Read a scripture and sing worship songs.

(Optional) Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. He wants all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator also between God and man, the man Jesus Christ, who gave himself as a ransom for all. (Philippians 2:11b; 1 Timothy 2:4-6a)

Choose a way to cast vision for who they can become in Christ or what God can do through them by:

• a scripture that reminds them of the Father’s Heart and of the end vision.
• reflecting on the changes in their life since they started following Christ
• reminding them of what God wants to do through them

Share BIG vision “A church for every village and community, and the gospel for every person.”

Saul stayed for a few days with the believers in Damascus. ²⁰ At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God.²¹ All those who heard him were astonished and asked, “Isn’t he the man who raised havoc in Jerusalem among those who call on this name? And hasn’t he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests?”²² Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Messiah.

²³ After many days had gone by, there was a conspiracy among the Jews to kill him,²⁴ but Saul learned of their plan. Day and night they kept close watch on the city gates in order to kill him.²⁵ But his followers took him by night and lowered him in a basket through an opening in the wall.

²⁶ When he came to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he really was a disciple.²⁷ But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. He told them how Saul on his journey had seen the Lord and that the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus.²⁸ So Saul stayed with them and moved about freely in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of the Lord.²⁹ He talked and debated with the Hellenistic Jews, but they tried to kill him.³⁰ When the believers learned of this, they took him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus.

³¹ Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace and was strengthened. Living in the fear of the Lord and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it increased in numbers.

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The believers in Damascus were surprised by Saul. Instead of arresting them, Saul began preaching Jesus as the living Son of God. Saul’s advanced education allowed him to immediately apply his knowledge of scripture to give persuasive proof that Jesus was the promised Messiah. Jesus taught that people with such understanding were able to bring out treasures from the Old Testament and from new teachings about the Kingdom (Matthew 13:52). 

Saul was so powerful in his witness that the Jews could not argue with him, so they tried to kill him in Damascus. When Saul came to Jerusalem, only Barnabas accepted him and endorsed him to the Apostles. Saul’s life was threatened again, so the disciples sent him to his hometown of Tarsus, in the province of Cilicia, about 930 km northwest of Jerusalem. This story includes the second summary statement found in the book of Acts: the church had peace and grew in numbers as it lived out of a deep reverence for God’s holiness and power (Acts 9:31). 

 

Practice needed skills or previous topics to help prepare to minister to others:

• Prayer, Care, Share
• Gospel
• Foundational Bible Studies.