There was great joy in that city.

— Acts 8:8

Our reading today describes a great persecution against the church of Jesus and how people like Philip responded. Saul (also known as Paul) was convinced he was doing the right thing, even at the cost of many lives. His actions caused the church to scatter to other places, and Philip was one who decided to move out from Jerusalem to preach the good news of Jesus elsewhere. Philip recalibrated his spiritual radar and went to a city in Samaria, some 40 miles (64 km) away. The idea of taking on a new direction turned into a wonderful opportunity. When the people in that city saw the impact of the gospel, they too followed in the way of Jesus. There may be times in our lives when we too may need to recalibrate our direction. If our situation is showing signs of heading the wrong way, we need to ask where God is leading us. Through prayer and seeking God’s will, we may be able to discern a new choice and see what could be achieved if we try something new. It can be a wonderful opportunity to see the gospel spread into areas we hadn’t thought about. When our local church purchased an old bar that had been known for ungodly activities, God showed up. People who might not have had a chance to hear the gospel or who felt like they couldn’t belong became followers of Jesus. More people of peace became part of God’s family and shared his love with others. In what areas do you need to recalibrate?

Lord, help us to see new opportunities and areas where we can share your love and grace. Amen.

Greet also the church that meets at their house.

— Romans 16:5

Paul was a traveling preacher on mission for the Lord Jesus, and Priscilla and Aquila welcomed him to stay and work with them (see Acts 18). They knew the importance of the gospel and were willing to do what it took to help share God’s love in their community. Priscilla and Aquila offered genuine hospitality and were not afraid to open their home to others so that the good news of Jesus could be preached. And when Paul greets many of his friends in Romans 16, he calls on them to greet the church that met in Priscilla and Aquila’s home. We need to pay attention when God gives us people to share with. They might be tired and worn out, needing rest and a listening ear, or they might be eager and needing direction for something God has been preparing them to do. Not long ago, at an event where I was speaking, an older woman came up to me and said, with a twinkle in her eye, “It’s your fault.” I wasn’t sure what she meant, but she explained that at another gathering about a year earlier, I had told a story that had inspired her. She then began opening her home for a weekly Bible study that is now blossoming in her neighborhood. I am not sure if she would consider herself a person of peace, but I suspect that Jesus does. In what ways have you been encouraged to step out and risk doing something new for the sake of the gospel? 

Thank you, God, for opportunities to show hospitality and to share your love with others. Help us to be a voice of encouragement to all. Amen

The jailer . . . was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole household.

— Acts 16:34

It wasn’t a place they would have chosen to stay for the night. Yet God chose a prison cell to be the place where Paul and Silas would share the gospel. And they were determined, despite the situation, to praise and honor God. So in the middle of the night they prayed and sang hymns to God. Then, suddenly, a great earthquake shook the prison, opened all the doors, and broke everyone’s chains! Next the story gets even more interesting. The jailer “was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. But Paul shouted, ‘Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!’” Amazed and trembling, the jailer asked Paul and Silas about the God they served. He invited them into his house, and his whole household heard the story of Jesus. The jailer shared food and cared for them as Jesus became the center of conversation. And the whole household came to believe in God. Recently a team of volunteers was helping people clean up after a hurricane and flooding. They entered a house where a woman had not received any help and had lost hope. As they came and helped, her outlook changed. The hands and feet of Jesus were now ministering to her and others in her community. And the team was able to share the story of Jesus with them, even in the midst of their loss. How can you share the peace and love of God with someone who is struggling? 

Dear God, help us to connect with you. And where people are struggling, help us to bring hope through your message of love and peace. Amen.

While talking with him, Peter went inside and found a large gathering of people.

— Acts 10:27

She walked to church regularly on Sunday mornings, and on one occasion she saw a most unlikely character. He was barely sober and headed to the liquor store. Though she might easily have ignored him, on that morning she felt she needed to invite this man to church. She suggested that he come with her the rest of the way and enjoy both a service and a coffee. He accepted her invitation and came through the doors. Many years earlier this man had heard the story of Jesus, and on that morning it all came back to him and filled his heart. He soon began attending worship services regularly. He also began coming in to help clean the building, and he made coffee for anyone who came through the doors. Often, when he was standing on the front steps, he began to invite others in. When someone asked him, “What is this place?” he explained that it was the church. The door began to open more frequently because of his invitations. And Jesus became real to many of the people who came in because of this man’s invitations. Cornelius the centurion was a believer who was not Jewish— yet God chose to connect him and Peter to make the story of the gospel bigger. Cornelius filled his home with people who wanted to hear more— and Peter, inspired and led by a dream, shared the good news of Jesus. Whom might your unlikely person of peace be?

Dear God, help us to see each person as one of your dear children. May we respond faithfully when you call on us to share. In Jesus, Amen.

The woman . . . said to the people, “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?”

— John 4:28-29

It started as an ordinary day. The woman had her routine planned—including going to the well at the hottest time of day, when no one else would be there. She was tired of the looks and the whispers of others. Life had not gone as she had hoped. She was glad to have a house to live in and a man to share it with her. At least he did not seem to mind the rest of her story. As she approached the well that day, the woman noticed someone was there. But she needed water, so she continued to the well and began filling her water jar. The stranger engaged her in a conversation that should never have happened. And yet what he said was amazing. Leaving her water jar behind, she raced back to her village to tell others, “Come and see . . .”! She needed them to know what had happened and that there was hope and life. Jesus chose an unlikely woman to carry out his mission of peace and good news that day. She went from hiding to inviting others to hear the story. Have you ever felt as if your story disqualified you from sharing with others? Well, Jesus is calling. He is inviting you to share with others the message of God’s grace and truth. Will you too invite others to come and meet Jesus, who knows everything about us all? 

Dear Lord, thank you for interrupting our ordinary life to show us your glory. Thank you for choosing us to share your story. Thank you for bringing us hope and light and truth. Amen.

How can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?

— Romans 10:14

Have you ever wondered what beautiful feet look like? A woman who walked into my office one day helped me to see that beautiful feet make the effort to go on mission. She had a heart for second-generation Koreans who were leaving the church. She said she needed someone who could help her find a place for them. In the next couple of weeks we worked on how that could happen within our church. We looked at our Alpha course, which invites people to ask questions about God, Jesus, the Bible, and the Christian faith. We decided to offer the Alpha course in both English and Korean. The door that she opened in my office that day has led to many Koreans coming to faith in Jesus and becoming a part of his church. Families, students, and the young people she had a heart for now lead in worship, serve on our staff, teach, and volunteer. Is God calling you to advocate on someone’s behalf? Like the woman who walked into my office, perhaps? Or maybe you could invite someone to your home for coffee or to join you at church? Is there a group of people or a person whom you would love to see learn more about Jesus? Can you think of ways to help or to open a door for them to hear the good news of Jesus? Have you looked at your feet and thought, “How beautiful!”? 

Dear God, thank you for beautiful feet that walk in the direction of helping others to find you. Give us the courage to invite others into your story. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.

— 1 Timothy 4:12

Aaron was young and active and loud. He gathered friends easily. He was also one of the first teenagers to show up at a pizza lunch at our church. We had decided that inviting students from the high school next to our church for lunch each week might be a good thing. A toonie (two Canadian dollars) would get you three slices of pizza and a pop. When the first six kids showed up, we had lots of pizza, and they inhaled a lot more than three slices each. Then Aaron began inviting others. They began to show up week after week, and opportunities to feed them both physically and spiritually began to happen. Now, 20 years later, the pizza lunch continues, serving about 180 hungry kids. What’s more, the youth pastor at the church today is one of those first six who came the first week. We all have a place to open a door for someone else so that the gospel can be shared. When I served those first slices of pizza, I did not know who would help to advertise the lunch idea, but God knew. He used a young teenager full of zest and noise to invite others. I did not know who would serve in that ministry after me, but God knew. God also knew that thousands of pizzas would be served to students who might not otherwise have had a chance to hear about him. I am so glad that God knew!

God, thank you for noisy, appealing teenagers. Thank you that you can use any of us to invite someone in. Help us to listen to you, to have courage, and to respond. In Jesus, Amen.

“If someone who promotes peace is there, your peace will rest on them; if not, it will return to you.”

— Luke 10:6

On my Facebook page I asked a question about how people might define “a person of peace.” I received lots of answers, and a few of those can be summarized as an answer for all. “A person of peace,” they said, “is someone who opens doors for others so that they see life differently.” Another answer (via Google) can help us get to the heart of what Jesus was saying when he sent out 72 followers: “A man or woman, young or old, rich or poor, who is prepared by God to provide entrance into their community for the sake of the gospel.” When Jesus sent his followers on mission for the sake of the gospel (the good news of the kingdom of God), he talked about finding people of peace. These would be people who were open to the message of God’s love and peace, and they would welcome Jesus’ followers with hospitality. One thing I have learned about engaging with people who share God’s love and peace with others is that they do not have a particular personality or come from a certain demographic. Anyone can be used by God to open opportunities for the good news to be shared. It might even be someone you wouldn’t expect. This month let’s explore some stories from the Bible and discover what it looks like to be a person of peace.

Dear God, help us to pay attention when you ask us to go and create spaces for others to hear the message of your good news and love for everyone. Amen.

God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

— John 3:16

The newness we celebrate at the start of each year pales in comparison to the ultimate newness we receive through Christ. Eternal life isn’t just about a future promise; it’s about a present reality that transforms how we live today. When we embrace the newness of eternal life, we accept that we are part of something far greater than ourselves—an unshakable kingdom that will never fade. I remember when I first understood this truth fully. It wasn’t until a hard season in my life that I truly grasped what it meant to have eternal life through Jesus. I realized that no matter what happened in the world or in my circumstances, the gift of eternal life could not be taken away. This profound shift in perspective gave me the peace that surpasses understanding. I knew I had a hope beyond what this world could offer. Eternal life changes everything. It shifts our values, our priorities, and even the way we see hardship. Each day becomes a step closer to the fulfillment of God’s promises. So when the trials of life come, we can face them with the confidence that we are secure in the love of God, which never ends. As we conclude this devotional journey, let’s remember that the newness we experience now is just a foretaste of the life we have in Christ that will never fade but last forever! 

Lord, thank you for the gift of eternal life. Help us to embrace your love and the hope you have given us, trusting in your promises. Amen.

Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy.

— Psalm 126:5

The journey of life isn’t always easy. We face struggles, setbacks, and moments where it feels like our efforts are in vain. But the beautiful truth of Psalm 126:5 is that God does not waste our pain. The tears we shed are never in vain, for they are like seeds being sown for a harvest of joy. I remember a time when I was going through a season of difficulty. It felt like everything was falling apart, and I couldn’t see how any good could come from it. Yet, looking back, I realize that those moments of struggle were the very things that cultivated a deeper joy in me. God used the pain to refine me, teach me, and ultimately bring me to a place of greater peace and happiness. We are promised that, even in our sorrow, God will bring forth joy. The joy doesn’t always come immediately, and at times we have to endure some hard moments. But when the harvest comes, it’s sweeter than we could have imagined. It’s a joy that only God can bring—a joy that comes from knowing that he is with us through it all. As we walk through life, let’s remember that the joy that follows the tears is a new joy. It’s a joy that comes from trusting God with our struggles and waiting patiently for his work to be completed in us. 

God, thank you for the promise of joy in our life’s journey. Help me to trust you through the difficult times and to hold on to the hope that we will be filled with joy in you. Amen.