OUR NEXT CHAPTER 006
DEVOTIONAL
READ :
Acts 18:1-17
Imagine being William Clark . For most of your life , you ’ ve heard talk of the water route that connected the Pacific Ocean to the Mississippi River . Pioneers and entrepreneurs sat on their porches , dreaming of discovering this “ Northwest Passage ” and opening the door to trade with the other side of the world . Now , as the President has commissioned you to explore the newly acquired Louisiana Purchase , you reach the end of the Mississippi only to find the Rocky Mountains .
You built your entire travel strategy around discovering this river and using it to get to the Pacific Ocean . Here you stand with oars in your hand and no water in which to use them . You can ’ t canoe through the mountains . So what are your choices ? You can turn around and report back that the mission has failed . Or you can change your strategy and keep moving forward .
Pushing the boundaries and changing our horizons will always require new strategies . Turning the page to our next chapter will take a willingness to put our oars down and learn to hike . Seeing God move like never before demands new strategies and methods .
Paul was a master of the pivot . He knew when to change his strategy . He knew when to move on and do something differently . If insanity is doing the same thing repeatedly and expecting different results , Paul was the furthest thing from insane . We see this playing out in Corinth . Paul goes to the city and does what he always does whenever he enters a new city . He enters the synagogue and begins preaching the gospel .
What happens when he does this in Corinth ? The Jews oppose him . How does Paul respond ? He moves on . He goes to the Gentiles and preaches the gospel . Not to Paul ’ s surprise , the Gentiles respond with repentance and belief and are saved ! Paul was incredibly willing to do whatever it took , even if that meant changing his method or audience . He knew how to put his oar down and start hiking .
The next chapter of our church will require a new strategy . How will you be a part of it ? Are you willing to put the oars down ? Doing so will require courage . Doing things differently is always hard , but look at what happened in Corinth when they did . People ’ s lives were changed forever !