at work even when I cannot see the full picture.

If the message of Jesus is so compelling, why do so many people find Christians unconvincing?

Maybe the problem isn't the message itself.

Maybe it's the gap between what we proclaim and what we actually possess.

· · ·

👉🏻 Check out other Highrock sermons

👉🏻 Check out Highrock's 15-min daily devotionals

In this flashback to February 24, 2022, we see that when even a small part of our physical bodies is in pain, that small part becomes our biggest consideration! The apostle Paul says that it should be the same in the body of Christ. What parts of Christ's body are diminished or dismissed as not important? How do these considerations intersect with race, gender, disability, or other potential divisions? And what are we missing when we fail to give these eyes and voices more consideration? When a part of the body suffers, the whole body suffers.

Note: Our hope for Flashback Fridays this summer is to replay devotionals from the relevant texts in Acts. However, we are currently having trouble locating that content from 2021. In the meantime, this passage from 1 Corinthians touches on a similar theme of unity in the Spirit that we see in Acts 4.

Looking for a previous devo? Want to share one with a friend? Start here:

https://www.highrock.org/daily-devotionals/

The religious leaders decide that they have to put a stop to the spread of Jesus' message by the apostles. They command Peter and John not to speak or teach in his name. Peter and John respectfully but firmly refuse, declaring that they must obey God rather than human authorities when the two are in conflict. The leaders relent, not because of what God thinks but because of what the people think, having witnessed a genuine miracle at the hands of the apostles. What might help us to know God's will when pressured by others, and what might give us the courage to pursue what God wants rather than what people might want, including ourselves?

Looking for a previous devo? Want to share one with a friend? Start here:

https://www.highrock.org/daily-devotionals/

For Reflection:

- What do you think gave Peter and John the courage to continue speaking about Jesus despite the threats?

- Can you recall a time when you felt pressured to disobey God by someone in authority, perhaps even someone who was a spiritual authority? What happened?

- What might help you to have more of the courage of Peter and John?

- Prayer: Lord, give me the courage to obey you faithfully, speak the truth with love, and remain steadfast when I face opposition.