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Today’s Teaching

Planting Faith

Tracie Nall

Day: 20 | Plan: Acts 2025

Start Here: Acts 14

Key Verse: Acts 14:21-22 (ESV) "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."

Major Moment: Paul and Barnabas returned to churches they had planted to strengthen the disciples and appoint elders.

This year, I decided to try my hand at gardening. I prepared the soil, purchased the vegetation and planted the seedlings. But I learned very quickly that if I left my newly planted garden to grow all on its own, it would not thrive. It required continual care, water, fertilization, pruning and nurturing.

Perhaps this is why Paul and Barnabas returned to the churches they had planted. In Acts 14, they continued on their first missionary journey to the gentiles in the region of Galatia, traversing over 120 miles. When they entered Iconium, they first proceeded to the synagogue, where "a great number of both Jews and Greeks believed" upon hearing the Good News (Acts 14:1). They also went to Lystra and Derbe, where they "made many disciples," established new churches and "appointed elders" (Acts 14:21-23).

Their travels weren't without trouble: The Jews who had previously driven Paul and Barnabas out of Antioch "stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds" in Iconium (Acts 14:2) and then "persuaded the crowds" to stone Paul in Lystra (Acts 14:19). But despite death threats, Paul and Barnabas retraced their route to return to the newly established churches, "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" (Acts 14:22). The opponents who tried to kill Paul with stones actually laid a rock-solid foundation for his message of perseverance in Christ!

Although Paul continued to suffer ridicule and mistreatment throughout his ministry (2 Corinthians 11:23-28), he never ceased encouraging the churches he planted. Paul was committed to cultivating real relationships, not just taking the easiest or fastest route, and even after being stoned, his heart's desire and longing was to return to his fellow believers (Acts 14:21). When he could not visit in person, he also wrote letters to various churches (which we know today as the "Pauline Epistles" in Scripture) to teach, challenge and correct the family of God in faithful living.

While we may not face stoning today, we, too, encounter difficulties for choosing to align our lives with Jesus when we place our trust in Him. Whether rejection from family, isolation from friends or opposition from co-workers, we can feel the pressure of choosing to live set apart from the ways of this world ... yet we can encourage one another, like Paul, to "continue in the faith" (Acts 14:22).

As Jesus says in John 16:33, "In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world." Jesus defeated our greatest adversaries, sin and death, when He died on the cross in our place (1 Corinthians 15:57; Hebrews 2:14)!

And just as Paul and Barnabas did not leave new disciples to navigate their faith alone, Jesus does not leave us on our own. We can lean on His Word and the Helper, the Holy Spirit, to strengthen, encourage and teach us how to grow in faith and bear fruit until Jesus returns (John 14:16; John 16:13).

Prayer: Father God, You are so kind to us. You have promised never to leave us. You draw us to Yourself through Your Holy Spirit and welcome us warmly when we come back to You, even after we have strayed. Help us to be faithful to seek You first in all we do so our faith will grow ever stronger until Jesus' return. In Jesus' name, amen.