The slave girl from Acts 16 was demon possessed. So frightening. Her story reminds me of the story of Karla Faye Tucker who was addicted to cocaine from childhood and was often not in her right mind. She went over to a man’s home bent on revenge, planning to mess up his motorcycle. But it turned far darker and she committed a brutal murder of him and the woman asleep next to him. Yet in prison awaiting her sentence, a Christian ministry came in and she was drawn by their joy and “stole” a Bible from their give-a-way table. This is Karla before and after Christ found her.
Before Christ
After Christ
The devil is alive and still at work wrecking lives today. Are hallucinatory drugs one of his weapons? I think so.
It is interesting that the slave girl seemed to be preaching Christ, yet she was behaving so crazily that it turned people away rather than to Him, which indeed is the devil’s intent. It makes me wonder about some who are like her who may seem to be preaching Christ but are really controlled by the evil one. Keller says this is where social justice comes in, which when he preached this sermon simply meant biblical justice, not how the world has twisted its meaning today.
I have found that people who are at the bottom are often the most open to Christ and it can be pretty thrilling to be a small part of seeing Him change a heart and a life.
Let’s go – Oh Lord be with us!
Sunday:
- How have you experienced the wisdom, power, peace, or love of Christ this week?
Monday: The Text
2. Read Acts 16:16-18 and make 5 observations.
3. Read Acts 16:19-24 and make 7 observations.
4. What particularly stood out to you and why?
Tuesday: Keller Part I. The Contrast with Lydia
You can listen and read the transcript simultaneously if you like — it’s short. Begin right after Keller finishes with Lydia and says “Secondly…” We are taking 3 weeks on this single important sermon.
Here’s the transcript:
- The slave girl
Secondly, we have the slave girl and the gospel for the oppressed. This next case study clearly Luke chose the slave girl to tell us about because she is the opposite of Lydia in several ways. First of all, she is economically the opposite. Lydia was financially wealthy. She was financially independent, we’d say. The slave girl was not just poor; she was a slave. She was completely powerless. She was completely exploited.
They were also at the other ends of the spectrum morally and spiritually. Lydia was moral and spiritual and read the Bible and worshiped every Sabbath day. The slave girl wasn’t just irreligious; she was demon-possessed. I mean, that’s about as far in the other direction as you can possibly go. Lydia was quietly spiritually seeking, obviously. In a very quiet way, she was seeking God.
It’s kind of hard to say what this girl is because she was literally hounding Paul and Silas. She was hounding them, and she was saying, “These men are servants of the Most High, who are telling you the way to be saved.” She knew the truth. In other words, in some ways, of the three cases, she knew the most, and yet she was most troubled. She was most in pain. I mean, you can’t really say she was seeking. On the other hand, you can’t really say she was indifferent. She was filled with spiritual turmoil.
If Lydia is a business owner who lives on the Upper East Side, it might be helpful to think of this girl as a teenage, drug-addicted prostitute working under one of the East River bridges. How does the gospel come into her life? The most interesting thing for us to notice is how different this is. Lydia was reached through reason. Lydia was reached through a kind of rational discourse. This girl was reached through a power encounter, a deep existential power encounter in the deep recesses of her being.
5. Find all the contrasts between Lydia and the slave girl.
6. Remember when Keller contrasted Nicodemus with the Samaritan woman? His point was different people need different approaches. How do you see this again with these two women?
7. Challenge question: List the four different approaches.
8. Think about someone God has put on your heart with whom to share the gospel. What approach might be more effective than others?
Wednesday: Keller Part II. Conflict with Those Affected by Someone’s Conversion
8. So often there are people upset by another’s conversion. Remember how Lee Strobel gave his wife to “get over it” or he would divorce her? Do you know of a way this has happened?
Listen while you read this part of the transcript:
This is the most interesting thing for us to notice, especially for Christians. She doesn’t only have demonic masters; she has human masters. She is psychologically bound through the demons, but she is socially bound through human masters. She is exploited socially. She is the victim of social injustice as well as demonic oppression. See that?
When she is liberated by the gospel, she is liberated across the board. She is not just liberated internally, personally, and individually. She is also socially liberated, because when the demon is cast out, she no longer fits in the old exploitative economic system. Of course, the people who are making money off of her … Because she was demon-possessed, she was clairvoyant, and she could tell fortunes. The people who were exploiting that and making money off of her were furious because, you see, what Paul and Silas were doing was social action.
The powers that be were furious. That’s the reason why they were beaten. They were upsetting the social system. Because this girl, in order to be liberated by the gospel, was not just liberated in an individual way but a social way, not just on the inside, but also … In other words, she didn’t become a Christian just through an individual personal choice but also through the confrontation of the structures, the powers, that bound her spiritually, socially, and economically.
9. How was the slave girl liberated in more than one way?
10. What else stands out to you from Keller?
11. Did any of you come to Christ before your husband or close family members have? How did you or are you handling that?
12. How are we as Christians causing trouble for groups like Planned Parenthood or those with an agenda to advance LGBT thinking?
Thursday: Keller Part III. The Challenges of Justice
Keller uses the word “social justice” but don’t take offense. That term has now changed to mean something of which Christians do not approve. In the time of this sermon”social justice” meant showing mercy, embracing truth, and bringing true justice. Keller is showing it is complicated and we must be aware of that to be effective, and he is also saying that conversion needs to be accompanied by real help for an individual who is caught in an injustice system, as the slave girl was.
A contemporary example is that International Justice Mission has learned it is better to catch the perpetrators of sex trade than help girls escape, for the girls are so addicted to drugs that they willingly go back to those who enslaved them.
Listen and Read:
Now if you want an example of what I’m trying to get at, here’s a perfect example of it. A man named Robert Linthicum wrote a book some years ago. Because I know some of you will email me and say, “What’s the name of the book?” I’ll tell you now and save you the effort. Robert Linthicum wrote a book called City of God, City of Satan. He was a Christian minister. He tells about the fact that in 1957, he was, I guess, a student and worked in a church in an inner-city area of some midwestern city.
He worked for a church. He worked for a youth ministry for the summer. This is what he tells about one girl he met. He says something like, “I was working with poor teenagers in a government housing project when 14-year-old Eva began coming. She was exceptionally beautiful, but her life was a wreck, crime and drugs all through her broken extended family. She felt she had no future.
The school she attended was terrible. Teachers literally did nothing but discipline. She had almost no reading and writing skills at age 14, but through the youth ministry, she came into a personal relationship with Christ, and hope began to return. Just before I left at the end of the summer, she said to me, ‘Bob, I am really under terrible pressure. A large gang from the projects recruits girls to be prostitutes for wealthy white men in the suburbs. They make the money, and the girls are like their slaves. They’re trying to get me.’ ”
Linthicum remembers telling her something like, “Well, the Bible says if you resist the Devil, he will flee from you. Stick with your youth group. Keep up your daily prayer and Bible study, and you won’t fall into temptation.” He said something like, “I was naïve. I figured if she was a real Christian, a real Christian wouldn’t give in to temptation. Months later, I returned and found she had stopped coming to the study. I tracked her down, but she would hardly look at me.
‘Look. I gave in. I’m working for them, okay?’
‘How could you give in like that?’ I said, completely unsympathetically.
She said, ‘Well, first they beat my father, then my brother, who ended up in the hospital. Then they threatened my mother, so I joined.’
‘How could you?’ I cried. ‘Why didn’t you go to the police?’
‘Bob,’ she said, ‘who do you think they are anyway?’ ”
In one foul swoop, Bob Linthicum, who understood salvation completely in terms of an individual decision, suddenly realized the only way he could minister to Eva and minister to the people in Eva’s neighborhood was if he went after unjust social structures. She couldn’t go to the police because the police were part of the gang. They were behind the gang. How do you minister in a place like that? How do you bring liberation at a place like that?
What you have to do is you can’t just minister through individual decisions. The individual decision, the psychological conversion has to happen, but the social structure has to be confronted as well. What do I mean by this? Just this. People desperately want to put a church somewhere on a spectrum between liberal and conservative. Everybody wants to peg everybody else.
I’m not saying we’ve done it right. I’m not saying I know of any church that’s done it right, but if you’re true to the gospel, a church that is true to the gospel would be impossible to peg. Because, on the one hand, does the gospel bring profound psychological transformation? Of course! Look at the transformation of identity that is possible. Look at the deep power encounter that can go on, even with a demon-possessed person. Look at the absolute liberation that the gospel can bring.
Of course, but on the other hand, does the gospel bring social change as well as psychological change? Of course! Think about how the salvation came. Jesus Christ brought salvation. He triumphed through losing. He got wealthy through giving all of his money away through poverty. He got power by completely serving. The cross! When the cross comes into the center of your life, you can never look at the poor the same way again. You can never look at your own career the same way. You can never look at your money, your status.
Recognition. Those things don’t matter anymore, not if you understand the gospel. Therefore, any church that is being true to this gospel is going to be just as involved in social justice issues as in bringing people to radical conversion through the gospel. Absolutely!
13. What stands out to you from the above and why?
14, Read Micah 6:8 and list the three responsibilities we have as children of God.
Friday: Pedal to the Metal
For me, it is a challenge to reach out to those who may be high maintenance, like the slave girl, or simply those hard to love. There’s a gal at pickleball I distance myself from and one day another believer said to me, “She’s just a lost soul.” That was very convicting. I also think it is important to give and to pray to those who are doing justice, such as Discipleship Unlimited, International Justice Mission, or pro-life groups that are evangelical.
15. How are you doing with the challenge of Micah? Be specific. And what have you learned?
Saturday:
16. What is your take-a-way and why?
98 comments
Sunday:
How have you experienced the wisdom, power, peace, or love of Christ this week?
Dee, thank you for sharing about Karla Faye Tucker again. Her story has reminded me time and time again not to give up on people, though how lost they may seem.
Helping with Vacation Bible School this past week has allowed me to rub shoulders with people I did not know. And to connect with some whom I have had acquaintances with before but have not seen for a while. The materials chosen by the host church were based on Psalm 23, and the evenings were divided into 5 activities: music, movie, crafts, games, and story time after an early supper. Just like so many things in a small town during the summer, kids’ participation can be unpredictable. A lot of other activities clamor for their time; nevertheless, we were thankful for the 20-plus kids who came.
I have observed good collaboration among the 4 churches dividing the workload. I have been tired this summer, but God provided the power each day to pour out love to the kids and to the volunteers. The event also gave Richard and me some needed wisdom to continue with our church and to be actively engaged in the life of our community.
Of special joy for me was seeing the three girls of a couple who “left” our church last summer. I said hi to the wife, and she greeted me as well. She told me that she has been thinking of me and would like to catch up. For some reason, my initial response was to back away (I did not realize how I was still holding on to some pain due to their leaving). Praying for the time to catch up with one another to be soon. And that my heart would be inclined to love unconditionally.
Bing, I really can relate to the couple who left the church and the feelings you have. I have been there so many times over the past few years that I am exhausted. It is what led to me wanting to study more about what the Bible says. I will pray both of us to have a more healthy outlook about these situations and our hearts. Love you!
Laura, thank you for your encouragement and prayers. I am definitely a work in progress, and I am glad that it is God who does the work in me and will complete it!
Bing, I love your heart for others and for learning. You are a great example to me of always being willing to learn and change for the better, in order to love people and God.
Bing — I agree with Chris and glad for your encouragement of Laura.
I love this dialog of encouragement between you dear blog sisters. It is a blessing to see that you and Richard are going to continue with your church and community, Bing. I agree with Laura, Chris and Dee. I see God working through each of you precious women of God. Such a beautiful example of iron sharpens iron. 🙏
Thank you, Lord for this entire group of women, those who are quiet and those are active. I feel so blessed to be here and to know each of them, and learn from each of them.
Thank you all. Processing my pain from last year has been difficult. I keep reminding myself to focus on Jesus and how He loved people even when they disappointed Him and grieved His heart. And that I have done the same to Him and to others as well.
Bing, I am curious about how four churches worked together for a VBS. I have never hear of that before. You mentioned the host church. Were they the ones who contacted the other three? I am veryinterested as we are a small congregation and this might work well for us.
1. How have you experienced the wisdom, power, peace, or love of Christ this week?
I continue to have the Bible overlap in different studies I am trying (!) to complete. I have been leading a Bible study at my church, unpacking all the scriptures about women in ministry, and the complementarian vs egalitarian viewpoints of each. It has been a hard study, and emotional for many. For me, it is just learning, something I am always doing because of my job. But, the importance of it is so much more! I have learned a lot and still do not know where I stand. I am learning that the Bible is so much more than I have ever thought it was. It is AMAZING! I wish I could convey this to others. Thank You God for giving us the Bible!!
Laura, I am so proud of you digging into this study about women-I have wanted to read John Stott on this as Dee shared, but need to prioritize this and life seems to just carry me away from my study time. Good for you! And thanks for checking in with me on the 1885 book. 🙂 I’m confident on getting a PDF made, but struggle with online files so hopefully I can keep track of it and get it printed. So exciting!
John Stott did convince me – and I respect him so much. Perhaps I can print off what he said sometime if it isn’t too much and considered plagerisim.
Dee, I found this article on the Gospel Coalition from Kevin DeYoung. I’m curious what you think after having read John Stott yourself.
https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/kevin-deyoung/go-big-or-go-home-why-complemegalitarian-doesnt-work/
As I have been studying the Bible, one thing that stands out about the Word is that it can seem contradictory and yet we need scripture to interpret scripture and must seek to do our best to understand these bigger cultural issues that come up in religion AND know we will need to give grace as we will make mistakes.
Laura, what a great study. I so admire all that you are doing with these women in your church! It is exciting and I pray that God open hearts of the women you lead.
This is on my Elisabeth Elliot daily calendar did today:
“I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing can be taken from it. God does it so that men will revere Him.” Ecclesiastes 3:14
Patti, I love the verse from Ecclesiastes! The last part, ” God does it so that men will revere Him.” makes so much sense in the context of what Laura and her group are studying. Along with Chris’s thoughts: “We must seek to do our best to understand these bigger cultural issues that come up in religion AND know we will need to give grace as we will make mistakes.” Grace. Kharis. I was listening to The Bible Project today, and the devotional was based on “Kharis-the grace of God.”
Scripture is infallible. No addition. No subtraction. My dilemma, when the topic at hand is confusing, is to remind myself that I am not God, and what He reveals or what remains a mystery points to Him as the Author of the story. “In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity.” Help us, Lord!
Thanks for that great summary of our thoughts, Bing. You are a great communicator and help me think through the details.
I agree with Chris, Bing. You are a great communicator and I so appreciate all your thoughts. God’s grace is so important.
Oh everyone! Thank you so much for the encouraging words! The study drew some in and some away (to a point). I love that I was able to relate our Lydia/demon possessed girl to the congregations in Ephesus, Corinth, and Crete!! Thank you Dee! Basically, some of it boils down to each of those people/communities needed what Paul taught them at their own time and place. It’s just what we are studying in that each person needs to be exposed to the gospel in their own way. I know there is much more to it than that, but that was this weeks’ part of our study and it overlapped with our study here. Love that!
Sunday:
How have you experienced the wisdom, power, peace, or love of Christ this week?
Dee, I am so happy about this study and how well it always pairs with my life and what God is doing. When we look, we see Him orchestrating the timing of things in our lives. There was a couple that visited our church a few weeks ago and said that they saw demons in a mirror hanging on the wall in our worship space. It wasn’t shared publicly and there wasn’t a scene, but one of our elders on duty very calmly went and took the mirror down and they stayed and worshipped. My husband felt unsettled about it and wanted to know if it was mental health or spiritual and I suppose it could be one or both. I don’t know that these people have been back as the mirror is back up and I haven’t asked but it is good to be able to discern such things.
Our DIL who is 5 weeks pregnant now was experiencing pain Saturday night and worried after they had lost the last baby almost 2 years ago. We waited and prayed at Sunday lunch to hear the news while she went into the emergency room and they treated her for a UTI. We praise God for good medical care and answers to our prayers.
I am grateful for a friend/former foster mom of my son who invited us to a VBS this week. Part of me wanted to say no and “get things done” but I know this will be good for both of us, spiritually. I’ll trust the Lord for time to get the work done I need to do.
How frightening about both the demons on the mirror and your DIL. Thankful both were resolved.
Oh, Chris! That is scary about the mirror. Did anyone pray over the mirror before putting it back up? So thankful for your DIL’s issue being resolved.
That is a great question Patti! I’ve only recently learned about denouncing demons in regard to objects.
I just re-read a portion of Marcus Warner’s book on Spiritual Warfare where he addresses cleansing objects that may have been used for occult practices. I’m so glad you mentioned this and I’m going to bring it up to my husband. At any rate, I’m glad we will leave the mirror behind when we get our new building!
Oh, that was scary, Chris! I, too, am glad that the mirror incident was handled sensitively and discreetly. And your DIL was diagnosed and treated appropriately.
Wow! That is a scary thing…but even the demons know that Jesus is Lord! Thank You Lord!!
So glad your DIL only had a UTI. Thank You again, Lord!
Monday: The Text
2. Read Acts 16:16-18 and make 5 observations. It seems Paul, Luke, Timothy and Silas are traveling together to a place of prayer. On the way they meet a slave girl with a spirit of divination. She makes her owners much money by fortune-telling. She followed the men for many days, shouting out that they serve God and proclaim the way of salvation. Paul became annoyed and commanded the spirit to come out of her in Jesus name. It did that very hour.
3. Read Acts 16:19-24 and make 7 observations. 1. The slave girls owners, driven by greed, drag Paul and Silas to the rulers in the marketplace. 2. They complain that the men are Jews and disturbing the city, making a case for Romans. 3. The crowd joins in attacking them, tearing off their clothes. 4. Orders are given and they are beaten with rods. 4. After many blows the men are put in prison. 5. The jailer puts them in the inner prison to keep them “safe”. 6. Their feet are put in stocks. 7. Greed leads to violence.
4. What particularly stood out to you and why? The men are going to a place of prayer and there is a spiritual attack from this girl which greatly annoys Paul, until he casts the demon out. I wonder if he prayed before he cast out the demon, about what to do? I wonder what would happen if he just ignored the demon possessed girl and focused on his work of prayer? Obviously, this is recorded in scripture for us to learn something-is it simply that our work here will be challenged in order to bring God glory and more converts? The response to Paul’s casting out of the demon is quite violent towards the believers, yet Paul/God use this opportunity to save another soul (the jailer in the next verses.)
1. How have you experienced the wisdom, power, peace, or love of Christ this week?
As I was leaving church yesterday, Ruth, our pastor’s wife, stopped me. We are fb friends and she saw Dee’s name on my fb page. She told me that Dee spoke at their church in Quidnesset, (somewhere in New England) . It was a number of years ago and Dee spoke on The Friendships of Women. She still remembers has lovely it was. It shows how Dee has touched many in such memorable ways for Jesus. How I thank God for you and your ministry, Dee.
I thank God for you, Patti!
2. Read Acts 16:16-18 and make 5 observations.
The slave girl had the spirit of divination, which brought money to her masters.
She followed Paul for many days and kept shouting that they were bond servant of the Most High*God, who proclaimed the way of salvation.
Her shouting was involuntary and She was detracting from their message of Jesus.
Paul commanded the evil spirit to come out of her and it immediately came out of her.
This angered her masters and they grabbed Paul and Silas and took them before the authorities.
3. Read Acts 16:19-24 and make 7 observations.
When the masters of the slave girl saw that they would no longer be able to use her to make money, they seized Paul and Silas and took them to the authorities.
They twisted the truth, making false claims.
They said Paul and Silas were teaching illegal customs and causing havoc.
Christianity was not accepted by the Romans so they called it illegal.
Paul and Silas were beaten .
They were put into prison and jailer was told to guard them closely.
Paul and Silas were put in the inner prison and their feet put in stocks.
4. What particularly stood out to you and why?
With the slave girl, it showed how demonic manipulation can be mistaken for divine truth. This is why it is so important to know the scriptures well and to pray for God’s Word be understood in our hearts. It is blasphemy to market the gospel of Jesus for monetary gain. (Or for fame.)
Interesting her shouting was involuntary. So scary.
Patti, I hadn’t noticed the slave girl’s shouting was involuntary-regardless of her control over this it must have been a great relief to HER to be free of the demon!
I mentioned the book “Sacred Geometry”. The author is Stephen Skinner. The description is : How the beauty in nature, art and architecture si based on n underlying geometry and reveals a hidden order behind their creation. So it is a book that is math related, but show an order to the universe. (Leading to discussion on creation and God). I mention this because there are now many books with this title, but they do not lead this direction. Some are definitely not a good source.
I just told my headmaster son-in-law about Skinner’s book
So interesting, Patti. I love the geometric detail in nature. It’s so fascinating.
Monday: The Text
1. Read Acts 16:16-18 and make 5 observations.
a. Fortune-telling, beware! Zodiac signs?
b. This slave girl is earning a lot of money for her owners.
c. She was following Paul and his companions.
d. She tells the truth about Paul and his companions- servants of the Most High God and the way to salvation.
e. She kept saying these words for many days.
f. The spirit left the girl at Paul’s command in the name of Jesus.
2. Read Acts 16:19-24 and make 7 observations.
The owners were just concerned about the money.
The owners dragged Paul and Silas to the marketplace to face the authorities.
Their accusations were false.
They pointed out the fact that Paul and Silas were Jews and were doing something unlawful under Roman law.
They exaggerated by saying that Paul and Silas were throwing the city into an uproar.
The crowd joined in the attack
The magistrates ordered Paul and Silas to be stripped and beaten with rods.
Paul and Silas were severely beaten and thrown into prison to be guarded carefully.
The jailer put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in stocks.
3. What particularly stood out to you and why?
a. I wondered why Paul did not rebuke the spirit the first time she did it.
b. Did she understand what she was saying and that it was for her as well?
c. “owners”. Not just one. Some of the evil in this world is not only a one-man show but made up of many in cahoots with one another. Makes me think of the sex slave trade or the Mafia (I don’t know much about them).
d. The severity of the punishment for Paul and Silas grieved me. Did they even have a hearing? Where is justice?
e. I began to think that maybe some of the magistrates themselves were some of the owners of the slave girl or at least profited from her as well.
f. The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil… I Timothy 6:10 plays into this scenario.
It is a bit crazy how severe the punishment was-greed is ugly.
2. Read Acts 16:16-18 and make 5 observations.
Paul and Silas were going to a place of worship.
They met a slave girl who had a spirit within her.
The slave girl made money telling people‘s fortunes.
The slave girl followed them professing that they were men of God and they knew how to be saved.
Paul told the demon to come out of the girl and it did.
3. Read Acts 16:19-24 and make 7 observations.
Because the slave girl could no longer tell the future her master did not earn any more money.
They dragged Paul and Silas to the authorities.
They told the authorities that the Jewish men were professing things that they shouldn’t be professing for Romans. It was illegal.
They said that they were causing an uproar in the community.
A mob formed, and they began to beat Paul and Silas with wooden sticks.
The officials put Paul and Silas in jail.
They were put in the inner jail and their feet were locked in stocks.
Stocks were so terrible — you got leg cramps and couldn’t do anything about them!
Oh my gosh! The”Charlie horses,” how terrible!
Monday: The Text
2. Read Acts 16:16-18 and make 5 observations.
1. One day Paul and Silas were going down to the place of prayer.
2. They met a girl who had a spirit that enabled her to tell the future and earned a lot of money for her masters telling fortunes.
3. She followed Paul and those with him shouting, “these men are servants of the Most High God and have come to tell you how to be saved.”
4. This went on day after day until Paul got so exasperated.
5. He commanded the demon in the name of Jesus Christ to come out and it instantly left her.
3. Read Acts 16:19-24 and make 7 observations.
1. The girl’s masters hopes of wealth were shattered now.
2. They grabbed Paul and Silas dragging them before the authorities.
3. The whole city is in an uproar because of these Jews.
4. They shouted at the officials, “They are teaching customs that are illegal for us Romans to practice.”
5. The mobbed quickly formed against Paul and Silas.
6. The officials ordered they be stripped and severely beaten with wooden rods.
7. The jailer was ordered to make sure they didn’t escape and put them in the dungeon and put them in stocks.
4. What particularly stood out to you and why?
I’m curious as to what customs Paul and Silas were teaching that were illegal for the Romans to practice. Throughout this whole story you can see the bondage they all are under, not just the slave girl…not unlike the many people in the world/our country are today.
Sharon, Your last comment is so good. So many questions about what in their teaching was illegal for the Romans to practice? And so many are in bondage today, everywhere. Teaching the Bible is being threatened, in our own country today.
Good question, Sharon — does anyone know?
So true — I’m reading a book about North Korea called “Nothing to Envy” Enormous Bondage!!!
We need to be awake.
Sharon, I was curious too and found this on Bible Hub.
“Legal Considerations: Roman Law and the Lex Julia de Vi Publica
1. _Disturbance of the Peace_: Roman law punished anything threatening pax Romana. A public commotion caused by the loss of income could be construed as sedition.
2. _Foreign Religio Illicita_: Judaism was tolerated in Rome, but proselytizing Gentiles to practices differing from imperial cult expectations risked sanction. The accusation “customs unlawful for us Romans” echoes this fear (cf. Cicero, Pro Flacco 69).”
Paul must have considered these things before he finally rebuked the spirit that was inside the slave girl. And I believe he also knew that he would suffer in many ways as he proclaimed the gospel.
Thank you for sharing this, Bing. So good.
Yes, Bing — thanks!
Thanks Bing…very helpful.
5. Find all the contrasts between Lydia and the slave girl.
a.)Lydia was a well to do business woman. She was spiritual and studied the scriptures. She was moral and she was a seeker. Her heart was open to learning more about God.
b.)The slave girl was poor and oppressed. She was not moral or spiritual. She was controlled by earthy masters and demonic spirits. She was not interested in God and her heart was closed.
6. Remember when Keller contrasted Nicodemus with the Samaritan woman? His point was different people need different approaches. How do you see this again with these two women?
Yes, Nicodemus and the Samaritan women had similar differences in their lives. Morally righteous Lydia and the social outcast, with the demons both needed the same rebirth of their hearts for Jesus, but with different approaches. Lydia, like Nicodemus was a righteous seeker with an open heart for Jesus. The slave girl, like the Samaritan woman, did not know what she needed, but was offered the eternal new life in Jesus, with no condemnation of her past.
7. Challenge question: List the four different approaches.
I am not sure how to answer this.
1.) Rational discourse presents God to one who already has some knowledge of religion, but does not understand the gospel of Jesus. Religious people need this the most, because they think they have it, but they don’t have it without Jesus. This goes from loving God because He is useful to wanting to live for Jesus because He is beautiful and will fill you not drain you. This is a person with an open heart.
2.) A Power encounter is one when the person has a master, is exploited, non moral and perhaps possessed by a demon. It Spiritually frees the person from demonic masters and human masters. This is a person with a closed heart.
3.) Social and Economical may fit into a power encounter too. This may helping someone out of poverty situation…social injustice .someone whose heart is unsure. I don’t know I am missing four distinct approaches ?
4.) Being an Example. This approach may be someone who is not seeking or even thinking about God, but is drawn to God by the way someone else has responded to God in the midst of persecution. This is an example of someone who has forgiven one who does not deserve forgiveness or one, who is an example of repaying evil with good. This points out the true character of someone and it is a powerful witness.
I am not sure if this is what you are looking for.
8. Think about someone God has put on your heart with whom to share the gospel. What approach might be more effective than others?
I do think it is a huge witness to others, the way we handle pain and suffering, or unfair treatment. It is in our family and only God can change hardened hearts.
So good, Patti!
Monday: The Text
2. Read Acts 16:16-18 and make 5 observations. 1. Paul and his companions were going to a place of prayer (maybe at the river?) 2. A demon possessed slavegirl followed them for many days. 3. She brought much gain to her masters through soothsaying (fortune telling/spells) 4. She cried out “These men are the sevants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation.” 5. Paul commands the demon, in the name of Jesus, to come out of her.
This reminds me of the demon possessed man saying to Jesus in Matthew 8, And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?
3. Read Acts 16:19-24 and make 7 observations. 1. The slave girl’s masters realized that she would no longer provide them riches, so they captured Paul and Silas. 2. They took P&S before the city magistrates and accused them of creating much trouble. 3. Accuse P&S of teaching Jewish customs that were illegal for Romans. 5,A mob of people joined in, the magistrates tore their robes in anger and commanded P&S to be beaten. 6. P&S were thrown in jail. 7. The jailer put them in the innermost part of the prison with their feet in stocks.
4. What particularly stood out to you and why? It’s clear that demons believe/recognize the power of God (Jesus and the Holy Spirit) even when men do not. It stands out that the slave girl words testified that Paul and Silas were showing the way of salvation. Also that Paul did not want her endorsement, did not need it, and thus commanded the demon to leave the girl.
Cheryl, I too thought it interesting Paul didn’t want it. I feel that way about some who by their manner of sharing actually bring shame to His name.
Tuesday
5. Find all the contrasts between Lydia and the slave girl. L was wealthy and independant – S was poor and a slave L was moral and spiritual, worshipped God – S was demon possessed Not mentioned by Keller: L was part of a group of like-minded women – S had no one and was exploited L had some knowledge of who God was – S knew nothing of God.
Keller says the slave girl knew the truth and was in spiritual turmoil. I don’t really see that even with the words she cried out. Could she have heard Paul’s message? Possibly, but when and where? I want Luke to give more detail! For example with Lydia and the jailor we are told what happened to them afterthey became believers, but what about the slave girl? I like to think that Lydia took her in and explained further the things of Jesus.
6. Remember when Keller contrasted Nicodemus with the Samaritan woman? His point was different people need different approaches. How do you see this again with these two women? Lydia was already a worshipper of God with knowlegde of OT scripture (presumably), so Paul’s message would have been the logical fulfillment of the scriptures in Jesus and salvation by faith in Him. The slave girl was in darkest bondage and needed to be released before she could respond in believing faith. Being freed from the demon would have given her a love for her rescuer, in the name of JESUS.
7. Challenge question: List the four different approaches. Sorry, I don’t remember.
8. Think about someone God has put on your heart with whom to share the gospel. What approach might be more effective than others? Showing kindness and love, forming a friendship/relationship.
I smiled at “I want Luke to give more detail.” I often feel that way but know there’s a reason we don’t get it.
Tuesday: Keller Part I. The Contrast with Lydia
You can listen and read the transcript simultaneously if you like — it’s short. Begin right after Keller finishes with Lydia and says “Secondly…” We are taking 3 weeks on this single important sermon.
Here’s the transcript:
The slave girl
Secondly, we have the slave girl and the gospel for the oppressed. This next case study clearly Luke chose the slave girl to tell us about because she is the opposite of Lydia in several ways. First of all, she is economically the opposite. Lydia was financially wealthy. She was financially independent, we’d say. The slave girl was not just poor; she was a slave. She was completely powerless. She was completely exploited.
They were also at the other ends of the spectrum morally and spiritually. Lydia was moral and spiritual and read the Bible and worshiped every Sabbath day. The slave girl wasn’t just irreligious; she was demon-possessed. I mean, that’s about as far in the other direction as you can possibly go. Lydia was quietly spiritually seeking, obviously. In a very quiet way, she was seeking God.
It’s kind of hard to say what this girl is because she was literally hounding Paul and Silas. She was hounding them, and she was saying, “These men are servants of the Most High, who are telling you the way to be saved.” She knew the truth. In other words, in some ways, of the three cases, she knew the most, and yet she was most troubled. She was most in pain. I mean, you can’t really say she was seeking. On the other hand, you can’t really say she was indifferent. She was filled with spiritual turmoil.
If Lydia is a business owner who lives on the Upper East Side, it might be helpful to think of this girl as a teenage, drug-addicted prostitute working under one of the East River bridges. How does the gospel come into her life? The most interesting thing for us to notice is how different this is. Lydia was reached through reason. Lydia was reached through a kind of rational discourse. This girl was reached through a power encounter, a deep existential power encounter in the deep recesses of her being.
5. Find all the contrasts between Lydia and the slave girl.
Economically: Lydia was wealthy; the slve girl was poor
Morally: She is upright as a businesswoman and goes to the synagogue or places of prayer
Spiritually: Lydia is seeking to please God; the slave girl was demon-possessed and in spiritual turmoil.
6. Remember when Keller contrasted Nicodemus with the Samaritan woman? His point was different people need different approaches. How do you see this again with these two women?
Lydia needed rational discourse, while the slave girl needed a demonstration of god’s power in her life.
7. Challenge question: List the four different approaches.
Rational discourse, Power encounter, Nicodemus was an insider (Pharisee and religious, self-righteous), the Samaritan woman was an outsider and needed acceptance and to be shown love first.
8. Think about someone God has put on your heart with whom to share the gospel. What approach might be more effective than others?
The 13-year-old girl I have been mentoring has a genetic disorder. She and her family have been ostracized before. She needs love and acceptance first. And to be pointed to the One who loves and accepts her no matter what her disorder is.
Father, please reach this 13 year old through Bing’s love and truth.
Thank you for your prayer, Dee. I have been sensing the Spirit’s work in this girl’s life. If I can use Lizzy’s words, “a playdough heart”. Something that was not there a few months ago.
Amen to Dee’s prayer for this precious girl. So thankful that her heart is softening. I love Lizzy’s term, play dough!🥰
5. Find all the contrasts between Lydia and the slave girl.
Lydia was wealthy. The slave girl was not.
Lydia was quiet slave girl was not.
Lydia studied and worshipped, the slave girl did not.
Lydia was reached through a proper discourse. The slave girl was possessed and it had to be shaken out of her.
6. Remember when Keller contrasted Nicodemus with the Samaritan woman? His point was different people need different approaches. How do you see this again with these two women?
I can’t say I remember…ugh! But, Nicodemus was a Pharisee. He knew the Torah well. Nicodemus needed to understand how to be “re-born” in Christ. The Samaritan woman did not know the Torah. She was the woman at the well, right? She needed comfort. Jesus gave her that by telling her to go and sin no more. She found comfort in the living water He said He could provide.
I can see that different people would need different approaches. I just don’t know how that plays out in my life.
Amen, Laura! Different people need different approaches.
7. I’m not sure about this.
8. I don’t know anyone in particular. I do know there are a few women who attend church whose husbands do not.
9. How was the slave girl liberated in more than one way?
She was demon possessed AND she was exploited by her master. She was socially outcast. After she met Paul and Silas she was freed from it all!
Great answer to 9.
I imagine with your students you use both philosophical truth and your own experience. I know you are limited, but I’ve also heard you tell great stories.
Tuesday: Keller Part I. The Contrast with Lydia
5. Find all the contrasts between Lydia and the slave girl.
Lydia was wealthy – The slave girl was poor.
Lydia had freedom – The slave girl was owned.
Lydia was spiritually moral – The slave girl was demon-possessed/spiritually distressed.
Lydia was a business owner – The slave girl was a prostitute
Lydia was quietly seeking God – The slave girl knew truth but wasn’t seeking.
Lydia was reached through reason – The slave girl was reached through a power encounter.
6. Remember when Keller contrasted Nicodemus with the Samaritan woman? His point was different people need different approaches. How do you see this again with these two women?
Lydia needed reasoning and the slave girl needed a power encounter.
Wednesday
8. So often there are people upset by another’s conversion. Remember how Lee Strobel gave his wife to “get over it” or he would divorce her? Do you know of a way this has happened? In my life when the Lord opened my eyes to truth, I was bubbling over with joy. I told my fiance and he was NOT happy. He had been close to some Christians who had been witnessing to him and assumed I would become like them.
9. How was the slave girl liberated in more than one way? Keller says she was liberated personally and socially. I don’t really see this, because she was still a slave, so how was she liberated socially? I understand that she was no longer an asset as a fortune teller, but she was still in bondage as a slave. Her soul was free but her body was not.
10. What else stands out to you from Keller? The furious reaction of the masters. It makes me think of human trafikking today and the lengths to which “owners” go to keep their “assets,”
11. Did any of you come to Christ before your husband or close family members have? How did you or are you handling that? I still marrried my fiance even though he was not a believer; I did not know any different. He made no objection to my attending church afterward until our first child was born. He objected to me taking her to church. “I’m going, and you have to work, so what do you want me to do?” She came with me. The next altercation was when I wanted to be baptized. I’ve told you that before; his objection, my submission, and his eventual conversion.
12. How are we as Christians causing trouble for groups like Planned Parenthood or those with an agenda to advance LGBT thinking? I’m not sure what you mean by causing trouble.
I could have been clearer by asking “How are we causing a loss of income or respect” to those groups?
Wednesday: Keller Part II. Conflict with Those Affected by Someone’s Conversion
8. So often there are people upset by another’s conversion. Remember how Lee Strobel gave his wife to “get over it” or he would divorce her? Do you know of a way this has happened?
We had friends in the Philippines who were ostracized by their families because they became Christians.
9. How was the slave girl liberated in more than one way?
Liberated personally but also socially and economically. I wonder what happened to this girl after she was no longer “useful” to her human masters.
10. What else stands out to you from Keller?
He used the word social justice. Nowadays, social justice is not really like what Jesus was about.
11. Did any of you come to Christ before your husband or close family members have? How did you or are you handling that?
My husband and my family members are all Christians.
12. How are we as Christians causing trouble for groups like Planned Parenthood or those with an agenda to advance LGBT thinking?
Confronting structures and powers with truth?
Bing — “social justice” when Keller preached that sermon meant biblical justice. The meaning has certainly been changed!!
It sure has, Dee! Our daughter used to work for a non-profit organization in KC that advocates, and still does, for restorative justice. They do good things, but I am learning to be discerning with the help of the Spirit. I can get convoluted with English terminology!
Bing and Dee, I get confused with that term too. It means different things now than it did in the scriptures. I think is is so important to e discerning in the Holy Spirit. It can be a fine and wiggly line. I was confused by the LGBT question, but I love your answer “confronting with truth.” Thank you, Dee, for clearing up the question.
Thursday: Keller Part III. The Challenges of Justice
Keller uses the word “social justice” but don’t take offense. That term has now changed to mean something of which Christians do not approve. In the time of this sermon”social justice” meant showing mercy, embracing truth, and bringing true justice. Keller is showing it is complicated and we must be aware of that to be effective, and he is also saying that conversion needs to be accompanied by real help for an individual who is caught in an injustice system, as the slave girl was.
A contemporary example is that International Justice Mission has learned it is better to catch the perpetrators of sex trade than help girls escape, for the girls are so addicted to drugs that they willingly go back to those who enslaved them.
13. What stands out to you from the above and why?
The example of Linthicum was an eye-opener. I have watched Olivia Benson before and get riled up by the scenarios in Law and Order. It is one thing to see injustice in a TV show; another thing to hear a firsthand encounter with it.
I have a friend who shared a ministry she participates in. Their focus was truck stops where young girls and women are trafficked. I shudder thinking about the statistics.
This, from Keller: Therefore, any church that is being true to this gospel is going to be just as involved in social justice issues as in bringing people to radical conversion through the gospel.
Keller sure has words that bring clarity to true social justice in light of the gospel.
14, Read Micah 6:8 and list the three responsibilities we have as children of God.
He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God.
Thursday
13. What stands out to you from the above and why? Eva’s story and Bob L’s words/actions, so sad. It reminded me of a message I once heard about the salvation of a child at VBS (not a church going family). The speaker said, What good will it do if you show him the warmth of salvation and then send him back to the frozen home environment? Women AT Risk does a fantastic job of rescuing women/children and helping them find a way to live outside the prostitution/slavery.
I think we all need to be aware of injustice/disparity in our community, country, the world. Some things we can help change and others we must pray about. I avoid politics and focus on the Lord and His Word for direction. I believe the Holy Spirit will show me what to do, in love.
14, Read Micah 6:8 and list the three responsibilities we have as children of God. Do justly, love mercy, walk humbly. I’ve been reading Charity and its Fruits by Jonathan Edwards (mentioned by RC Sproul in that message Dee recommended), and LOVE covers all areas of our lives and responsibilities to God and men.
I’m impressed you are reading that! 🙂
It’s slow going, and I sometimes have to read a paragrah more than once to really understand it, but well worth the time. He makes me THINK.
I’M SURE!!!
13. What stands out to you from the above and why? The story of the inner city girl who was saved at 14, but fell into a life of drugs and prostitution. Our lives are complicated and there isn’t a one size fits all solution to our problems.
14, Read Micah 6:8 and list the three responsibilities we have as children of God. We are to do justice, to love kindness and walk humbly with God.
Yes, that’s why IJM switched to going after the perpetrators.
Friday: Pedal to the Metal
For me, it is a challenge to reach out to those who may be high maintenance, like the slave girl, or simply those hard to love. There’s a gal at pickleball I distance myself from and one day another believer said to me, “She’s just a lost soul.” That was very convicting. I also think it is important to give and to pray to those who are doing justice, such as Discipleship Unlimited, International Justice Mission, or pro-life groups that are evangelical.
15. How are you doing with the challenge of Micah? Be specific. And what have you learned?
My husband has been serving our community of 5 small churches’ Ministerial Alliance as president. Their main services are the food pantry and financial assistance for travelers who need a place to stay, help with utility bills (especially during winter), and referrals for short-term jobs. We, as a couple, have offered personal financial assistance at times to others in exchange for simple labor. But beyond the help is forming relationships with these people and also taking genuine interest in their lives.
Because I volunteer at the school, I have found out that some families who have needed assistance have children in this school. I see broken families trying to make the best of life. I am learning not to be judgmental and to keep maintaining their sense of dignity for manual labor.
Richard has developed some ongoing communication with the people who visit the food pantry. He had an unfortunate incident with one homeless man where he felt taken advantage of. But we have learned to give these things to the Lord. We act justly, mercifully, and humbly because we know that is what God wants us to do without expectations of a return. He has already paid us in full.
Lately, our church has chosen to be more visible in our community and pray to be able to move forward, keeping the gospel as our true north. Praying for courage and teamwork among our members. I think I will share Micah 6:8 with our ministry team.
Dee, thank you for bringing up this timely matter.
From Bing:
Richard has developed some ongoing communication with the people who visit the food pantry. He had an unfortunate incident with one homeless man where he felt taken advantage of. But we have learned to give these things to the Lord. We act justly, mercifully, and humbly because we know that is what God wants us to do without expectations of a return. He has already paid us in full.
Wow! Love your “Christ centered lens” on all of this, Bing. Thanks for highlighting it, Dee! He has already paid us in full. Truth! Lord, write these words on my heart.
Wednesday: Keller Part II. Conflict with Those Affected by Someone’s Conversion
9. So often there are people upset by another’s conversion. Remember how Lee Strobel gave his wife to “get over it” or he would divorce her? Do you know of a way this has happened?
My father became a Christian while he was in the service and when he was home on leave he witnessed to his mom and dad. His dad got it up from the table, got a knife and told him to either shut up or run for his life…my dad ran for his life. It was several years before he was able to return home. My dad ended up leading 3 of his 6 siblings to the Lord and I couldn’t tell you if his mom or dad ever accepted the Lord.
10. How was the slave girl liberated in more than one way?
Keller says she was liberated internally, personally, individually and socially .
11. What else stands out to you from Keller?
It amazes me how far reaching her conversion went and the impact it had. Went to college with a guy who was heavy into Satan worship and became a Christian…his testimony had a huge impact on me.
12. Did any of you come to Christ before your husband or close family members have? How did you or are you handling that?
No
13. How are we as Christians causing trouble for groups like Planned Parenthood or those with an agenda to advance LGBT thinking?
I think this is best done one on one with love and kindness.
Oh my — what a story about your paternal grandfather!
Thankful for your father! Oh, my, Sharon!
Sharon, what a story about your Dad. I often think of my paternal grandparents; I am not sure if they were Christians.
Thursday: Keller Part III. The Challenges of Justice
13. What stands out to you from the above and why?
My eyes were opened to see that in order for the church to be true to the gospel it must be involved in social issues as well.
14, Read Micah 6:8 and list the three responsibilities we have as children of God.
To do what is right, love mercy and walk humbly with God.
11. Did any of you come to Christ before your husband or close family members have? How did you or are you handling that?
Well, my husband and family were/are Catholics. He does not profess Catholicism anymore although his sisters do. They do not go to church, even on holidays. He does go to church with me in our “Baptist” church. I put this in quotes because it’s “American” Baptist, not Southern Baptist. He goes, but he isn’t really engaged. He says he believes but he also still has the “works” mentality. I guess I pray that he learns before he dies 🤷🏻♀️.
12. How are we as Christians causing trouble for groups like Planned Parenthood or those with an agenda to advance LGBT thinking?
Well, I guess, since it’s against our belief then we are thwarting their agenda by not promoting them, by having silent protests in front of their doors, and by not giving to their cause financially. Incidentally, I have never been a member of the teachers’ union here, because I can’t just join the local union. I am required to join the state and national too. I don’t want my money going to their “causes” such as abortion and LGBT.
I don’t have to agree with them, but I will always be respectful. I find that THEY are the disrespectful ones to those of us who don’t want our little children exposed to their ideas at an early age. I’ll never forget going to Salem, Mass when we moved here and seeing two women holding hands. I didn’t want my 6 year old boy to see that so we had to turn and go another way, quickly.
this past year I had a transgender boy in my room (he wants to be a girl). He bullied me all year because he knew I believe in Christ. He would say things like, “Have you read your. Bible today? You know it’s the most important book.” I always treated him with respect. I may have already told that story. Others in the class were exhausted with his shenanigans and some wanted to literally punch him out! These were 11th and 12th graders. At graduation, one of those who disliked him asked me how I could deal with that all year. I told him to listen to TobyMac’s “Speak Life.”
https://open.spotify.com/track/7FO6QgfJRKtEwZiYO0dIO9?si=cFSC32nyTvKoWwc_Gxsqcw&utm_source=copy-link
I liked your response to that student!
Laura, your entire post is powerful. My husband did not join the teachers’ union for similar reasons. Other Christian teachers did the same. I pray for a “play dough” heart for your husband.
I think the respect you showed to the trans boy, spoke loudly to your entire class. I believe many will remember it as a good lesson. We live in unusual times.
Wow, Laura! I sure love your perseverance and tenacity with that student. I pray that he is drawn to Jesus and that as he looks back on his school days, he remembers your grace and tough love.
13. What stands out to you from the above and why?
How sad it is that she went into the gang and that the police are part of the problem. I’m a very persistent person. My son says I am “obnoxiously optimistic.” I don’t want to believe that she couldn’t hold out even with the beatings. I don’t want to believe that the police would ever be involved! That’s SO not right.
14, Read Micah 6:8 and list the three responsibilities we have as children of God.
The Lord says to do what is right, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God.
9. How was the slave girl liberated in more than one way?
The slave girl was liberated spiritually from the demons, which led to her being liberated from physically from her captors, who could no longer benefit from her demonic gifts. We don’t know more about what happened in her life.
10. What else stands out to you from Keller?
I loved that Keller said of Jesus: He challenges you and adapts to your condition. He was beautiful enough for Lydia, Powerful enough for the slave girl and Practical enough for the jailer.
Love this from Keller, too: He was beautiful enough for Lydia, Powerful enough for the slave girl and Practical enough for the jailer.
13. What stands out to you from the above and why?
It is heartbreaking that this young woman could not break away from that life. Fear can cause people to do things they do not want to do and they know it is sin. It was a huge lesson to Linthicum in how change needed to take place. The social structure in the neighborhood had to be changed. I think Tim and Kathy Keller did that with their church, but it is a daunting task. Planting life groups is something our small church is starting here in RI. Most churches here are extremely liberal, yet many have been drawn to the simple gospel message at our small church. I Praise God for this church. It has grown a lot just in the time I have been here.
14, Read Micah 6:8 and list the three responsibilities we have as children of God?
To do justice, to love kindness and to walk humbly with God.
15. How are you doing with the challenge of Micah? Be specific. And what have you learned?
The entire purpose of our lives is to draw others to Jesus. We see people differently, when that is our focus. People need to feel seen and heard or they don’t feel as if they exist for anyone at all. I am praying that I will be more intentional this way. We are all busy, but you can make someone’s day with just a word, a kind gesture, a card, a smile. Remembering what they asked you to pray for and asking them about that. Being fair in all that you do with others, in business or just in friendship and family. Pointing others to God, just by who you are. I see it in all of you dear friends on this blog.
Two days ago, I listened to a speaker on the Epoch Times News on You tube, speaking on how the most successful business over time, have been led by people with great humility. The companies with arrogant leadership, were not as successful in many ways. It was so interesting. I will look for the link.
Patti, your response to the Micah verse is so good…this is my prayer too, “to be more intentional this way.”
So true, Patti. And I would be interested in watching the YouTube video from Epoch Times News.
I would love to see that article!
Those are the preachers I like most — gifted but humble like Keller and Alistair Begg
Saturday:
16. What is your take-a-way and why?
As a segue to learning more about biblical justice that I barely scratched the surface of, I found this article from Substack (https://doicare.substack.com/p/timothy-keller-on-biblical-justice) on a commentary on Keller the writer found here: https://gospelinlife.com/article/justice-in-the-bible/
It is lengthy but worth reading.
Thank you, Dee, once again. And thanks to Tim Keller, who still speaks to us today.
And speaking of different approaches to sharing the gospel, 2 sisters are attending our church (age 15 and 13) who are as different as night and day. The older is like Lydia, and the younger is like the Samaritan woman (not by the same lifestyle but a need for love and acceptance). I can see how my approach with either one should be different.
Saturday:
16. What is your take-a-way and why?
As a segue to learning more about biblical justice that I barely scratched the surface of, I found an article from a Substack commentary on Keller with this link: https://gospelinlife.com/article/justice-in-the-bible/
It is lengthy but worth reading.
Thank you, Dee, once again. And thanks to Tim Keller, who still speaks to us today.
And speaking of different approaches to sharing the gospel, 2 sisters are attending our church (age 15 and 13) who are as different as night and day. The older is like Lydia, and the younger is like the Samaritan woman (not by the same lifestyle but a need for love and acceptance). I can see how my approach with either one should be different.
I see that an entry of mine today “awaits moderation”. It must be the links. I hope the second one goes through. If not, I will edit it again and share it tomorrow.
15. How are you doing with the challenge of Micah? Be specific. And what have you learned?
I am trying to help our daughter with her studies, I am giving her mercy, and humbling myself with her (which makes me humble to Him).