Pastor Stephen Dedman

And the multitudes with one accord heeded the things spoken by Philip, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did.
‭‭Acts‬ ‭8‬:‭6‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Question
If someone watched your life this week, would they see evidence that Jesus is truly at work in you?

Context
Acts 8 takes place during a time of intense persecution against the early church. Believers were scattered from Jerusalem, but instead of allowing persecution to silence them, they carried the gospel wherever they went. Philip went down to Samaria and began preaching Christ. God worked through Philip’s ministry, and the people paid attention because they heard the truth and saw the evidence of God’s power.

Application
Philip reminds us that our circumstances do not determine whether we can be useful to God. He was scattered because of persecution, but God used that very situation to take the gospel to people who desperately needed to hear it.

People are still watching and listening today. They may not initially listen to a sermon, but they will notice how we respond to hardship, how we treat others, how we forgive, and whether our lives match the message we claim to believe.

Our responsibility is not to make people respond to the gospel. Our responsibility is to faithfully proclaim Christ and allow God to work through our obedience.

The question is not simply, “Are people listening to me?” but, “Is my life giving them a reason to listen to Christ?”

Truth For The Day
God can use your circumstances, your testimony, and your obedience to point people toward Jesus.

Pray
Lord, help me to faithfully represent You wherever You place me. Let my words point people to Christ, and let my life demonstrate the transforming power of Your presence. Use even difficult circumstances for Your purposes. Give me courage to speak, wisdom to live, and faith to trust You with the results. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the fish’s belly.
‭‭Jonah‬ ‭2‬:‭1‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Question
Have you allowed your circumstances to keep you from praying, or will you turn to God right where you are?

Context
Jonah chapter 2 records Jonah’s prayer from inside the great fish after he had run from God’s command to preach to Nineveh. Jonah deliberately went the opposite direction, and his disobedience led him into a desperate situation. After being thrown into the sea, God provided a great fish to preserve his life. From inside the fish, Jonah finally turned his attention back to God and prayed. The fish was not merely God’s punishment; it was God’s provision to keep Jonah alive and give him an opportunity to return to Him.

Application
There are times when God allows us to experience the consequences of our choices, yet even in those moments, His mercy is still at work. Jonah could have focused entirely on how bad his situation was, but instead, he turned his heart toward God.

When we find ourselves in a difficult place, our first response should not be fear, frustration, or trying to fix everything ourselves. Our first response should be prayer. We can come to God honestly, confess where we have failed, surrender our circumstances, and ask Him to redirect our steps.

Sometimes the things we desperately want God to remove is what He uses to get our attention. What feels like the end may actually become the beginning of restoration.

You may be in a difficult place today, but you are never in a place where God cannot hear you. Turn toward Him and pray.

Truth For The Day
Your darkest place can become a place of prayer, and your prayer can become the beginning of your way back to God.

Pray
Lord, thank You that I can call upon You no matter how dark my circumstances become. When I feel overwhelmed, discouraged, or far from You, remind me that You are still listening. Help me turn toward You instead of running from You. Give me faith to trust Your mercy and courage to obey Your voice. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

“Now, therefore,” says the Lord, “Turn to Me with all your heart, With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.”
‭‭Joel‬ ‭2‬:‭12‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Question
Is there an area of your life where God is asking you to turn back to Him today?

Context
Joel 2:12 comes in the middle of a warning. God’s people were facing the consequences of their rebellion, but God’s message was not simply one of judgment. Interestingly, it was an invitation. Even in the midst of difficult circumstances, God called His people to return to Him. The words “now, therefore” are powerful. They remind us that it is never too late to turn back to God. His desire is not merely that we change our circumstances, but that we return to Him with our whole heart.

Application
Sometimes we allow failure, disappointment, sin, or distance from God to convince us that we have gone too far to come back. But God says, “Now, therefore.” Right now, you can return. Right now, you can pray. Right now, you can surrender. Even now, God is ready to receive a heart that genuinely turns toward Him.

Returning to God means more than simply feeling sorry. It means turning our hearts, our priorities, our attitudes, and our lives back toward Him.

Truth For The Day
No matter how far you have wandered, God’s invitation to return is still open.

Pray
Lord, thank You for Your invitation to return. Forgive me for the times I have allowed sin, distractions, or my own plans to pull my heart away from You. Help me to return to You with my whole heart. Give me the courage to surrender whatever I have been holding onto and the faith to trust Your mercy and grace. Draw me closer to You today and help me walk faithfully in Your presence. In Jesus’ name, Amen.