Kingdom of God – Page 11 – Just Keith Harris

Acts 19 on 10/28 | NT260 — Reading & Growing in Christ

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Paul reached Ephesus and met disciples who had only known John’s baptism. He pointed them to Jesus; they were baptized in His name, and the Holy Spirit came upon them (vv. 1–7). For three months Paul preached in the synagogue, and when some resisted, he taught daily in the hall of Tyrannus for two years so that “all Asia” heard the word (vv. 8–10). God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, exposing false power when the sons of Sceva were shamed; many new believers confessed their sins and burned their magic books—worth a fortune—as the word of the Lord “continued to increase and prevail mightily” (vv. 11–20).

After Paul purposed to travel through Macedonia and Achaia, then on to Jerusalem and Rome (v. 21), a riot erupted. Demetrius the silversmith stirred the city, angry that the gospel was ruining idol sales and threatening Artemis worship (vv. 23–29). The mob filled the theater shouting, but the town clerk calmed them, noting Paul and his friends were not lawbreakers and directing any charges to the courts (vv. 30–41). The gospel changes lives, confronts idols, and still stands under scrutiny.

🌀 Reflection:
Where might “hidden” practices be dulling your love for Jesus? Bring them into the light today—confess, turn, and let the Spirit’s power make room for the word to prevail in you (vv. 18–20).

💬 Mission Challenge:
Identify one “idol” spot in your week (a habit, feed, or purchase) and replace it once with intentional Scripture and prayer—then share a brief testimony with a friend about what changed (vv. 26–27)..

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Acts 18 on 10/27 | NT260 — Reading & Growing in Christ

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Paul left Athens for Corinth and teamed up with Aquila and Priscilla, fellow tentmakers who had been forced out of Rome (vv. 1–3). He reasoned in the synagogue each Sabbath, and when Silas and Timothy arrived, he devoted himself to preaching that “the Christ was Jesus” (vv. 4–5). After opposition, he moved next door to Titius Justus’s house; even Crispus, the synagogue ruler, believed, and many Corinthians were baptized (vv. 6–8). The Lord strengthened Paul in a night vision: “Do not be afraid … for I am with you,” so he stayed eighteen months teaching God’s word (vv. 9–11). When the Jews hauled Paul before Gallio, the proconsul threw out the case—another reminder that the gospel was no crime under Roman law (vv. 12–17).

Paul then sailed with Priscilla and Aquila, briefly reasoned in Ephesus (promising to return if God willed), greeted the church in Judea, and came back to Antioch before setting out again to strengthen the disciples in Galatia and Phrygia (vv. 18–23). Meanwhile, Apollos arrived in Ephesus—eloquent and mighty in the Scriptures, though he knew only John’s baptism—so Priscilla and Aquila privately explained “the way of God more accurately.” He went on to Achaia and powerfully showed from the Scriptures that the Christ is Jesus (vv. 24–28).

🌀 Reflection:
Where do you need the Lord’s “Do not be afraid” today? Ask Him for courage to keep speaking, trusting that He has people He intends to save through the word (vv. 9–11).

💬 Mission Challenge:
Encourage a fellow servant: write a short note (or text) to someone in ministry this week, reminding them “The Lord is with you—keep going” (vv. 9–11).

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Acts 17 on 10/26 | NT260 — Reading & Growing in Christ

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Paul preached in Thessalonica for three Sabbaths, showing from the Scriptures that the Messiah had to suffer and rise, and declaring, “This Jesus … is the Christ” (vv. 2–3). Some Jews, many devout Greeks, and leading women believed, but jealous opponents stirred a mob and accused the believers of treason for proclaiming Jesus as King (vv. 4–9). Sent away to Berea, Paul found hearers who received the word eagerly and examined the Scriptures daily; many believed—women and men of high standing—until agitators from Thessalonica arrived and stirred trouble again (vv. 10–14).

Escorted to Athens, Paul’s spirit was provoked by the city’s idols, so he reasoned in the synagogue and the marketplace (vv. 16–17). Taken to the Areopagus, he proclaimed the Creator who needs nothing, who made all nations and calls all people to repent because He has fixed a day to judge the world through the risen Jesus (vv. 24–31). Some mocked the resurrection, some wanted to hear more, and some believed—among them Dionysius and Damaris (vv. 32–34).

🌀 Reflection:
Where is your heart “provoked” by the idols of our age, and how will you respond—with patient reasoning from Scripture and a clear call to repent and trust the risen Christ (vv. 16–17, 30–31)?

💬 Mission Challenge:
Practice the Berean pattern this week: pick one conversation about Jesus, open a Bible together, and “examine the Scriptures” with that person (v. 11).

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Acts 16 on 10/25 | NT260 — Reading & Growing in Christ

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Paul added Timothy to the team and circumcised him—not for salvation, but to remove a barrier to sharing Jesus with Jews. As they traveled, they delivered the Jerusalem Council’s decision, and the churches grew stronger and larger (vv. 1–5). The Spirit redirected their route until a vision called them to Macedonia, and Luke joined the mission (“we”), showing God’s clear guidance (vv. 6–10). In Philippi, Lydia—the Lord opened her heart—believed and was baptized with her household, and her home became a base for ministry (vv. 11–15).

After Paul cast a spirit out of a slave girl, a mob formed, and Paul and Silas were beaten and jailed (vv. 16–24). Near midnight they prayed and sang; God shook the prison, opened doors, and loosed chains (vv. 25–26). Rather than escape, they stayed and pointed the terrified jailer to Christ: “Believe in the Lord Jesus” (v. 31). He and his household heard the word, believed, and were baptized; joy filled their home (vv. 31–34). The next day, Paul insisted on public acknowledgment of their rights as Roman citizens to protect the young church’s witness (vv. 35–40).

🌀 Reflection:
Where do you need to trust God’s redirection? Ask Him to turn closed doors into clear steps of obedience, and to give you a Lydia-like openness and a jailer-like urgency to believe and rejoice (vv. 14, 31–34).

💬 Mission Challenge:
Sing the gospel in your suffering this week—choose one hard moment to respond with prayer and praise, and look for a person nearby (like the jailer) to serve and share Christ with (vv. 25–32).

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Acts 15 on 10/24 | NT260 — Reading & Growing in Christ

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In Iconium, Paul and Barnabas boldly preached the gospel, and many Jews and Gentiles believed (v. 1). Yet opposition rose, and their enemies stirred up trouble against them. Even so, they stayed “for a long time,” speaking boldly for the Lord as He confirmed their message with signs and wonders (v. 3). When a violent plot formed, they fled to Lystra and Derbe, where they continued to preach (vv. 6–7).

In Lystra, God healed a man who had been crippled since birth (v. 8), and the people mistook Paul and Barnabas for gods, calling them Hermes and Zeus (vv. 11–12). The apostles tore their clothes and urged the crowd to turn from worthless idols to the living Creator (v. 15). But soon, Jews from other cities arrived, turned the crowd against them, and stoned Paul, leaving him for dead (v. 19). Miraculously, he got up and went back into the city before continuing to Derbe, where many more believed (v. 21). On their return journey, they strengthened the disciples, reminded them that following Jesus brings many trials (v. 22), and appointed elders in every church before returning to Antioch, giving God all the glory (vv. 23–27).

🌀 Reflection:
Faithfulness to Jesus often brings hardship, but God’s grace gives courage to keep going. Paul and Barnabas show us that ministry isn’t about comfort—it’s about obedience and perseverance for Christ’s sake.

💬 Mission Challenge:
Encourage someone who’s struggling in their faith this week. Send a message, make a call, or pray with them—remind them that God’s strength is made perfect in weakness.

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Acts 14 on 10/23 | NT260 — Reading & Growing in Christ

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Acts 13 on 10/22 | NT260 — Reading & Growing in Christ

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The church at Antioch was worshiping and fasting when the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them” (v. 2). After prayer and laying on of hands, the church sent them out, marking the start of Paul’s first missionary journey (v. 3). On the island of Cyprus, they preached in Jewish synagogues and encountered a magician named Elymas, who opposed them. Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, rebuked Elymas, and the proconsul Sergius Paulus believed in the Lord (vv. 4–12).

From there, they traveled to Pisidian Antioch, where Paul preached a powerful message showing that God’s promises to Israel were fulfilled in Jesus. He proclaimed that forgiveness and freedom from sin come not through the law but through faith in Christ (vv. 38–39). When many Gentiles believed, some Jews grew jealous and opposed them, but Paul and Barnabas declared that God’s salvation was for all nations (vv. 46–47). They left with joy, and the gospel continued to spread (vv. 48–52).

🌀 Reflection:
God often gives direction to those already serving faithfully. Like Paul and Barnabas, we’re called to share Christ boldly, even when facing resistance. The gospel frees us from sin and empowers us to live for God’s glory.

💬 Mission Challenge:
Pray this week for courage to speak about Jesus in everyday conversations. Look for one opportunity to tell someone how Christ has changed your life.

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Acts 12 on 10/21 | NT260 — Reading & Growing in Christ

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King Herod Agrippa I began persecuting the church, killing James, the brother of John, and imprisoning Peter during the Feast of Unleavened Bread (vv. 1–5). While Peter was kept under heavy guard, the church prayed earnestly for him. The night before his trial, an angel of the Lord woke Peter, released his chains, and led him past guards and through the iron gate to freedom (vv. 6–11). He went to Mary’s house, where believers were praying. At first, they didn’t believe the servant girl Rhoda who announced Peter’s arrival, but when they saw him, they rejoiced (vv. 12–17). Peter told them how the Lord had rescued him and went to another place.

Herod later faced judgment. After accepting worship as a god from the people of Tyre and Sidon, an angel struck him down because he did not give glory to God, and he died (vv. 20–23). Yet the word of God continued to spread and multiply (v. 24). When Barnabas and Saul finished delivering famine relief to Jerusalem, they returned to Antioch with John Mark (v. 25).

🌀 Reflection:
God’s ways are higher than ours. James was executed, but Peter was delivered; both were within God’s sovereign plan. Sometimes He rescues, sometimes He refines—but always for His glory and our good (Isa. 55:8–9; Rom. 8:28). Prayer remains powerful even when our faith feels small. God answers in His timing and His way.

💬 Mission Challenge:
Pray for someone facing hardship this week. Then reach out—call, visit, or write—to remind them that God sees, cares, and can deliver. Let your prayer become action, as faith works through love (Gal. 5:6).

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Acts 11 on 10/20 | NT260 — Reading & Growing in Christ

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News spread that Gentiles had received God’s word. Some in Jerusalem questioned Peter for eating with them, so he retold the whole story: the vision in Joppa, the Spirit’s command, Cornelius’s angel, and the Holy Spirit falling on the Gentiles just like at Pentecost. Peter concluded, “Who was I to stand in God’s way?” The church glorified God, saying He had granted repentance that leads to life to the Gentiles (vv. 1–18).

Meanwhile, scattered believers preached as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch. In Antioch, many Greeks believed. The Jerusalem church sent Barnabas, who encouraged them and then found Saul in Tarsus. For a year they taught the growing church, and the disciples were first called Christians there (vv. 19–26). When a prophet named Agabus foretold a famine, the Antioch believers gave relief according to their ability, sending it by Barnabas and Saul (vv. 27–30).

🌀 Reflection:
God’s grace breaks our boxes. When He moves, our job isn’t to gatekeep—it’s to rejoice, include, and encourage. Be a Barnabas today: look for God’s grace, call it out, and build others up.

💬 Mission Challenge:
Encourage and equip. Text or meet with one newer believer to cheer them on, and give (time, money, or a meal) toward someone in need—just like Antioch sending relief.

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Acts 10 on 10/19 | NT260 — Reading & Growing in Christ

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In Caesarea, a Roman centurion named Cornelius loved and feared God, prayed regularly, and helped the poor. One afternoon, an angel told him to send for Peter in Joppa (vv. 1–8). Meanwhile, Peter had a vision of a large sheet filled with clean and unclean animals. When told to eat, Peter protested—but God said, “What God has made clean, do not call common” (vv. 9–16). Soon, Cornelius’s men arrived, and the Spirit told Peter to go with them.

When Peter entered Cornelius’s house, he realized what God was showing him: the gospel is for everyone, not just Jews (vv. 27–29, 34–35). Peter preached that Jesus lived, died on the cross, and rose again—and that everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins through His name (vv. 36–43). Before Peter could even finish his message, the Holy Spirit fell on the Gentiles. They began praising God, and Peter commanded that they be baptized in Jesus’s name (vv. 44–48).

🌀 Reflection:
Thank God that His grace crosses every barrier. No one is too far, too different, or too unclean for His love. Ask Him to open your eyes like He did Peter’s—to see people as God sees them, not as the world labels them.

💬 Mission Challenge:
Reach across a line of difference this week—race, age, background, or status. Have a real conversation, share a meal, or pray with someone outside your usual circle. Let your actions say what Peter learned: the gospel is for everyone.

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