Paul's Ministry Partners

Sunday, November 29, 2015
Acts 18:1-11, 18-21 KJV 

1 After these things Paul departed from Athens, and came to Corinth; 2 And found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, lately come from Italy, with his wife Priscilla; (because that Claudius had commanded all Jews to depart from Rome:) and came unto them. 3 And because he was of the same craft, he abode with them, and wrought: for by their occupation they were tentmakers. 4 And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks. 5 And when Silas and Timotheus were come from Macedonia, Paul was pressed in the spirit, and testified to the Jews [that] Jesus [was] Christ. 6 And when they opposed themselves, and blasphemed, he shook [his] raiment, and said unto them, Your blood [be] upon your own heads; I [am] clean: from henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles. 7 And he departed thence, and entered into a certain [man's] house, named Justus, [one] that worshipped God, whose house joined hard to the synagogue. 8 And Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his house; and many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized. 9 Then spake the Lord to Paul in the night by a vision, Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace: 10 For I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee: for I have much people in this city. 11 And he continued [there] a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them. ... 18 And Paul [after this] tarried [there] yet a good while, and then took his leave of the brethren, and sailed thence into Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila; having shorn [his] head in Cenchrea: for he had a vow. 19 And he came to Ephesus, and left them there: but he himself entered into the synagogue, and reasoned with the Jews. 20 When they desired [him] to tarry longer time with them, he consented not; 21 But bade them farewell, saying, I must by all means keep this feast that cometh in Jerusalem: but I will return again unto you, if God will. And he sailed from Ephesus.

OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1) Who did the Apostle Paul find after arriving in Corinth? (v.1-2)
2) Why did Paul abide with them and what did he do while living with them? (v.3-4)
3) How did Paul's reasonings with the Jews in Corinth change after the arrival of Silas and Timothy, how did the Jews respond to him, and what did the apostle do as a final gesture against them?  (v.5-6)
4) Where did the Apostle Paul abide after that and what was that person like? (v.7)
5) Who did Paul meet next and what happened to them? (v.8)
6) What did the Lord tell the apostle in a vision of the night? (v.9-10)
7) How long did the apostle remain in Corinth? (v.11)
8) When Paul left Corinth, who went with him, and what did he do in Cenchrea? (v.18)
9) What did the apostle do after entering Ephesus? (v.19)
10) What did the believers in Ephesus want Paul to do and what was the apostle's response? (v.20-21)

APPLICATION QUESTIONS
11) How many people has the Lord brought into your life to partner with you in ministry at your local church?

LIFE LESSONS
12) The Lord will often send other like-minded believers to labor with us in spreading the gospel among unbelievers.

Mission to Macedonia

Sunday, November 15, 2015
Acts 16:1-5, 8-15 KJV

1 Then came he to Derbe and Lystra: and, behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timotheus, the son of a certain woman, which was a Jewess, and believed; but his father [was] a Greek: 2 Which was well reported of by the brethren that were at Lystra and Iconium. 3 Him would Paul have to go forth with him; and took and circumcised him because of the Jews which were in those quarters: for they knew all that his father was a Greek. 4 And as they went through the cities, they delivered them the decrees for to keep, that were ordained of the apostles and elders which were at Jerusalem. 5 And so were the churches established in the faith, and increased in number daily. ... 8 And they passing by Mysia came down to Troas. 9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us. 10 And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavoured to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them. 11 Therefore loosing from Troas, we came with a straight course to Samothracia, and the next [day] to Neapolis; 12 And from thence to Philippi, which is the chief city of that part of Macedonia, [and] a colony: and we were in that city abiding certain days. 13 And on the sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made; and we sat down, and spake unto the women which resorted [thither]. 14 And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard [us]: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul. 15 And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought [us], saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide [there]. And she constrained us.

OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1) Who did the Apostle Paul meet with upon arrival in Lystra, what is written about the young disciple, and what did the apostle do to him to appease the Jewish believers? (v.1-3) 
2) How were the churches established in the faith in the region in which the Apostle Paul and the young disciple went? (v.4-5)
3) What did Paul see when they journeyed to Troas and what did he do in response? (v.8-12)
4) Who did the apostle meet on the sabbath and how did he minister to the individual(s)? (v.13-15a)
5) What was the apostle constrained to do while in that city? (v.15b-c)

APPLICATION QUESTIONS
6) Who have you been called to minister to?
7) How did you receive your call?

LIFE LESSONS
8) The Lord often uses dreams and/or visions to call believers into ministry?
9) The Lord may progressively reveal His will as we faithfully minister to those He gives us opportunity to serve on the way to fulfilling His call.

Paul and Silas Escape

Saturday, November 14, 2015
Acts 16:25-40 KJV

25 And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. 26 And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed. 27 And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled. 28 But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here. 29 Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, 30 And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? 31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. 32 And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house. 33 And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed [their] stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway. 34 And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house. 35 And when it was day, the magistrates sent the serjeants, saying, Let those men go. 36 And the keeper of the prison told this saying to Paul, The magistrates have sent to let you go: now therefore depart, and go in peace. 37 But Paul said unto them, They have beaten us openly uncondemned, being Romans, and have cast [us] into prison; and now do they thrust us out privily? nay verily; but let them come themselves and fetch us out. 38 And the serjeants told these words unto the magistrates: and they feared, when they heard that they were Romans. 39 And they came and besought them, and brought [them] out, and desired [them] to depart out of the city. 40 And they went out of the prison, and entered into [the house of] Lydia: and when they had seen the brethren, they comforted them, and departed.

OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1) What did Paul and Silas do at midnight and what phenomenal things happened afterward? (v.25-26)
2) How did the keeper of the prison respond when he discovered that Paul and Silas were gone and what did the Apostle Paul say to him? (v.27-28)
3) What did the jailer do and ask the two servants of the Lord? What was their response to him? (v.29-32)
4) What did the jailer do next? (v.33-34)
5) What happened the next day? (v.35-40)

APPLICATION QUESTIONS
6) Have you ever been miraculously delivered from an addiction, spiritual bondage, etc.? If so, briefly described what happened.
7) How do you typically respond when facing trials?

LIFE LESSONS
8) After the Lord has delivered us from our sins, it is His will that we share our testimonies of deliverance with others who need to know Him.
9) The people of the world have no hope during times of trouble. But, the people of God can place their hope in the Lord Jesus to deliver us during trying times.
10) Praising God during a test or trial will often secure our deliverance from that which concerns us.

Paul and Silas in Prison

Friday, November 13, 2015
Acts 16:16-24 KJV 

16 And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying: 17 The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation. 18 And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour. 19 And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul and Silas, and drew [them] into the marketplace unto the rulers, 20 And brought them to the magistrates, saying, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city, 21 And teach customs, which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to observe, being Romans. 22 And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat [them]. 23 And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast [them] into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely: 24 Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks.

OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1) Who did Paul and Silas happen upon when they went to prayer, what was the person doing, and for how long? (v.16-18a)
2) How did the Apostle Paul respond to the person, why, and what happened to them afterward? (v.18b-21)
3) What did the multitude and the magistrates do to the Lord's servants? (v.22-24)

APPLICATION QUESTIONS
4) Have you, or anyone you know, ever been falsely accused of doing anything because of your belief in the Lord Jesus Christ? If so, briefly describe what happened.

LIFE LESSONS
5) All who minister, to the people of this world, in the name of our Lord will suffer persecution.

Stand Boldly

Thursday, October 1, 2015
Acts 13:52-14:1-3 KJV 

52 And the disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost. 

1 And it came to pass in Iconium, that they went both together into the synagogue of the Jews, and so spake, that a great multitude both of the Jews and also of the Greeks believed. 2 But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles, and made their minds evil affected against the brethren. 3 Long time therefore abode they speaking boldly in the Lord, which gave testimony unto the word of his grace, and granted signs and wonders to be done by their hands.

OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1) After the Holy Spirit commanded that Paul and Barnabus be separated from the other believing Jews unto the work they had been call to, the two disciples proceeded to minister to the multitudes in Antioch and many believed. What happened to the two disciples after ministering in Antioch? (13:52)
2) What transpired as the two disciples spoke in Iconium? (14:1-2)
3) What did Paul and Barnabus do after meeting with opposition in Iconium from the unbelieving Jews and what was the result of their ministry there? (14:3)

APPLICATION QUESTIONS
4) Have you received the Gift of the Holy Spirit after your initial profession of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ? If so, how do you know? If not, why not?

LIFE LESSONS
5) The Holy Spirit enables believers to speak boldly for Christ and to live the Christian life.
6) The Holy Spirit is available to every believer who asks for His infilling.
7) Believers are continually filled by the Holy Spirit through prayer, worship, and the study of God's word.