Faith Talk - February 23, 2025

Sunday: February 23, 2025
Series: Modern-Day Evangelism
Sermon: Paul and Lydia: Faith and Life

Acts 16:13-14 – On the Sabbath day we went outside the city gate by the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and spoke to the women gathered there. A God-fearing woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, was listening. The Lord opened her heart to respond to what Paul was saying.

Today, Pastor Brian continued our Modern-Day Evangelism series. The sermon explored evangelism through the encounter between Paul and Lydia in Acts 16, demonstrating how sharing faith can naturally integrate into our daily lives. Paul's example shows the importance of maintaining spiritual disciplines and being prepared for divine appointments, while Lydia's story shows how faith can transform every aspect of life—from business practices to hospitality.

The passage challenges believers to stop compartmentalizing their faith and instead let it influence every area of their lives, from traffic interactions to business dealings. This natural integration of faith into daily rhythms creates authentic opportunities for evangelism as others observe how we live out our faith and respond to different life situations.

Main Points

• Evangelism is not always easy, but we must stay faithful to the mission
• Evangelism is not always easy, but we must stay faithful in prayer
• Evangelism is not always easy, but sometimes it is.
• Evangelism is not always easy, but your faith should be lived out in the normal rhythm of your life.

Heavenly Father, thank You for the examples of Paul and Lydia, who show us how to live out our faith in everyday life. We ask for Your help in breaking down the walls we've built between our "church life" and "regular life" so that everything we do reflects Christ. We commit to living authentically for You in every situation, whether we're at work, school, or home, trusting that You will use our faithful witness to draw others to Yourself. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.

Create a "Faith in Action Calendar" where family members write down one way they showed God's love each day. This could be as simple as helping someone carry groceries, sharing lunch with a friend who forgot theirs, or being patient with a sibling.

At the end of the week, share stories about these moments and discuss how these small actions can help others see Jesus in your family. Make it fun by adding stickers or drawing pictures for younger children.