Today’s Reading:
Read Acts 24-26
We are in a season where most of us are trying to be on our best behavior, aren’t we? Promises of Christmas morning surprises encourage everyone to be as nice as possible. What if in this season of working so hard to be nice, someone accused of something you did not do? How would that make you feel? Spend some time as a family sharing about times when you each have faced a situation that might have seemed unfair because of a false accusation.
Paul was arrested and put in jail because the leaders of both the Jews and the Romans were not sure what to do with him. It was not fair at all. But guess what? He did not stop sharing the good news of the gospel with anyone who God put in his path!
Paul was accused of doing things he did not do. He could have gotten angry. Instead, he took each opportunity to tell the person who accused him the truth and the good news of the gospel. He shared his testimony many times. Again, Paul understood that if he could share his experience of how God had changed his heart from being someone who fought against Christ followers to becoming someone who led Christ followers, the people would see how powerful God was.
In another one of Paul’s letters to a church he planted (Ephesus), Paul told the people to “make the most of every opportunity…” (Ephesians 5:15-16) Paul demonstrated that he understood the importance of doing just that as he shared the good news of the gospel with anyone he met.
Application/Prayer:
Spend some time talking about how to turn the bad experiences you have had into opportunities to tell others about Jesus. Use Paul as an example and ask God to help you look for ways to tell others about Him no matter the circumstances.
December Memory Verse:
I have treasured your word in my heart so that I may not sin against you.
Using the daily reading prompts from George H. Guthrie’s Read the Bible for Life, here’s how to use this devotional:
- Bring your Bible! Your kids need to see that everything you are reading to them or learning about comes from an actual Bible!
- Each day starts with a reading prompt. Read the selection as a family. If your kids are readers, encourage them to read along with you.
- After you’ve read the passage, read the short devotional thought that goes along with each passage.
- Prayer and application are important any time we read God’s word! After each devotional, there is a challenge to help apply what your family has read that day.
- There is a reading for six days of the week. The last reading of the week is a Gospel Conversation Prompt to help you connect the reading from the week with God’s plan for salvation.
Other Resources:
December memory verse coloring sheet