The end of Luke’s second book has a bittersweet taste to it. The bitterness comes from the rejection of Paul’s gospel by many of his fellow Jews in Rome, which highlights the power of sin in human hearts. The sweetness
Straight talk
Paul has finally arrived in Rome. His priority is to speak with the Jewish leaders, to assure them that he has committed no crime but that, rather, he has found Messiah – the hope of Israel. Paul had a deep
Following the teacher
On the island of Malta, Paul makes a big impression with the locals as the Lord Jesus heals many through him. He and the others are then able to find another ship and make their way up to Rome, via
Sailing in the shadow of death
There are times when we feel we are walking in a valley under the shadow of death; our verses have that taste to them. But Paul shines with calm faith in the midst of this deadly trial and he is
A God-centred view
Paul is on a doomed ship in the middle of the Mediterranean sea. However, he cannot see these circumstances as others see them. The rest of the ship is in panic and the sailors are plotting a way of escape,
Confidence in the Lord
In today’s first “Sermon from Home” we return to Acts 27 and Paul’s voyage across the Mediterranean sea. In particular, we look at v21-26, to see Paul’s confidence in the Lord in the midst of a terrifying and deadly storm.
A Jonah moment
Shocking drowning incidents occur at a number of places in the Bible. The Flood is the first and most terrifying (Ge 7). There is also the crossing of the Red Sea (Ex 14) and the frightening storm on Galilee (Lu
Change your way of thinking
Paul is finishing his defence in the Caesarean court. He’s using his own conversion story to do so, in a form shaped to challenge King Agrippa, which includes a summary of his gospel call (v20). That call has three elements:
Prodded by the Lord
We like to tell anecdotes: stories from our lives which stand out. They aren’t simply factual records. Rather, we shape them to be striking, memorable and suited to the effect we want them to have. Sadly, due to our sin,
Missing resolutions
When a new year dawns we may resolve to change our lives. Some of those resolutions may work out well; others not so well. But we should also look for the missing resolutions. The changes that we ought to make