“The next day we put in at Sidon. And Julius treated Paul kindly and gave him leave to go to his friends and be cared for.”Acts 27:3 ESVIsn't it great that there are so many different personality types in this world? You have people like my friend Ben, who are the epitome of extroverts. They walk into the room, and are the life of the party. Then, you have people like my wife, Annie. She is more o...  Read More

Paul in front of Agrippa makes for a fascinating scene. Imagine, if you will, what the room would have looked like. Inevitably, there would have been those Jews who were accusing Paul. These Jewish leaders would have been well known to Paul, as he was one of them. He testified to as much.5 They have known me for a long time and can testify, if they are willing, that I conformed to the strictest se...  Read More

Have you ever had to speak up for yourself or defend yourself when talking to someone? Have you ever had to justify your experience? What was that like for you? In Acts 25 Paul boldly defends himself in the face of accusations, saying “Neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar have I committed any offense.” (Acts 25:8 ESV)  Read More

Thankfully, I haven’t had a lot of experience sitting in a courtroom. That’s not to say I haven’t had my share of speeding tickets, I have a problem, but what I have experience reminded me that justice doesn’t always win; the person in the right isn’t always exonerated, and the system is far from perfect.In our reading for today, Acts 24, we find Paul haven been taken from the courts of the Sanhed...  Read More

Take CourageSomething I’ve always found startling about Paul’s story is his courage to say things. In Acts 23, Paul makes a controversial statement knowing there were people present who disagreed with him. He says, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. It is with respect to the hope and the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial (Acts 23:6, ESV).” In that moment not everyone believe...  Read More

If you haven’t read Acts 22, you should, and you should, right now before you read this post. A lot is happening that will be referred to in this short article. But a quick overview tells us that Paul is speaking to a crowd like he often does, and he tells them about his conversion. His lengthy testimony is a witness to the calling of God on his life.  Read More