Day 34

ACTS 19:8

“AND HE ENTERED THE SYNAGOGUE AND CONTINUED SPEAKING OUT BOLDLY FOR THREE MONTHS, REASONING AND PERSUADING THEM ABOUT THE KINGDOM OF GOD.” 

As we live life on mission in our circles of influence on a daily basis, God provides opportunities for us to share about the life-changing power of the Gospel. How we interact with others in the middle of those conversations is crucial. Paul knew this and used great wisdom when talking with those in the synagogues of the day. First, he reasoned with them. This speaks to his posture in the conversation. He wasn’t arguing with people, but rather, he was a having a back and forth dialogue with them. Often times, we are so focused on gospel presentations that we forget that we are in a gospel conversation. Secondly, he urged them. This speaks to his passion in the conversation. He pleaded with those in the synagogue to believe in and follow Jesus, the promised Messiah. When talking about the Gospel, we may say all the right things, but we fail in the way we say them. If we aren’t not passionate in the way we talk about the Gospel, have we truly experienced it ourselves?

Do you regularly have Gospel conversations with individuals in your circle of influence?

Day 33

Read John 4:34-38
Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish His work. Do you not say ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’?Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest. Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. For here the saying holds true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’ I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored and you have entered into their labor.”

There is a lot in the passage above, so I encourage you to read through it again slowly. Jesus claims that he has “food”, but He is not talking about physical food. Physical food sustains life, and what He is talking about here is what sustains eternal life. Jesus said His food is “to do the will of Him who sent me”, his Father in heaven. Jesus is teaching the disciples and us that the “harvest”, which He is using as an analogy and which is the gathering of food, is right in front of us. Jesus is showing us that the will of His father is for us to share the good news of God and Jesus so that others would also have eternal life! Be mindful though, because towards the end of these passages, Jesus makes it clear that we are reaping what we do not sow. Only God sows and saves people, we simply reap what He has done by sharing the good news WHEN God puts those people in front of us. It is easy to think we are to go “do things for God” but if you read through this passage slowly, Jesus makes it clear that we do the will of God by sharing with whoever He puts in front of us. 

Pray to God and be mindful of those in your life right now that God may be putting in front of you to share. Ask for courage from God to share when he presents an opportunity to share with those around you.