Week 5 (March 27 – April 2)
“And you see and hear that not only in Ephesus but in almost all of Asia this Paul has persuaded and turned away a great many people, saying that gods made with hands are not gods.”
Acts 19:26
The early days of the church in Ephesus give us a glimpse of the extensive power of the gospel.
Ephesus was home to the temple of the Greek goddess Artemis. In the city was a group of craftsmen who would make shrines of Artemis to sell for profit. After Paul planted the church in Ephesus, it continued to grow as men and women responded to the gospel message. As one of the craftsmen alluded to in the verse above, Paul’s message of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus was turning many people away from worshiping false gods to worshiping the one true God—so much so that these craftsmen that once profited from the selling of idols now found themselves in financial despair.
Imagine the gospel having such an impact that entire segments of our community were drastically impacted. What if the power and spread of the gospel put an end to the drug epidemic? What if the foster care system ceased to exist because Christian families adopted children into their families, just as they had been adopted into God’s family (Romans 5:15-16). Do you believe the gospel has that kind of power? If so, let’s pray together towards that end.
PRAY AND ACT
Let’s pray this week that the power of the gospel would transform our community. Pray for the many churches in our community that are laboring to see men, women, and children reached with the gospel message. Pray for our leaders (1 Timothy 2:1-2) as they exercise their God-given authority in leading and serving our community.
Also, look for opportunities to support groups and ministries that are seeking to impact our community. Below are just a few examples:
- Clarity Solutions: provides a variety of services and resources to families experiencing unplanned pregnancies.
- Helping Hand of Hope: provides food and additional assistance to families in need
- Hope Academy for Kids: nurtures and restores hope to at-risk children by providing educational, emotional, physical and spiritual support
Download the full guide as a pdf here.
VC Devotionals 