Day 314

Acts 8:1b-9:43.  “Risk Taking”

         Community can be very messy because it involves people who are unique and come with baggage.  The New Testament church was no exception to this rule by any stretch of the imagination.  In Acts chapter 9, we see that the church in Jerusalem was unwilling to accept Saul into the community of believers.  The risk was too great in their mind and Saul had too much baggage in his background. However, every person that accepts the Lord and seeks to be involved with a church comes with some history and baggage, and fortunately Barnabas believed that the risk was worth taking.
         We do not get to pick and choose who God intends to save and include in the church.  If we did, the church would end up being a boring collection of people who walk, talk and think alike.  Instead, because of God’s infinite wisdom, the church includes people of different backgrounds, nationalities, experiences, education and personalities.  This can make our relationships messy and it will always be risky to open up to new people. 

General Questions for each day:
Summarize the day’s Bible passage in your own words.
What thoughts, actions, attitudes or beliefs are addressed in the passage?
How is the Holy Spirit leading you to apply this passage to your life today?