Podcast appearances and mentions of lydia acts

Scripture References: John 4, 8; Mark 1, 5; Luke 8, 10, 13; Matt 26, 28; John 20; Esther 4:16; Ruth 1:16-17; 1 Kings 17:8-16; 1 Sam 1:27-28; John 11:28-35; Judges 4:14, Judges 5; Prov 31.Sermon: Honoring Mothers & Godly WomenIntro: Happy Mother's Day! We celebrate moms and spiritual mothers, acknowledging the joy and the aches holidays can bring (loss, struggle, longing). Jesus meets each of you in your unique story. He knows what you need. Jesus deeply loved His own mother and all women, treating them with radical dignity, respect, and compassion—truly countercultural for His time.Key Points:Jesus' Radical View of Women:Spoke respectfully to them (Samaritan woman, John 4; woman caught in adultery, John 8).Healed them publicly (Peter's mother-in-law, Mark 1; woman with issue of blood, Mark 5; bent-over woman, Luke 13).Affirmed their faith & worth. Many women followed & financially supported His ministry (Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Susanna - Luke 8). Mary of Bethany learned at His feet (Luke 10).Entrusted women as first witnesses of His resurrection (Matt 28, John 20).These women, freed from shame, became deeply devoted, bold partners in His mission.Celebrating Women in Our Church Family – Echoes of Biblical Strength:Mary of Bethany (Matt 26): Extravagant worshippers, pouring out your most valuable for Jesus. Like her, Radiant women, you've done beautiful things for Him.Miriam (Exodus 15): Leading in worship, singing songs of deliverance, reminding us God brings us to dry land.Esther (Esther 4:16): Courageous, sticking your necks out for others' freedom and safety, saying "If I perish, I perish."Ruth (Ruth 1:16-17): Faithful, loyal, obedient, choosing right relationship over comfort, loving for the long haul: "Where you go, I will go."Widow of Zarephath (1 Kings 17): Hospitality in scarcity, giving generously from little, trusting God's miraculous provision.Lydia (Acts 16): Businesswomen and those with abundance, leveraging success and resources for God's Kingdom.Hannah (1 Sam 1:27-28): Prayer warriors, contending earnestly, prevailing on God, and lending your answered prayers back to Him.Mary at Lazarus' Tomb (John 11:28-35): Raw faith in grief, falling at Jesus' feet, finding Him as the God who weeps with us & brings comfort.Deborah (Judges 4-5): Strong leaders with prophetic wisdom, inspiring victory ("Up! For this is the day..."), and partnering beautifully, calling men and women higher in God.Conclusion: Radiant women, for 20 years (and all women of faith), you've chosen the better thing. You've poured out love in extravagant worship, not counting the cost. You've taken courageous steps, chosen faithfulness, given generously, contended in prayer, wept honest tears at Jesus' feet while believing Him even in the dark, and led with wisdom. Because of this, we've seen Him. Thank you for being lovers of God and spiritual mothers. Proverbs 31: not competition, but a celebration of a woman's lifelong fruit. God counts & celebrates all you do.Call to Action: Let's continue this journey of faith: loving God and living for Him. Men, actively honor and celebrate the women in your lives. Women, keep arising, using your God-given gifts to call us higher. Let's embrace the future, partnering for the Gospel. God is worthy of it all! Support the show*Summaries and transcripts are generated using AI. Please notify us if you find any errors.

This is a message for all women, whether you're single, a mom, or a wife… Proverbs 31 is about a woman who fears the Lord. Where do you find your identity and source of power? Pastor Joel encourages you to find it In God!LINKS + RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE:• Richard Bauckram; Corrie Ten Boom; Elisabeth Elliot; Monica (4th century)• Find a complete transcript here• Scripture References: Proverbs 31, verses 3 & 10-31; Deborah (Judges 4); Junia (Romans 16); Lydia (Acts 16); Phoebe (Romans 16); Lois and Eunice (2 Timothy 1)• Find out more about Covenant Church at ⁠covenantexperience.com

Why was Lydia at a river on the Sabbath, and why did Paul go there, too? Are the Holy Spirit and the Spirit of Jesus the same? How do you know if God is calling you to vocational ministry? This week, Pastor Jeff and Jordan dive into baptism, the Spirit hovering over the waters, and other fascinating topics through the story of Lydia.   —   This episode of The Beyond Sunday Podcast expands upon the sermon “Lydia | Acts 16:13–15” in “Decided,” our 2023–24 sermon series reexamining the basics of following Christ. Submit a question: bit.ly/BeyondSundayQuestions Email Pastor Jeff: jreynolds@firstbaptistbg.org

God is constantly working in the background of our lives. He is always doing things in us and around us of which we are profoundly unaware but upon which we are utterly reliant. That's what happened to Lydia, and her life was transformed.   ---    What is a Christian, and what does a Christian do? How do we live out our faith in everyday life? In this new series called “Decided,” we're going back to the basics of what it means to trust and follow Jesus.    Sermon Notes: http://bible.com/events/49209366 Submit a Question: bit.ly/BeyondSundayQuestions

Acts 16:11-1511 So, setting sail from Troas, we made a direct voyage to Samothrace, and the following day to Neapolis, 12 and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We remained in this city some days. 13 And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to the riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we sat down and spoke to the women who had come together. 14 One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul. 15 And after she was baptized, and her household as well, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” And she prevailed upon us.

The following people in Scripture were baptized after their salvationand serve as an example to believers today:o The Eunuch - Acts 8:37-38o Cornelius - Acts 10:44-48o Paul - Acts 9:1-19o The Philippian Jailor - Acts 16:30-31o Lydia – Acts 16:14-15o Crispus and others – Acts 18:8We hope this episode was an encouragement to you. If it was, share this episode with someone else. If you have any topic suggestions, please let us know by emailing them to thewellwornpathpodcast@gmail.com

8 Faces: Lydia - Sermon by Rev. Barret Payne 

Sermon Notes Luke 8:1 ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬ After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him, Luke‬ ‭8‬:‭2‬-‭3‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬ ...and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out; Joanna the wife of Chuza, the manager of Herod's household; Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means. Jesus turned the concept of leadership on its head. Matthew‬ ‭12‬:‭48‬-‭50‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬ He replied to him, "Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?" Pointing to his disciples, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother." Jesus' promotion of women was radical for his day! "Praised be God that he has not created me a woman." (A common prayer for some Jewish men in the 1st century) "Rather should the word of the Torah be burned than entrusted to a woman." - Rabbi Eliezer, first-century teacher God used women to reveal key portions of the Bible: • The songs of Miriam (Exodus 15:21) & Deborah (Judges 5:2–31) • Hannah's prayer (1 Samuel 2:1–10) • Abigail's prophecy (1 Samuel 25:24–31) • The "inspired utterance" of King Lemuel's mother (Proverbs 31, see verse 1) • Elizabeth's blessing (Luke 1:25, 42–45) • Mary's Magnificat (Luke 1: 46–55) Jesus used women in key roles in the New Testament: • Mary (sister of Martha) was the first disciple to listen to and recognize that Jesus would be crucified soon (Luke 10:38-39, then John 12:1-11). • The first person Jesus appeared to after his resurrection was Mary Magdalene (John 20:1-18). • The first people to see and testify to Jesus' empty tomb were Mary and Martha (Mark 16:1-2, John 20:1-10). • Women such as Lydia (Acts 16), Phoebe (Romans 16:1), Euodia and Syntyche (Philippians 4:2-3), and Priscilla (2 Timothy 4:19) served as key leaders in the early church. • Over half of the servants Paul greets at the end of his letter to Rome were women (Romans 16). Acts‬ ‭2‬:‭17‬-‭18‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬ "In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy." Prophecy is to communicate a word on behalf of the Lord. It can include both foretelling and forth-telling. Acts‬ ‭21‬:‭8‬-‭9‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬ Leaving the next day, we reached Caesarea and stayed at the house of Philip the evangelist, one of the Seven. He had four unmarried daughters who prophesied. We do, however, recognize a difference in the rule when it comes to specific roles. For instance: • In the Old Testament: The Priests & the 12 tribes of Israel • In The New Testament: the 12 Apostles and Elders 1 Timothy‬ ‭3‬:‭1‬-‭7‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬ Here is a trustworthy saying: Whoever aspires to be an overseer (pastor, elder, overseer) desires a noble task. Now the overseer is to be above reproach, faithful to his wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him, and he must do so in a manner worthy of full respect. (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God's church?) He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil's trap. In today's church, we see these equivalents as the Lead Pastor and Elder roles in the church. Matthew‬ ‭20‬:‭25-‭28‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬ Jesus called them together and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles Lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many. Jesus taught us that leadership is not about power and significance. It is about serving others, love, and care. We want to encourage and train women to do whatever God has gifted and called them to do.

In today's episode, we talk about women in the Bible you don't always hear about. We'll explore four remarkable stories of female leadership that are often overlooked – Joanna and Susanna (Luke 8:2-3), Lois and Eunice (2 Timothy 1:5), and Lydia (Acts 16:14-15).  ✅ Grab your favorite hot beverage✅ Bibles

     In the previous lesson, we observed how Judah's culture was improved from the top down, as good King Josiah led national reforms, and the people responded positively to him. Below is a NT example in Acts 19 of how the city of Ephesus was improved culturally from the bottom up, as a result of the apostle Paul's preaching the gospel and biblical teaching over several years.      The apostle Paul came to the city of Ephesus, and as was his custom, “he entered the synagogue and continued speaking out boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God” (Acts 19:8). Paul's normal ministry pattern was to preach to Jews first, then to Gentiles (Rom 1:16; cf. Acts 13:46; 17:2; 18:4, 19). However, there were some Jews with negative volition who rejected Paul's teaching, who “were becoming hardened and disobedient, speaking evil of the Way before the people” (Acts 19:9a). Paul did not argue with them, nor did he try to force his teaching on them. Rather, “he withdrew from them and took away the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus” (Acts 19:9b). It's very possible Paul was renting a room at the school in order to host his daily Bible classes. Luke tells us, “This took place for two years, so that all who lived in Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks” (Acts 19:10). Though Paul was teaching, he continued to work with his hands to support himself and his traveling companions (Acts 20:34), and it's possible the seven churches of Asia were started as a result of Paul's ministry in Ephesus (Acts 19:10; Rev 2-3). In addition to Paul's teaching, we learn “God was performing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, so that handkerchiefs or aprons were even carried from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out” (Acts 19:11-12). In this way, God was authenticating Paul's apostolic authority and validating him as a true servant of the Lord. Ephesus was a city known for its occult practices, and there were some unbelievers who thought they could borrow the name of Jesus and use it to advance their own agendas. We learn there were some “Jewish exorcists, who went from place to place, [and] attempted to name over those who had the evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, ‘I adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preaches'” (Acts 19:13). These men were identified as “Seven sons of one Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this” (Acts 19:14). But the results were not what they expected, as “the evil spirit answered and said to them, ‘I recognize Jesus, and I know about Paul, but who are you?'” (Acts 19:15). The question implied they had no authority, “And the man, in whom was the evil spirit, leaped on them and subdued all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded” (Acts 19:16). Though these exorcists tried to use the name of Jesus in the form of a verbal incantation to control evil spirits, it backfired on them and caused personal harm, and the event “became known to all, both Jews and Greeks, who lived in Ephesus; and fear fell upon them all and the name of the Lord Jesus was being magnified” (Acts 19:17). The failure of these Jewish exorcists became widely publicized and began to draw people to hear the Christian message. Furthermore, many of “those who had believed kept coming, confessing and disclosing their practices” (Acts 19:18). Those who “had believed” were Christians who had not completely let go of some of their pagan practices, but now they were willing. Luke records, “And many of those who practiced magic brought their books together and began burning them in the sight of everyone; and they counted up the price of them and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver” (Acts 19:19). Though it took nearly two years, these Christians were finally willing to let go of their past practices by burning their magic books and turning fully to the Lord. The value of these books totaled a large financial sum, as each piece of silver was probably equal to a day's wage. “Ephesus was known for its magic, and apparently the Christians had not yet put away all such evil practices. So they brought their books and scrolls of magic and burned them as an open repudiation. Then—after the believers made their relationships with the Lord right—the Word of God grew and prevailed.”[1] The result was that people were being transformed from the inside out and Ephesian culture was positively impacted for Christ, as “the word of the Lord was growing mightily and prevailing” (Acts 19:20). Here we see cultural improvement in the lives of those who were positive to gospel preaching and biblical teaching.      These events marked the high point of Paul's ministry in Asia. However, some pagan craftsmen who made their living selling statuettes of Artemis felt threatened by the cultural changes that were taking place (Acts 19:23-27). Acting out of rage and economic self-interest, they formed a mob and stormed the city theater, even dragging along Gaius and Aristarchus, two of Paul's traveling companions, who undoubtedly felt threatened by the uproar (Acts 19:28-29). Paganism has no real answers to Christianity, and when threatened, many will resort to violence to suppress the advance of truth. Though Paul wanted to address the mob, he was prevented by friends who were concerned for his safety (Acts 19:30-31). The riot lasted for several hours with great intensity (Acts 19:32-34), until eventually the crowd tired out, at which time a city official reasoned with them to bring their complaints to the courts, where matters could be handled lawfully and peacefully (Acts 19:35-41). These events likely occurred between AD 52-55. We know Paul was marked by these events (2 Cor 1:8-9), and by the end of his ministry around AD 62-64, everyone who once supported him in Ephesus turned away from him (2 Tim 1:15). By AD 95 the church in Ephesus had grown cold and lost its “first love” (Rev 2:4).      In this pericope we observe that gospel preaching and biblical teaching can, over time, bring about positive cultural change. However, we must keep our focus on evangelism and biblical teaching, and not reducing Christianity to a methodological system merely for the purpose of effecting social change (i.e., a social gospel). We also observe in Acts 19 that when Christianity does bring about positive cultural change, it threatens those who love and live by their paganism, and when this happens, people may resort to violence to suppress the biblical teaching. Lastly, gospel preaching and biblical teaching does not always yield large or lasting results. Remember that Noah preached for 120 years, but only seven persons besides himself were saved (2 Pet 2:5), and Jeremiah preached for 23 years to the same group of leaders in Israel, but they refused to listen (Jer 25:3). Jesus came as the Light into the world, but the majority of those who heard and saw Him rejected His message, as they “loved the darkness rather than the Light” (John 3:19). Jesus informed us that “the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it” (Matt 7:13), whereas “the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it” (Matt 7:14). The result is that there will continually be believers and unbelievers in the world, as the wheat and tares will grow side by side until Jesus returns and establishes His earthly millennial kingdom (Matt 13:36-42). Even Paul did not always get the same results in each city where he preached, for though he had many disciples in Iconium, Lycaonia, Lystra and Derbe (read Acts 14), there were only two positive responses in Philippi, namely Lydia (Acts 16:14-15), and the Philippian jailer (Acts 16:27-34). As Christians, we are more concerned about our godly output rather than the responsive outcomes of those we interact with; for though we can control our godly life and good message, we cannot control how others will respond to it.      Lastly, we live in the reality that there will always be resistance to God's work in every Christian ministry because the world is fallen and Satan desperately wants to keep everyone—both saved and lost—thinking and acting according to his world-system. New Christians will inevitably face many obstacles, because at the moment of salvation, their minds are not automatically filled with Scripture and their characters are not instantly changed to be like the character of Christ. The process of being transformed into the character of Christ and learning to think biblically involves many thousands of decisions over a lifetime, in which worldly viewpoint is driven from the mind as the believer's thinking is renovated and brought into conformity with Scripture. Without regeneration and positive volition to God and His Word, biblical discussion is hindered and the appropriation of Christian values to culture is not possible. Christians who are learning God's Word and growing spiritually will prove to be the moral fabric of any community, as they manifest the highest and best virtues within society, not the lowest and worst. And the Bible is our sword by which we destroy spiritual and intellectual strongholds, within ourselves and others (2 Cor 10:3-6), realizing true cultural change occurs through preaching the gospel and consistent biblical teaching. As Christians, we should always pray for our leaders (1 Tim 2:1-2), strive to be upstanding citizens (Rom 13:1-7; Tit 3:1; 1 Pet 2:13-14), help the needy in our communities (Acts 20:35; 1 Th 5:14), and above all, share the gospel and preach God's Word (1 Cor 15:3-4; 2 Tim 4:1-2). As we grow spiritually and walk with God, we stand in opposition to Satan's world-system and sow the seeds of spiritual insurrection in the lives of those who live and walk in his kingdom of darkness. We disrupt Satan's kingdom when we share the Gospel (1 Cor 15:3-4), and influence the thoughts and lives of others through biblical discussion (Matt 28:18-20); which we do in love and grace (Eph 4:14-15; Col 4:6), not by argumentation (2 Tim 2:24-26).   [1] Charles C. Ryrie, Acts of the Apostles, Everyman's Bible Commentary (Chicago: Moody Press, 1961), 102.

Kehinde Omotayo - Lord's Day Evening from the 11th of September 2022 Connect with us on Twitter - https://www.twitter.com/hackneyerc

The Conversion of Lydia Acts 16:11-15 Sunday (9-5-22) sermon

Through our series, “Unsung Heroes,” we're focusing on lesser known men and women from the Bible. As we open scripture and look at their lives we will see unfamiliar acts of faith we can imitate and character traits of God we can trust. This week at Calvary in Erie, Pastor John Boyle looks at the Lydia in Acts 16:11-15. We'd love to hear from you! Fill out this online Connect Card to get in touch with us. https://calvarybible.com/onlineconnect

Through our series, “Unsung Heroes,” we're focusing on lesser known men and women from the Bible. As we open scripture and look at their lives we will see unfamiliar acts of faith we can imitate and character traits of God we can trust. This week at Calvary in Boulder, Pastor John Boyle looks at the Lydia in Acts 16:11-15. We'd love to hear from you! Fill out this online Connect Card to get in touch with us. https://calvarybible.com/onlineconnect

2022-07-24 Evening Sermon

What do you do when a door closes on you? Do you trust God and move where he is telling you to go, or do you run away from God because of your struggles? In this lesson we see how Paul responds to closed doors in his mission to serve his Lord. Acts 16

Sunday, June 26, 2022. Heidi Mills preachers on Paul's and Lydia's conversion. 

We begin a three-week mini-series in Acts 16 on the Church at Philippi. In rapid succession, Luke gives us three case studies on how Jesus changes a life - and they are all very different. This week the Gospel changes Lydia's life. Who is she, and why might that matter to us? Lydia was an upper-middle-class businesswoman, dealing in beauty products with high-end clientele. She had a front-row seat on climbing the social ladder through image, but evidently found it hollow. When Paul shares with her the Good News, not only was she baptized, but she wouldn't let them leave without coming to her house. For someone who made a living attempting to captivate the top rungs of society, what was it that had now captivated her? How might that happen for us? Let's talk about Lydia (Acts 16:6-15).

Hello and welcome to the show today. Last week we saw how Timothy has now joined Paul and Silas on their second missionary journey. And, leaving his mother Eunice and Grandmother Lois in Lystra, it says in… Acts 16:6 (ESV)— 6 And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. Other Plans— Now we don't know why God prevented them from entering Asia. Yet later there would be some very important churches that would be founded there; [churches in such cities as Ephesus, Smyrna, Philadelphia, Laodicea, Colossae, Sardis, Pergamum, and Thyatira.] But for now, God had other plans for them and communicated to them through the Holy Spirit that for now Asia was off limits. And that was no doubt very discouraging for Paul. And it can be discouraging to us too when God says no to something that (at the time) might seem like the right thing. But what we have to remember is that God knows what is needed and when those things are needed and can be used most. And we have to trust His timing. Don't Fight The Air Currents— Sometimes my kids watch a movie I used to watch as a kid called The Sword In The Stone; a story about King Arthur coming under the magical teachings of Merlin, whose talking owl Archimedes also helps to instruct the boy. And one day Merlin turns Arthur into a bird and Archimedes (a bird himself) is trying to teach Arthur to fly. But he is struggling against the air currents and can't get lift. And Archimedes says, “Don't fight the air currents! Use them!” And Arthur does, and suddenly (for the first time) really begins to fly. And you know, the same is true of the Holy Spirit, the Ruach, the Wind of God. If we can keep in step with the Spirit (Gal. 5:25), which is another way of saying “move our wings in accordance with how He is moving” we will soar. And so while God's saying no may be discouraging, we must do what Paul did and allow that “no” to propel us into the better thing God has for us. And so they turned to Mysia, which is the region north of Asia. But it says in… Acts 16:7-8 (ESV)— 7 And when they had come up to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia {(which is farther north)}, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. {So again they are repelled.} 8 So, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas. Keep Moving— Now I love how they don't stop and wait. They keep moving forward, knowing that God will redirect. You and I also are often called to wait on God not by standing still, but by following the next logical step; the next right thing. You can turn the steering wheel of car, but that will only change the car's direction if that car is in motion. The same with us. Do what makes sense and leave yourself open for God's redirection. Now we don't know [how they were prevented {by Jesus here}, but with nowhere else to turn, they came down to Troas, a port on the Aegean Sea. They knew God would eventually reveal where He wanted them to go if they kept moving. At last, in dramatic fashion, He did so.] It says in… Acts 16:9 (ESV)— 9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing there, urging him and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” Macedonia— Now [Macedonia was across the Aegean Sea on the mainland of Greece. In it were located the important cities of Philippi and Thessalonica. More significant, this would be the first entry of the gospel into the continent of Europe.] Now after Paul sees this vision, he doesn't waste any time. It says in… Acts 16:10 (ESV)— 10 And when Paul had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them. Luke Joins The Team— And so Luke is indicating that they knew immediately that that is where they were to go. But there is also something else here that can be easily overlooked. And that is the word “we”. This is [the first of the “we” passages in Acts], which indicates that [Luke, the writer of Acts, has now joined the missionary team. {And} Like Timothy, he was to be Paul's faithful friend and loyal companion for the rest of the apostle's life.] Acts 16:11-12 (ESV)— 11 So, setting sail from Troas, we made a direct voyage to Samothrace {([Samothrace is an island in the Aegean Sea, approximately half way between Asia Minor and the Greek mainland. There they stayed overnight (to avoid the hazards of sailing in the dark)])}, and the following day to Neapolis {([the port city of Philippi])},12 and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. {And ([The winds must have been favorable, for the reverse trip from Philippi to Troas on the third missionary journey took five days (Acts 20:6).]) And so [When the missionary team landed in Neapolis, Paul's ministry finally reached Europe.] But [The team did not stop to preach in Neapolis, but from there went on to Philippi, about ten miles inland.] And Luke writes, saying} We remained in this city some days. {Now it says…} Acts 16:13a (ESV)—13 And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to the riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer, A Place of Prayer— Now the reason they do this is because (although it was Paul's custom to preach first in the synagogue of every city he visited) in order to form a synagogue you had to have the presence of ten Jewish men who were heads of households. And so Philippi's Jewish community was apparently too small to form a synagogue. And [In such cases, a place of prayer, under the open sky and near a river or the sea, was to be arranged for. {And} The one in Philippi was located outside the gate by a riverside, probably where the road leading out of Philippi crossed the Gangites River.] They choose to go there in the best hope of finding people to witness to and (seeing a group of women) it says… Acts 16:13b (ESV)— and we sat down {(which was [the normal posture for teaching])} and spoke to the women who had come together. Paul's Value for Women— And notice that there are no men mentioned, which is [further evidence of the small size of the Jewish community at Philippi. {And so} Lacking a man to lead them, these women met to pray, read from the Old Testament law, and discuss what they had read.] Now imagine their surprise to have Paul and his missionary team join them. And for them to have Paul (a traveling rabbi, who was not only a rabbi but had been a student of a great rabbi, Gamaliel) was no doubt a very rare privilege. Now I love how the very first people in Europe that Paul ever shared the Gospel with were women. That is important, because a lot of misguided people have characterized Paul as some kind of male chauvinist, particularly because of Paul's teaching on the role of women in the church. And they conclude that he had some kind of prejudice against women. But we see here that that is not the case. He is eager to share the Gospel with them and to even teach them, which is more than could be said about the Pharisees. The Pharisees [would not deign to teach a woman, and regularly in their rote prayers they thanked God that they were neither Gentiles, slaves, nor women. {And yet we see that Paul both teaches and sees the value in women, which by the way} ran counter to the treatment of women in Greco-Roman society. {When we look through the New Testament we see that} Paul valued the ministry of women such as Phoebe (Rom. 16:1), the various women among those he greeted in Romans 16:3ff., and even Euodia and Syntyche (Phil. 4:2–3).] And that of course stemmed from Jesus' treatment of women, which also ran counter to the norms of that day. Just to give you an example of this, notice how the scripture describes women “sitting at the feet” of Jesus. Well “sitting at the feet of” is not merely a description of their posture. No, to sit at the feet of a rabbi was a phrase used to describe talmudim, disciples of a rabbi. Now only men were allowed to be disciples and it was very unusual for a woman be allowed. And yet Jesus was perfectly comfortable bringing women into that discipleship relationship. And we see here that Paul imbibes that same attitude. Now Luke writes… Acts 16:14a (ESV)— 14 One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. a seller of purple goods— Now Lydia was the Roman province in which the city of Thyatira was located. And so Lydia may be named after her province or Lydia may have just been [her name in business; she may have been known as “the Lydian lady.”] But whatever the case, her city (Thyatira, which is the cite of one of the seven church of Revelation) [was noted for its manufacture of purple dye and dyed goods. Not surprisingly, Lydia herself was a seller of purple fabrics. {Now} Purple dye, whether made from the glands of the murex shellfish or from the roots of the madder plant, was prohibitively expensive. {Thus} Purple garments were worn by royalty and the wealthy, and the selling of purple fabrics was a very profitable business.] And she herself was (apparently) very wealthy. And that we will see in that her house is large enough to accommodate the entire missionary team (v. 15) and later the new church at Philippi (v. 40). Now aside from her wealth, there are a couple of things we can string together (every pun intended) about Lydia. And the first is that she was a worshiper of God. This shows that she (like Cornelius) believed in and worshipped the God of Israel, but had not yet become a full proselyte to Judaism. And secondly, she was truly listening; not just hearing audibly, but paying attention and seeking to understand. And that is the kind of posture that God can work with. There are so many who hear, yet never understand because they are not truly listening. Eyes Glazed— Have you ever been in a conversation with somebody and you see their eyes glaze over and you realize they aren't hearing a word? Maybe some of you are doing that right now. I don't know. But in all seriousness, I remember one particular instance where that happened to me while I was talking with somebody several months back. I was having a conversation with somebody who must have had a lot on their mind because not long after I began sharing what I had to say they completely checked out and were no longer paying attention. And a little voice in my head said “just stop talking and leave.” I heard that little voice but then (because I knew what I was about to say would, under normal circumstances, really interest this person) decided to plow ahead and somehow try to be more interesting. It didn't work. But Lydia wasn't checked out. She was fully engaged. And it says in… Acts 16:14b-15 (ESV)— The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul. 15 And after she was baptized, and her household as well, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” And she prevailed upon us. Lydia's Hospitality— And so we see that Lydia and her entire household came to faith in Christ. And in gratitude, she insists that they stay at her house. Now hospitality [is required of all Christians (Rom. 12:13; Heb. 13:2; 1 Pet. 4:9), especially women (1 Tim. 5:10) and church leaders (Titus 1:8). {And} It was critical in the ancient world, where inns were often unsuitable {places} for Christians to stay in. They were filthy, dangerous, expensive, and often little more than brothels. {And so} To make a home where travelers could be exposed to Christian love, family life, and fellowship was a high priority for Christian women (cf. 1 Tim. 5:9–10).] And Lydia's offering them her hospitality shows that she had in her the love and fear of God, which had now become more fully realized in Christ Jesus. Use The Currents— Now what this passage shows us is that when God says no to us or no at that moment (like He did with Paul and his team entering Asia at that time), it is only because He has an awesome plan that He wants you to be a part of. And so don't fight the air currents; use them. And even if that might mean stepping into some dangerous situations, God's greatest blessings often lie in those situations. And so let us commit to trust and follow Him as He seeks to guide us into the fulfillment of His purposes. Let's do so. Amen.

Today we get to go to class with Dr. Bryan Litfin, and take a deep dive into the history of the Ancient church, and what life looked like after the New Testament ended and generation upon generation began to carry the story of Christ with them everywhere they went and grew the Church around the world. Dr. Bryan has been on the podcast before, where he shared about some of the things we'll discuss today, but today we look intentionally into what life looked like for Christians in the ancient church and just how powerful the Gospel of Christ was to them in society. They lived lives ruled by polytheistic beliefs, and that meant there was a rule of demonic powers in the world as they knew it. The freedom they found in Christ's victory over darkness was earth-shattering. Their faith and choice to be part of the church was not a cultural next step, it was a counter cultural, life altering allegiance.  Dr. Litfin also schools us on so many assumptions that are made or just what isn't widely known about the formation of some of the pillars of the Christian faith and how they unfolded historically. Things such as establishing The Apostle's Creed, the canon, or the 66 books of the Bible as we know it today, and how it  all developed, the establishing of theology because the spiritual power had to be established in the culture of the time. It's all incredibly fascinating and there's so much here that I think can infuse our faith with fresh fire, and encourage us as we are still fighting spiritual battles today.  I thought it was a fascinating unpacking of how the ancient church was so used to spiritual encounters, there had to be a differentiation about who we are bowing the knee to. We have bowed our knee to so many things for so long that are not the God who loves us, and yet He continues to lavish us with His love, His mercy and His patience so that not one sheep of His flock would be lost. Dr. Litfin's books breathe life into the power of the Gospel when Jesus originally placed His feet on the earth and what it looked like when those who had ears to hear took His last command to heart when He said to go and make disciples. YOU are one of those disciples! And this is your call as well my friend. To learn about the God that loves you. Who He is and who He has always been. And then tell everyone. Like the first person, a woman no less, who heard from Jesus' own lips that He was indeed the Messiah who ran back to her village and proclaimed  “come and meet this man, He knew my story!” This is our call too. He knows our story. It matters to Him. You matter. “Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story.” Connecting with Dr. Bryan Litfin: Books (Fiction, Nonfiction) Facebook Website   Episode Sponsor: Tony Crabtree of Crabtree Homes with Exit Realty  Home buyer guide: http://bit.ly/buyersguidecrabtreehomes Seller guide: http://bit.ly/sellerguidecrabtreehomes Facebook Instagram Website YouTube References: -First conversation with Dr. Bryan last year -Martin Luther and The Reformation -Christian persecution in Rome -The conversion of Christianity by Constantine and it changing the landscape of Rome -”The heart is an idol factory”- John Calvin -So Shines the Night - Tracy L. Higley (the incredible novel I read about set in Ephesus with Timothy, Paul and the early church  -Jackie Hill Perry - the patience of God  -Thor (not Chris Hemsorth) -Hercules -The Apostle's Creed  -Gnosticism  -The Council of Nicaea  -The Holocaust Museum train car  -Gnostic Gospels -The Book of Enoch -Dr. Michael Heiser, our episode  -Francis Chan Forgotten God -The Davinci Code -The Confessions of Saint Augustine  -On the Incarnation- Saint Athanasius -Christian martyrs (a witness)- revered women  -”The Chosen”  -Saint Peter's Basilica -The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel   -Wisdom from the Ancients Scripture References: -Book of Acts (you know I love Bible Project videos! Acts gets a part 1 and part 2) -Philippians (video) -Galatians (video) -Philemon (BP video) Revelation 1:9-John was sent to Patmos (the book of Revelation) Ephesians 6:12-The powers and principalities Acts 19-Paul casting out demons in Ephesus Romans 6:1-11, 2 Timothy 2:26, Psalm 124:7 -He broke the power of the evil one and freed me from his snare -Romans 10:9- declare Jesus is Lord Exodus 34:6-7, Lamentations 3:21-23,  Psalm 86:15, Ephesians 2:4-5- God's mercy and faithfulness (among many, many others) Judges 4-Deborah -Scripture talks about elders  -Examples of Women with important roles in the church: (and various scriptures!) Priscila, women that ministered and funded Jesus' ministry- Mark 15:37-41, Mary Magdalene and the others with her announcing Jesus' resurrection (John 20:11-18),  Lydia (Acts 16)  -John 15:9-27, (esp 15:13) Matthew 25:40-45 -This is how you love one another and this is how you treat one another -Isaiah 55:11, Philippians 1:15-18, 1 Peter 1:3-5 -The gospel is still real  -Matthew 28:16-20-The great commission is still the call for ever believer  -Matthew 16:18-Peter is the rock the church would be built on -John 4- story of the woman at the well  -Psalm 107:2- “Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story” Connecting with Emily and Simply Stories Podcast:Instagram (Em life // Podcast Life)FacebookTwitterBlog  *Intro and Outro music is from audionautix.com

When you figure out your household budget, you don't exclude the needs of your infant or small children. Why- Because they are members of the household. When you pay for family insurance, you don't exclude your infant or small children. Why- Because they are members of the family. If you defend your house against intruders, you don't exclude your infant or small children. Why- Because they are a special gift from God in your house. Should infant or small children be excluded from the members of the house for whom you are to care in 1 Timothy 5-8-----This Lord's Day let us consider the conversion of Lydia and not only her baptism, but the baptism of her household in Acts 16-13-15- -1- God Initiates Regeneration as He Did in the Heart of Lydia -Acts 16-11-14-- -2- Baptism Is not only Applied to Christian Parents like Lydia, but also to the Children within the Household -Acts 16-15-.

Apphia (Philemon 1:2), Chloe (1Cor 1:11), Claudia (2Tim 2:21), Eunice (2Tim 1:5), Euodia (Philip 4:2-3), Julia ((Romans 16:15), Junia (Romans 16:7), Lois (2 Tim 1:5), Mary (Romans 16:6), Nereus' sister (Romans 16:15), Nymphia (Colo 4:15), Persis (Romans 16:12), Phoebe (Romans 16:1-2), Priscilla (Romans 16:3-5, 1 Cor 16:19, 2 Tim 4:19, Acts 18:1-3 & 18,19, 26), Rufus mother (Romans 16:13), Syntyche (Phil 4:2-3), Tryphena & Truphosa (Romans 16:12), Lydia (Acts 16:13-15, 40). These are the women Apostle Paul worked with & put in leadership.

Conversion of Lydia : Acts 16:11-15 : Pastor Raef Chenery : 08-01-21 by Park Community Church

::Truth that transforms lives:: www.slovo.org

Lydia is mentioned in the Bible briefly. We know she sold purple cloth and was part of the New Testament church. Did you know she also challenges us to lavish love on pastors and missionaries? Listen to learn more!

Tom Claibourne's sermon preached on May 9th, 2021 at Bethlehem Church of Christ in Winchester, OH. OUTLINE: I. A woman of INFLUENCE. (16:14) A. Her business. B. A mother's influence. II. A woman of PRAYER. (16:13, 14) Do you put FIRST things FIRST? (Matt. 6:33) III. A woman with an OPEN HEART. (16:14, 15) A. She went where she was LIKELY to receive God's MESSAGE. B. She ACCEPTED the message. (14) C. She OBEYED the message. (15) Common pattern in responding to the Gospel: Acts 2:36ff; 8:12, 13; 8:35-38; 9:18; 16:33; 18:8 IV. A woman with an OPEN HOME. (16:15, 40) Three motives: 1. HOSPITALITY. 2. LEARNING. 3. Christian INTERACTION. Will God find you FAITHFUL?

For more info about The Grove Church, visit us at lifeatthegrove.org.

Recorded on 10 January 2021.Pastor Ed Bryant.Grace Providence Church - Cerritos, CA.www.graceprovidencechurch.org Bible Readings - English Standard Version.Music: Happiness - Bensound.com.

     Culture represents the values, traditions and behaviors of a society, and though culture is improvable, it is not perfectible. And even where positive change occurs, it’s difficult to perpetuate, largely because the people needed to sustain the change are few, flawed and temporary. A society’s culture is no better or worse than its leaders and the citizenry who support them; and at the heart of every problem is the problem of the heart. Apart from regeneration and a transformed mind and will, people will default to selfishness and sin, and so social problems continue. Furthermore, if we did make great improvements, we cannot guarantee succeeding generations will follow the good pattern set for them. Below is a NT example in Acts 19 of how the city of Ephesus was improved culturally from the bottom up, as a result of the apostle Paul’s preaching the gospel and biblical teaching over several years.      The apostle Paul came to the city of Ephesus, and as was his custom, “he entered the synagogue and continued speaking out boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God” (Acts 19:8). Paul’s normal ministry pattern was to preach to Jews first, then to Gentiles (Rom. 1:16; cf. Acts 13:46; 17:2; 18:4, 19). However, there were some Jews with negative volition who rejected Paul’s teaching, who “were becoming hardened and disobedient, speaking evil of the Way before the people” (Acts 19:9a). Paul did not argue with them, nor did he try to force his teaching on them. Rather, “he withdrew from them and took away the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus” (Acts 19:9b). It’s very possible Paul was renting a room at the school in order to host his daily Bible classes. Luke tells us, “This took place for two years, so that all who lived in Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks” (Acts 19:10). Though Paul was teaching, he continued to work with his hands to support himself and his traveling companions (Acts 20:34), and it’s possible the seven churches of Asia were started as a result of Paul’s ministry in Ephesus (Acts 19:10; Rev. 2-3). In addition to Paul’s teaching, we learn “God was performing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, so that handkerchiefs or aprons were even carried from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out” (Acts 19:11-12). In this way, God was authenticating Paul’s apostolic authority and validating him as a true servant of the Lord. Ephesus was a city known for its occult practices, and there were some unbelievers who thought they could borrow the name of Jesus and use it to advance their own agendas. We learn there were some “Jewish exorcists, who went from place to place, [and] attempted to name over those who had the evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, ‘I adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preaches’” (Acts 19:13). These men were identified as “Seven sons of one Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this” (Acts 19:14). But the results were not what they expected, as “the evil spirit answered and said to them, ‘I recognize Jesus, and I know about Paul, but who are you?’” (Acts 19:15). The question implied they had no authority, “And the man, in whom was the evil spirit, leaped on them and subdued all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded” (Acts 19:16). Though these exorcists tried to use the name of Jesus in the form of a verbal incantation to control evil spirits, it backfired on them and caused personal harm, and the event “became known to all, both Jews and Greeks, who lived in Ephesus; and fear fell upon them all and the name of the Lord Jesus was being magnified” (Acts 19:17). The failure of these Jewish exorcists became widely publicized and began to draw people to hear the Christian message. Furthermore, many of “those who had believed kept coming, confessing and disclosing their practices” (Acts 19:18). Those who “had believed” were Christians who had not completely let go of some of their pagan practices, but now they were willing. Luke records, “And many of those who practiced magic brought their books together and began burning them in the sight of everyone; and they counted up the price of them and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver” (Acts 19:19). Though it took nearly two years, these Christians were finally willing to let go of their past practices by burning their magic books and turning fully to the Lord. The value of these books totaled a large financial sum, as each piece of silver was probably equal to a day’s wage. “Ephesus was known for its magic, and apparently the Christians had not yet put away all such evil practices. So they brought their books and scrolls of magic and burned them as an open repudiation. Then—after the believers made their relationships with the Lord right—the Word of God grew and prevailed.”[1] The result was that people were being transformed from the inside out and Ephesian culture was positively impacted for Christ, as “the word of the Lord was growing mightily and prevailing” (Acts 19:8-20). Here we see cultural improvement in the lives of those who were positive to gospel preaching and biblical teaching.      These events marked the high point of Paul’s ministry in Asia. However, some pagan craftsmen who made their living selling statuettes of Artemis felt threatened by the cultural changes that were taking place (Acts 19:23-27). Acting out of rage and economic self-interest, they formed a mob and stormed the city theater, even dragging along Gaius and Aristarchus, two of Paul’s traveling companions, who undoubtedly felt threatened by the uproar (Acts 19:28-29). Paganism has no real answers to Christianity, and when threatened, many will resort to violence to suppress the advance of truth. Though Paul wanted to address the mob, he was prevented by friends who were concerned about his safety (Acts 19:30-31). The riot lasted for several hours with great intensity (Acts 19:32-34), until eventually the crowd tired out, at which time a city official reasoned with them to bring their complaints to the courts, where matters could be handled lawfully and peacefully (Acts 19:35-41). These events likely occurred between 52-55 AD. We know Paul was marked by these events (2 Cor 1:8-9), and by the end of his ministry around 62-64 AD, everyone who once supported him in Ephesus turned away from him (2 Tim 1:15). By 95 AD the church in Ephesus had grown cold and lost its “first love” (Rev 2:4).      In this pericope we observe that gospel preaching and biblical teaching can, over time, bring about positive cultural change. However, we must keep our focus on evangelism and biblical teaching, and not reducing Christianity to a methodological system merely for the purpose of effecting social change (i.e. a social gospel). We also observe in Acts 19 that when Christianity does bring about positive cultural change, it threatens those who love and live by their paganism, and when this happens, people may resort to violence to suppress the biblical teaching. Lastly, gospel preaching and biblical teaching does not always yield large or lasting results. Remember that Noah preached for 120 years, but only seven persons besides himself were saved (2 Pet 2:5), and Jeremiah preached for 23 years to the same group of leaders in Israel, but they refused to listen (Jer 25:3). Jesus came as the Light into the world, but the majority of those who heard and saw Him rejected His message, as they “loved the darkness rather than the Light” (John 3:19). Jesus informed us that “the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it” (Matt 7:13), whereas “the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it” (Matt 7:14). The result is that there will continually be believers and unbelievers in the world, as the wheat and tares will grow side by side until Jesus returns and establishes His earthly millennial kingdom (Matt 13:36-42). Even Paul did not always get the same results in each city where he preached, for though he had many disciples in Iconium, Lycaonia, Lystra and Derbe (read Acts 14), there were only two positive responses in Philippi, namely Lydia (Acts 16:14-15), and the Philippian jailer (Acts 16:27-34). As Christians, we are more concerned about our godly output rather than the responsive outcomes of those we interact with; for though we can control our godly life and good message, we cannot control how others will respond to it.      Lastly, we live in the reality that there will always be resistance to God’s work in every Christian ministry because the world is fallen and Satan desperately wants to keep everyone—both saved and lost—thinking and acting according to his world-system. New Christians will inevitably face many obstacles, because at the moment of salvation, their minds are not automatically filled with Scripture and their characters are not instantly changed to be like the character of Christ. The process of being transformed into the character of Christ and learning to think biblically involves many thousands of decisions over a lifetime, in which worldly viewpoint is driven from the mind as the believer’s thinking is renovated and brought into conformity with Scripture. Without regeneration and positive volition to God and His Word, biblical discussion is hindered and the appropriation of Christian values to culture is not possible. Christians who are learning God’s Word and growing spiritually will prove to be the moral fabric of any community, as they manifest the highest and best virtues within society, not the lowest and worst. And the Bible is our sword by which we destroy spiritual and intellectual strongholds, within ourselves and others (2 Cor 10:3-6), realizing true cultural change occurs through preaching the gospel and consistent biblical teaching. As Christians, we should always pray for our leaders (1 Tim 2:1-2), strive to be upstanding citizens (Rom 13:1-7; Tit 3:1; 1 Pet 2:13-14), help the needy in our communities (Acts 20:35; 1 Thess 5:14), and above all, share the gospel and preach God’s Word (1 Cor 15:3-4; 2 Tim 4:1-2). As we grow spiritually and walk with God, we stand in opposition to Satan’s world-system and sow the seeds of spiritual insurrection in the lives of those who live and walk in his kingdom of darkness. We disrupt Satan’s kingdom when we share the Gospel (1 Cor 15:3-4), and influence the thoughts and lives of others through biblical discussion (Matt 28:18-20); which we do in love and grace (Eph 4:14-15; Col 4:6), not by argumentation (2 Tim 2:24-26).   [1] Charles C. Ryrie, Acts of the Apostles, Everyman’s Bible Commentary (Chicago: Moody Press, 1961), 102.

10 Examples of Women's Involvement in the Church and Mission Work in the New Testament:Bold gospel proclaimers: Acts 4:23-31; 8:1-4; 9:1-2.Sapphira: Acts 5:1-11.Tabitha: Acts 9:36-43.Mary the mother of John Mark: Acts 12:1-17, 25; 15:39.Eunice and Lois: 2 Tim. 1:5; 3:15; Acts 16:1-5.Lydia: Acts 16:11-15, 40.Priscilla: Acts 18:1-28; Rom. 16:3-5; 1 Cor. 16:19; Col. 3:16.Philip's 4 daughter prophetesses: Acts 21:8-9; Acts 2:17.Paul's coworkers in the gospel: Rom. 16:1-16; Phil. 4:2-3Apostles' wives: 1 Cor. 9:5Get your free copy of the Coworkers ebook and Bible study guide on our website. We have used this tool extensively with many teams of Westerners and local brothers and sisters in South Asia. It has given our team leaders and members a common biblical framework and vocabulary on women's roles and has opened up a lot of healthy discussion on this topic. Invite your teammates and friends over (brothers and sisters all together if possible!) for some tea/coffee and go through these Scriptures and discussion questions together. You will learn something new every time... and it will probably open up more discussions around this topic in the future. Connect with us:The Coworkers Podcast websiteInstagram: thecoworkerspodcastEmail: coworkersstudy@gmail.com

Lydia Acts 15:36 – 16:15 Read or download a PDF transcript of Lydia.

Northwest Bible Church - Dec. 8, 2019 - Book of Acts - Alan Conner Acts 16:31-34 Household Baptisms Intro A. OBSERVATIONS ON THE MEANING OF “HOUSEHOLD.” 1. May or may not include babies. 1 Tim. 3:4-5; Mt. 10:36; Mk. 6:4; Lk. 12:52. 2. It is not unusual for entire households to believe in Christ. Jn. 4:53; Acts 10:2. B. PASSAGES DEALING WITH HOUSEHOLD BAPTISMS: 1. The household of the Philippian Jailor (Acts 16:32-34). a. in v. 32 the entire household heard the word of the Lord. b. in v. 34 the household either believed or rejoiced, or both 2. The household of Lydia (Acts 16:14-15). 3. The household of Crispus (Acts 18:8). 4. The household of Stephanas (1 Cor. 1:16; 16:15). C. CONTINUITY OR DISCONTINUITY 1. The word “new” in new covenant is both kainos - new in quality (Heb. 8:8); and neos - new in time (Heb. 12:24). 2. The new covenant is not a mixed covenant with both saved and lost. Ezek. 36:26-27; Jer. 31:31- 34; 32:40. 3. New Covenant children are spiritual. Isa. 53:10; Lk. 8:19-21; Gal. 3:7, 16; Rom. 9:6-8. 4. What about 1 Cor. 7:14 and Acts 2:39? 5. Baptism is commanded only for disciples only. Mt. 28:18-20. D. REMEMBER YOUR BAPTISM Conclusion

Northwest Bible Church - Nov. 3, 2019 - Book of Acts - Alan Conner Acts 16:11-15 The Conversion of Lydia Intro A. THE CITY OF PHILIPPI (Acts 16:11-13). 1) Name (Acts 16:12). 2) Status (Acts 16:12). 3) no synagogue (Acts 16:13). B. THE CONVERSION OF LYDIA (Acts 16:13-14). 1. The riverside prayer meeting of women (Acts 16:13). 2. Who was Lydia (Acts 16:14)? a. woman from Thyatira. b. business woman, seller of purple fabrics. c. a worshiper of God. 3. God opened her heart to respond to the gospel (Acts 16:14). a. The use of “open” in Scripture for express God’s miraculous power. b. To “open the heart” speaks of God’s inside work. c. Thus, FAITH IS A GIFT FROM GOD. 4. When did the opening of Lydia’s heart occur? C. THE CHANGED LIFE OF LYDIA (Acts 16:15). 1. Baptism. 2. Hospitality. Conclusion

Scripture: Acts 8:34–38 (ESV) And the eunuch said to Philip, “About whom, I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?” Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus. And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?” And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him.Baptism is a significant and sacred act that has power for a believer that has too often been reduced to an optional ceremony that some believers participate in! Not in this house!Phillip:one of the first disciples, immediately inviting others to follow - John 1:43–46 preached, signs, wonders, impacted a city (Samaria) – Acts 8:6–8 (ESV) And the crowds with one accord paid attention to what was being said by Philip, when they heard him and saw the signs that he did. For unclean spirits, crying out with a loud voice, came out of many who had them, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. So there was much joy in that city. tuned into heaven’s voice - Acts 8:26–29 (ESV) Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is a desert place. And he rose and went. And there was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship and was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah. And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.” Acts 8:30–33 (ESV) So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. Now the passage of the Scripture that he was reading was this: “Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter and like a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he opens not his mouth. In his humiliation justice was denied him. Who can describe his generation? For his life is taken away from the earth.” Acts 8:34–38 (ESV) And the eunuch said to Philip, “About whom, I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?” Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus. And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?” And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him.BAPTISM defines our formal starting point with Jesus.possession without contract… lots of grey areas!salvation is a covenantal act – an agreement with Godbaptism is the public signing of our agreement with Himeveryone has a different process of being drawn into a relationship with Jesus, but everyone should have the same process of formalizing the relationship with Jesus - Mark 16:15–16 (ESV) And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. Examples of People Formalizing Their Relationship:Day of Pentecost - Acts 2:41 (ESV) So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls. Saul, Paul - Acts 9:17–18 (ESV) So Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized; Peter & Gentiles - Acts 10:47–48 (ESV) “Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to remain for some days. Paul and Lydia - Acts 16:14–15 (ESV) One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul. And after she was baptized, and her household as well, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” And she prevailed upon us. Paul & Silas, singing in prison - Acts 16:33 (ESV) And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family. Crispus - Acts 18:8 (ESV) Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord, together with his entire household. And many of the Corinthians hearing Paul believed and were baptized. Ephesus - Acts 19:5 (ESV) On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. BAPTISM is a powerful prophetic declaration that impacts your future.declaration – what we say sets the toneprophetic – agreement with what heaven says, pulling heaven to earththe symbolism: His death, His resurrectionthe symbolism: Your past, Your future! 2 Corinthians 5:17 (ESV) Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. BAPTISM is an act of obedience that unlocks next things.formalizing your commitment to God, unlocks next things, like buying a house, purchasing a car, getting marriedJesus Baptism - Luke 3:21–22 (ESV) Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heavens were opened, and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” Obedience Leads To Blessing: Deuteronomy 28:1–3 (ESV) “And if you faithfully obey the voice of the Lord your God, being careful to do all his commandments that I command you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the voice of the Lord your God. Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the field. Disobedience Leaves You Less Than What God Intends (cursed: slight, unimportant, insignificant, trivial, minor) - Deuteronomy 28:15–16 (ESV) “But if you will not obey the voice of the Lord your God or be careful to do all his commandments and his statutes that I command you today, then all these curses shall come upon you and overtake you. Cursed shall you be in the city, and cursed shall you be in the field. Follow Jesus & Get Baptized!

7th October 18 - John Smith - Lydia (Acts 16:11-15) by Bridgnorth Baptist Church

Lydia is a character of strength and courage who responds to the Gospel and immediately ministers to Paul and Silas. This little known character of the Bible becomes one of the foundational supports for the Philippian church!

Lydia - Acts 16:14,15

On Mother's Day Melanie looks at the stories of some incredible women form the Bible explaining that their story is their gift to us and our story is our gift to the rest of the world! Eve (Genesis 1-3) Gift No. 1... Her gift to us is simple: Don’t be deceived into thinking you know better than God! His plan and purposes for your life are the best - anything other than that is rubbish and broken. Sarah (Genesis 12-23) Gift No. 2... Her gift to us is faith - crazy out there kind of faith. She encourages us to keep going and keep believing. Deborah (Judges 4+5) Gift No. 3... Her gift to us is girl power! Mary (All over the gospels) Gift No. 4... Her gift to us is to remind us not to discount yourself or those around you because they are young. Her gift to us is to remind us to invest in the young - give them chances and opportunities. Lydia (Acts 16) Gift No. 5... Her gift to us is a challenge - you can have it all!

Have a great week!