When they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God. And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed. (Acts 14:21-23 ESV)
Progress = complication. That’s how I feel about our world. We live in a time where things are amazing! Technology has enabled amazing things in travel, in information, in medicine, in education, in 'you name it'. But to be honest, sometimes I day-dream about going back to simpler times, becoming a kid again with less complications.
Unfortunately, I think we often treat the Christian life the same way. We think that progress = complication. A deeper spiritual life means discovering secret paths to growth. Or we read books that tell us specifically how to pray, read, parent, live, etc. And after awhile we get tired, frustrated, and then just overwhelmed. We feel like a failure. But is that the Christian life?
This week, we take another look at Paul & Barnabas’ first missionary journey. As they continue on their adventure, I want us to discover the simple Christian life they taught. Take some time to read through Acts 13-14. Also, I want to encourage you to invite someone. Or if you haven’t seen someone at church in a while, why not give them a call, write a note, or email them.
