Start Where You Are

In one paragraph

This message came from Acts 18, tracing Paul's time in Corinth, and was also the occasion of a farewell word from Pastor Carl, who is leaving First B after fifteen years to serve at Cave Spring Baptist in the Huntsville area. Pastor Nathan walked through the passage to show how Paul built relationships, proclaimed the gospel, faced resistance, and was sustained by a direct word from God not to be...

Read together

1. Romans 1:16-17 Paul quoted to explain going to the Jew first and then to the Greek, and that the righteousness of God is revealed in the gospel from faith to faith
2. Romans 1:25 cited to define blasphemy as exchanging the truth of God for a lie
3. 1 Corinthians 1:14 Paul's statement that he was thankful he baptized none of them except Crispus and Gaius, used to show factions developing in Corinth

Talk about it

1. Paul adjusted his approach in Corinth, taking more time to reason with people before making a direct claim about Jesus. When have you found it wise to lay groundwork before getting to the heart of something, and when have you felt pressure to skip that step?
2. Blasphemy was defined here not just as cursing God but as calling something good that God calls evil, or calling evil what God calls good. Where do you see that kind of switching happening around you, and how do you respond to it?
3. God told Paul not to be afraid and not to be silent, and then said 'I have many people in this city.' How does the idea that God has already gone ahead of you to a place or situation affect the way you think about sharing the gospel where you are?
4. The sermon pointed out that both Crispus and Sosthenes, leaders of the synagogue, came to faith, and that there seems to be something about taking your God-given role seriously that puts you in a position to see God move. What do you think that connection is?
5. Carl said there was no good reason to leave other than God's hand leading him, and that he could not have put all the pieces together himself. How do you personally distinguish between God directing a change and just circumstances lining up on their own?