TUESDAY - August 4

Read. Acts 15:6-21
6 The apostles and the elders gathered to consider this matter.7 After much debate, Peter stood and addressed them, “Fellow believers, you know that, early on, God chose me from among you as the one through whom the Gentiles would hear the word of the gospel and come to believe. 8 God, who knows people’s deepest thoughts and desires, confirmed this by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he did to us. 9 He made no distinction between us and them, but purified their deepest thoughts and desires through faith.10 Why then are you now challenging God by placing a burden on the shoulders of these disciples that neither we nor our ancestors could bear? 11 On the contrary, we believe that we and they are saved in the same way, by the grace of the Lord Jesus.”

12 The entire assembly fell quiet as they listened to Barnabas and Paul describe all the signs and wonders God did among the Gentiles through their activity. 13 When Barnabas and Paul also fell silent, James responded, “Fellow believers, listen to me. 14 Simon reported how, in his kindness, God came to the Gentiles in the first place, to raise up from them a people of God. 15 The prophets’ words agree with this; as it is written,

16 After this I will return,
        and I will rebuild David’s fallen tent;
        I will rebuild what has been torn down.
            I will restore it
17             so that the rest of humanity will seek the Lord,
                even all the Gentiles who belong to me.
The Lord says this, the one who does these things[a]
18     known from earliest times.

19 “Therefore, I conclude that we shouldn’t create problems for Gentiles who turn to God. 20 Instead, we should write a letter, telling them to avoid the pollution associated with idols, sexual immorality, eating meat from strangled animals, and consuming blood. 21 After all, Moses has been proclaimed in every city for a long time, and is read aloud every Sabbath in every synagogue.”

Reflect. The leaders of the Jerusalem church gather to consider whether Gentile Christians should be circumcised. Evidently, there are a variety of thoughts on this issue, until Peter stands up to address the crowd. If you recall, in Acts 10, Peter saw with his own eyes how the Spirit of God fell upon Gentile believers. This experience changed him, and is clearly what leads him to share that Jewish and Gentile believers are saved through the grace of Jesus and that Gentiles should not be excluded because of the issue of circumcision. Peter’s experience changed how he thought about the Bible and how he thought about life. It is through this and what he shares that the church accepts Gentiles into full fellowship. 

• Reflect on your life. Think a time in your life when an experience has changed the way you look at the world, your life, faith, or something else. What was this experience? What happened during this time and how did it change your outlook? Can you think of a time this happened in your faith? How did this change your faith? 
• Spend a few moments silently reflecting on God’s grace; try to listen to and for God. Sometimes journaling can be helpful in listening to God; it can help you find a stillness and slowness to allow yourself to listen. Maybe God has something for you as God had something for Peter. 

Pray. Allow this time of listening and reflection to be your prayer. 

COMMUNITY PRAYER LIST

Doug. Bobby. Collier. Glenn. Adam.  Mary.  Clyde.  Linda. Betty Carolyn. Jeff. Albert. Richard. Lois. Ross. Tiny. Donald. Bill. Barbara. Andreas. Helen. Bonnie Brenner. Baker Family. Robert McKenzie Family. Kibler family. Carolyn Harlow. Jeremy. Jeff Green. Lyric. Earl Graves. Mickey Huff. Huff & Welch families. Helen Leigh. Paul Huffman. Schools, Teachers, Staff, Parents, Students. Church regathering plans. Layman family. Charlene Withrow. John.