Acts 19
March 2, 2022
“Many of those who believed now came and openly confessed what they had done. A number who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly. When they calculated the value of the scrolls, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas.” (v18-19)
Belief in the gospel leads to confession, which leads to radical repentance - in the form breaking off old ways of life - in this case, even at what would appear (to the world) to be great personal cost. 50,000 drachmas is the equivalent of millions of dollars today. These Ephesian Christians were so transformed by the gospel that they were willing to “burn the bridges” of their previous way of life to honor the One who was now their Savior and Lord!
Lord Jesus, You are worth giving up everything that has ever had my affections and heart. Thank You for the way Your Spirit has convicted me over the years to give up things that held my heart and did not honor You: gambling, music and entertainment that didn’t glorify You, etc. Even though there is an initial pain that goes with the “burning of bridges” - I thank You today for the freedom and joy I have in experiencing that You are worth it and more than make up for whatever I thought I was “giving up!” May I remain sensitive to Your Spirit regarding anything in my life that needs to be repented of and let go of - so that I can grow in freedom and grow in my understanding of Your sufficiency!
— Pastor Joshua Brooks
Use the following steps to guide your daily time with the Lord…
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Start with prayer. Ask God to open your heart to help you understand and receive His Word.
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Read and observe the passage carefully. As needed, read a second Bible version to help with understanding.
➡️ What does it say?
What does this passage teach me about God? What does it say about my sinful nature and my need for God’s grace? How does this passage point to Jesus?
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➡️ What am I going to do about it?
Does this passage include a promise to claim, an action/attitude to avoid/embrace, or a principle to apply? How can this truth apply to my life? What could my next step be? How can I share this with others? Is there a verse or section of Scripture I need to memorize?
