Archive for category: GAMEtime Sharing

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Acts 14:13-28.  As usual, I encourage you to read the passage yourself first and see what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help, then read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go! 

Acts 14:13-17 (NIV)
13  The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought bulls and wreaths to the city gates because he and the crowd wanted to offer sacrifices to them.
14  But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of this, they tore their clothes and rushed out into the crowd, shouting:
15  “Men, why are you doing this? We too are only men, human like you. We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made heaven and earth and sea and everything in them.

On verse 17:  When the people of Lystra try to sacrifice to Paul and Barnabas thinking that they are reincarnations of their gods Hermes and Zeus, Paul and Barnabas tear their clothes to emphasize their humanity and urge them not to worship people but the living God whom they cannot see.  To persuade the crowd about God’s kindness and goodness to them, Paul and Barnabas point to evidence such as the rains that come, the crops they harvest, the food they eat and the joy that they have.

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Acts 13:42-52.  As usual, I encourage you to read the passage yourself first and see what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help, then read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go! 

Acts 13:42-49 (NIV)
42  As Paul and Barnabas were leaving the synagogue, the people invited them to speak further about these things on the next Sabbath.
43  When the congregation was dismissed, many of the Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who talked with them and urged them to continue in the grace of God.
44  On the next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord.

On verses 42-49:  Still in Pisidian Antioch, Paul and Barnabas are invited to come back and speak at the synagogue there.  Practically the entire city shows up the next week to hear Paul and Barnabas preach.  Jealous of all the attention Paul and Barnabas are getting, the Jewish leaders slander Paul and try to oppose the arguments he is making.  In response, quoting from Isaiah 49:6, Paul and Barnabas announce that since the Jews in Pisidian Antioch have rejected their message, Paul and Barnabas will focus on reaching the Gentiles in Pisidian Antioch with the same message. 

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Acts 13:13-25.  As usual, I encourage you to read the passage yourself first and see what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help, then read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go! 

Acts 13:13-15 (NIV)
13  From Paphos, Paul and his companions sailed to Perga in Pamphylia, where John left them to return to Jerusalem.
14  From Perga they went on to Pisidian Antioch. On the Sabbath they entered the synagogue and sat down.
15  After the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the synagogue rulers sent word to them, saying, “Brothers, if you have a message of encouragement for the people, please speak.”
 
On verses 13-15:  Here John Mark decides to leave Paul and Barnabas and go back to Jerusalem, while Paul, Barnabas and the rest of their team continue a physically challenging and dangerous journey to Pisidian Antioch.  You can’t tell from Acts 13:13 that John’s decision to leave bothered Paul, but it did.  In fact, John’s decision to leave would become a point of contention between Barnabas and Paul later on (see Acts 15:37-38). 

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Acts 12:11-25.  As usual, I encourage you to read the passage yourself first and see what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help, then read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go! 
 
Acts 12:11-12 (NIV)
11  Then Peter came to himself and said, “Now I know without a doubt that the Lord sent his angel and rescued me from Herod’s clutches and from everything the Jewish people were anticipating.”
12  When this had dawned on him, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered and were praying.
 
On verses 11-12:  Peter now realizes that the deliverance from prison he was dreaming about was actually real.  His first instinct is to go to the house of Mary, mother of John-Mark, where many are praying for him.  Peter wants those praying for him to see for themselves the incredible deliverance God made possible for him, knowing how much encouragement that would bring to them. 

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Acts 11:19-30.  As usual, I encourage you to read the passage yourself first and see what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help, then read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go! 

Acts 11:19-24 (NIV)
19  Now those who had been scattered by the persecution in connection with Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, telling the message only to Jews.
20  Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus.
21  The Lord’s hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.

On verses 19-24:  When Stephen was martyred and persecution broke out on the church in Jerusalem (Acts 7-8:3), the church scattered (Acts 8:4) and some Christians traveled to places like Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch (v19).  Despite not having heard or seen the incredible ways that the Holy Spirit had touched the lives of Gentiles like Cornelius and household in Judea (Acts 10) or what the Holy Spirit did among Samaritans in Samaria (Acts 8), some of these scattered believers also began speaking to Gentiles about Jesus Christ, in particular Greeks at Antioch, who responded in great numbers (v21).