Apostle Paul Establishes Churches.

Acts 17

As Paul continues his journey, he establishes churches.

INSIGHT

It is often necessary to establish common ground with others in order to win an audience for the Gospel. Paul uses a point of common ground when he begins talking to the people of Athens about the idol bearing the inscription: "TO THE UNKNOWN GOD"(17:23). Catching their interest, Paul develops his argument to present to them the living Christ (vv. 30-31). This skillful message is used by the Holy Spirit to bring men and women to Jesus Christ.

PRAYER

Praise God that He has revealed Himself to you:
May the glory of the Lord endure forever;
May the Lord rejoice in His works.
He looks on the earth, and it trembles;
He touches the hills, and they smoke.
I will sing to the Lord as long as I live;
I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.
May my meditation be sweet to Him;
I will be glad in the Lord.
May sinners be consumed from the earth,
And the wicked be no more.
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 104:31-35).

Pause for praise and thanksgiving.

Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him:
When we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us
(Romans 5:6-8).

Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Power belongs to God.
Also to You, O Lord, belongs mercy;
For You render to each one according to his
work (Psalm 62:11-12).

As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
courage to follow God's leading,
salvation of your neighbors,
your activities for the day.

Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses. Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear. . . . Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ(Acts 2:32-33, 36).