Summer Devotional:
​No Other Name - A Devotional on the Book of Acts

Day 32 – July 8th, 2021
Read Acts 16:1-15

Helpful Background
Paul was instrumental in helping the early Church clarify that Christianity was not about keeping regulations and laws, but rather about God’s grace and our being in a relationship with Him. (Christianity should not be defined as ritual/religion, but relationship, as God had always intended.) Paul battled constantly against those who would rather define Christianity as a system of “dos and do nots.”

The author of this book, Luke, changes pronouns starting in 16:10. This change indicates that Luke has joined the group of traveling missionaries and was then traveling with Paul from that point. This provides a firsthand eye-witness account, and is quite interesting. Luke not only recorded the events and interactions he witnessed, he may have participated to some extent and was a part of the missionary team. 

Questions -What role did the Holy Spirit play in Paul’s travels?  (16:6-7) Have you ever experienced the Holy Spirit blocking you from doing something or going somewhere?  How can you tell?

Grab your journal or use the notes section on your phone.
Respond to the Scripture reading with your thoughts, questions, and/or prayer response to today’s Bible verses.​

Who was instrumental in your life in helping you to meet and/or follow Jesus? 

I remember my Jr. High English teacher was instrumental in helping me follow Jesus by exhibiting Jesus in how he treated others. He was a fairly mild-mannered man who rode a moped with a grocery basket on the front to school each day. He cared deeply for his students and he was one of the most difficult people to offend (which is an important quality in a Jr. High teacher)! When a student acted out or said something disrespectful, he never took it personally or became defensive. He addressed the behavior but he did it in such a way that was always in the best interest of the student. I remembered seeing students crying coming out of a meeting with him (after getting in trouble) and usually it wasn’t because they were upset. It was because he was able to pinpoint the root of the behavior and minister to pain in the student. I always admired his deep faith which was exhibited in how he treated others. Even today, I still aspire to be like my teacher - to be difficult to offend and always looking to be gracious to others.

 -Shared by Melanie O.

For more background information & study questions on the Book of Acts, check out Brian Ralston's handouts here.