[00:00:00] INSIGHTS INTRODUCTION

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Hey everybody. Welcome back. This is week 28 of Creative. Come Follow Me for the New Testament. And this week we are going from Acts chapter six through Acts chapter nine. And for me, I think the spotlight of this week is seeing how the power of the priesthood trickles down. Maybe that's not the right word for it, but the last several weeks we've been studying about how the apostles received keys from Jesus Christ and now are doing his work in His name among his people, even though Jesus Christ is not right there with them.

And one of the things I love about the restored gospel is that the keys don't stop at the apostles. They, the power of the priesthood that they hold actually is designed to go out to spread to all the world. And you get to see those. Channels open up this week. We're gonna see people like Steven and Philip, who are not called to be apostles, but are set apart to do a work through the power of the priesthood and bless the lives of those around them.

You can see people like Ananias that we don't know his specific calling, but you can tell that he has a mighty work to do, especially when it comes to the conversion of Saul. So there's some good stuff in the works today. So I promise this is a week you will wanna miss. Grab your scriptures, grab your notes.

It's time to get started.

[00:01:20] ACTS 6

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Do you guys remember last week when we talked about how I feel like one of the blessings of being in a, you know, a Zion like society is that you have the gift of the Holy Ghost to guide you to help. Deal with problems. I don't think a Zion society means everyone is perfect and you don't have problems.

It means everyone has a heart that is working to become perfect. And so you forgive fast. You're more charitable than you would normally be. You would tap into that enabling power of the atone of Jesus Christ to solve problems before they become bigger problems. Where we begin, in Acts chapter six, we see there's, there's an issue happening with the widows.

There is question whether the widows of different groups are being treated fairly because the church is growing both in numbers and in geography, and it's hard to manage it all. And the apostles are struggling because they're spread really, really thin. And so you can see they're. Concern. I actually think their hearts are called out to these widows.

It's just the nature of someone who is that tuned in to the Holy Ghost, to want to help widows and to want to help those in need. But they also have a bigger weightier calling on their shoulders, and that is to take the gospel to all the world. So if you look into, it says it is not reason that we should leave the word of God and serve tables.

I don't think they think that serving tables or helping widows is beneath them. I think what they're saying is we have a work that has to be done just by us. You know, the same way there were certain things when Jason was bishop for all those years during cancer, and I talked to you guys about how his counselors helped so much.

There are certain things the counselors simply couldn't do just by virtue of keys and other things. There are certain things he could not delegate. Everything else he delegated because he just only had this fraction of energy to give. And so, What he focused on is what only he could do. And then everything else he lent to the hefty shoulders of his counselors.

And that's what you see play out here, is they're basically saying, our job is to take the gospel to the world. We have to teach the word, we are witnesses of the resurrected Jesus Christ. We can't, we can't handle the temporal affairs as well. So what I love about this is they kind of come to the table with this assumption that there must be help available because they don't stew over it.

They seem to understand that there is help. So if you look in the verses that says, wherefore brethren, lucky out among you, seven men of honest report full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom whom we may appoint over this business. This particular calling doesn't require a person who ha has witnessed, you know, the living Christ.

They don't need a person who has seen the resurrected savior like we saw when we were trying to figure out which apostle they were gonna call to Phil Judi's seat. This is different. They just need someone who is full of the Holy Ghost and has integrity and is willing and ready to serve. They need seven of them, and I just love that they assume that they're out there.

I think that's what we're supposed to do with our callings when we're invited to delegate some of our responsibilities to others to lift the burdens off our shoulders. We should come with the assumption that God has planted people in our. Hills. Yeah, I talked about this on the Magnified podcast recently, but I really love that part with Nephi when he is directed to build the ship and he is basically says like Heavenly father, show me where there are, where there's, or where is the or so that I can make tools so that I can create this ship.

He comes to the table with this assumption that there must be or, and so he just assumes that God will show him where it is. And I just think you see that in Nephi many times. You know, he does the same thing with his beau. When the Beau breaks and he comes up with a different solution, he trusts that there must be a way to accomplish the work that is in front of him.

Otherwise God wouldn't have asked. And I think that's what you see with the apostles here as well. They trust that there are seven men out there and they ask people to put names forward. And of course we find that we don't hear about hardly any of them. We just know about Steven and Philip. But these are men who are good men who are gonna handle the weight of the temporal affairs of the church.

To some degree and probably report back to the apostles so that the apostles could do what the only they can do, which is to be a witness of the resurrected Christ. So you kinda see that delegation play out. I, I just love it based on what we studied in the Old Testament. You remember when Moses is struggling with this same weight and he goes to Jethro and says like, I don't know how to handle this.

And Jethro says, like, it is too heavy for the, and I think we hear this message over and over again. In fact, I feel like every time I feel overwhelmed with my calling or overwhelmed with my calling, plus my family, plus my struggles, plus, plus everything, this is generally where I am weak. I have, I have stopped looking for, or, and I'm trying to do it all myself.

And I need to change my prayers to say, Emily, father, I know there must be or around me, help me get the tools I need to do the work you've asked me to do. And you see that beautifully laid out for you in chapter six. One of the people that will help them is Steven a man who is full of the Holy Ghost. So if you look in five, you can see a little description of him.

He's full of faith and the Holy Ghost, they give you all the names of these seven, but we're gonna zero in on Steven for a lot of these early chapters. And then they set them apart. It says specifically in six that they lay their hands on them, which I think is a powerful witness, that this is a part of Christ's church from the very beginning, this setting apart phase.

And so they're able to do this work that is in front of them. And then it says the word of God increased. This is in verse seven, and the number of disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly. And a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith. The beauty of. Choosing to delegate, especially to delegate to people who the Lord has called to help you and has empowered to help you, is that the work will multiply.

I'm sure the apostles were afraid that the widows wouldn't get taken care of. I'm sure they had all kinds of worries about why they should just take care of it themselves. In fact, there's a great talk from Elder Maxwell in the notes where he lays out all the reasons why we hold back on delegating and why we should push forward.

But I think this is the promise, if you will, delegate, righteously, pray for guidance, get help, seek, or the work will increase. Your abilities will be multiplied when you use these tools. Well, and what I love is we've seen eight and Stephen full of faith and power did great wonders and miracles among the people.

I wonder sometimes, since Stephen's stewardship was essentially to take care of temporal affairs of the church, if a lot of these wonders and miracles. We're involving more temporal things. I, I don't know that we don't have the story about what his miracles were. We learn a little bit in the next chapter about some of Phillips, but I, I think it's interesting to see if maybe he was able to stretch the resources or maybe they were able to feed more than, you know.

Sometimes I think we think of miracles and we only think of healings of bodies, but I think the savior demonstrated that he fed mouths and bellies. He, he took care of lots of different temporal needs of people. And I wonder sometimes if these seven, if their miracles were more catered to their calling, it'll be interesting someday to learn.

But his wanders and miracles draw some negative attention. And so there are those in synagogues who are fighting against him. If you look in nine, you can see some of that. They're not able to go against Steven in wisdom or in spirit. So instead they have to come up with false witnesses who will say that Steven is saying things.

That are against the law of Moses. Essentially, their argument will be that he is teaching against the tabernacle. He's teaching against the law of Moses and he needs to be taken down, and so they come up with false witnesses who will take his words and distort them, and so he is gonna be brought for the Sanhedrin and have to testify.

A lot of people call Stephen the Eastern Abai because basically that's what he is in this moment. He, as he stands before this tribunal will stand boldly and with power and he will speak scripture. I think it's the same thing we saw last week where he's trying to align their understanding. Remember when the savior expounded the scriptures, what he did was he said, you're misinterpreting who I was in the Old Testament, who I'm who, how it's written in the scrolls.

If you can clarify that, then you'll see me much more clearly in present day. That's what Stephen is gonna try to do all throughout chapter seven. But there's this last verse in chapter six that sets the stage for what will read in seven, and that's in verse 15. And all that sat in counsel looking steadfastly on him, saw his face as, as it had been the face of an angel.

Their big accusation against Stephen is that he discounts the law of Moses and that by preaching about Jesus Christ, he is setting something in the way of Moses. What's fascinating to me is this is a gigantic sign that he is aligned with Moses because what the Jews know and what Stephen knows is that Moses is one who had this happen, right?

He is one. When he came down from Sinai, like his countenance was glowing to the point that they had to kind of veil his face. That should have been this big red flag to them that there is something in God in Stephen, and I should listen. It just doesn't seem to. It doesn't seem to catch their eye the way it should, but I think reading that last verse of six before you go into seven sets a pretty important stage.

So let's jump in. Just jump into seven next.

[00:10:36] ACTS 7

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Chapter seven is All Stephen's sermon to this council where he's trying to help them see the savior in their scrolls. They're really familiar with their scripture and their scrolls, and they know their history. They've just missed the Savior in it. Do you guys remember way back in the Old Testament, I think it was like lesson three, we talked about types and shadows, and so we actually made finger puppets with our hands, and then sh, we've shown a light on our hands, and then it would project this cool shadow of a rabbit or of whatever up on the wall.

But that's what Steven's trying to show them. He's saying you're so fixated on the hand, the law of Moses that is supposed to project something bigger over here. You're so fixated on what the hand construction is that you're missing what the hands are supposed to show you. The love of Moses is. Kind of like scaffolding around truth, right?

It is designed to help them beautify and keep the commandments and you know, get stronger. But at some point that scaffolding was supposed to come down. Remember we talked a little while ago about how I see the love Moses like an engagement ring, that at some point it's intended to be, you know, consumed and superseded by the wedding ring that's gonna come.

So same idea, he's saying, you are fixated on this scaffolding around truth. In fact, you're gilding it to make it so beautiful that you forget what it's there for. And so that's what he talks about throughout this chapter. He basically says, cast your mind back on your history and see the savior in it. So he'll talk about Abraham and the sacrifice, and he'll mention Isaac, and I think he's hoping that they'll see.

Similarities, you know, that they'll catch the types and the shadows. He talks through Joseph and he talks about how Joseph was rejected by his brethren. You know, they're, they're fathers. Those tribes come from those older brothers of Joseph, and so he's saying, your fathers made this mistake too. They cast out their brother and tried to get rid of them, and then he came back as their deliverer.

They didn't recognize him, but he came back. He's trying to, he's like, look at the shadows. Can you just look at the wall and see that this is the image of the savior in these heroes of the scrolls that you love? Especially you see it with Moses. So about half the chapter is gonna be spent on Moses and how he was sent as a deliverer to the Jews.

What's interesting is when you look back on the story of Moses, especially after we just studied it last year, you can see where he was often. Refused by his people, even back at the very beginning when he is still living in Pharaoh's court. And he, he, he saves one of the Hebrews, remember that situation where he sees the Hebrew being mistreated and he ends up killing the Egyptian and saving the, the Hebrew.

And, and then when he comes, the next day, people see him and they say, they sort of discount him. Like, who are you to be over us? Are you gonna treat us like you did that Egyptian, he's trying to shine that spotlight on those hands of Moses. You know that that finger puppet that Moses is shaped as and saying, look on the wall behind it.

Can you see how similar that is to the actual Messiah who was just living among you and how you cast a Messiah? And then he takes it a step further and he talks about how when Moses came down from cyanide that he intended to give them the fullness and they. Created a golden calf, you know, as you can see in the verses like around 40, saying unto Aaron, make us Gods to go before us.

For as this Moses, which brought us out of the land of Egypt. We want not what has become of him. And they made a calf in those days and offered sacrifice unto the idol and rejoiced in the works of their own hands. What he's saying is, you as a people have inherited this tendency to reject truth and turn to something more comfortable, turn to something that is easier, turn to something that was made by your own hands.

We all do that to some degree, but he's trying to help them understand like, this is a pattern in, in your history. Break the cycle, see the savior in these shadows, see who he is. And so he invites them. You can hear his like, he never gets to the end of his sermon. He's gonna get cut off much like Vinai does, but he, he's trying to help them see the connections.

He also talks about the tabernacle. These are all flashpoint issues, especially for this Jewish council, because to talk about the land of their inheritance, to talk about the promises to Abraham, to talk about the tabernacle, and especially to talk about Moses. These are hot button issues for them. And Steven is not shying away.

He's trying to say there's more you're, you're missing it. You're, you're, there's more to be seen. So he talked about the tabernacle and how it's not a place to confine God. I actually really like the way he says it in 48. Now they, he's talked about the temple and that it was built by Solomon based on the tabernacle.

And then in 48, how be it the most high dwell not in temples made with hands as sayeth the prophet, heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool. What house will y have build me sayeth the Lord? Or what is the place of my rest? Half not my hand made All these things. The scaffolding of the temple has become so important to this group of Jews that they've missed the whole point of the temple.

That the point was to bring. Bring men close to God to bring them to the presence of God. That's the whole purpose. Bind it. It was not supposed to just end with Solomon's temple. There was more to be done, and they've missed it. They're, they're so fixated on that gilded scaffolding that they, they've missed it.

So he keeps trying to catch their attention, saying, don't, don't think that God is supposed to be housed in this small building. I know you love the temple. I know you love what it stands for. It's something so much bigger that he, he's not confined to this space. I don't think he's discounting the importance of temples, especially not temples in our day by any stretch.

But I think he's saying they're designed to remind you of God and to bring you closer to him. And in this current setup, that's not happening. You know, there people aren't coming closer and we need to realign. Then he talks about how. The Holy Ghost plays a part. He says, you're resisting the Holy Ghost.

So 51, this is where things get a little tense. Well, they've probably been tense this whole time, but ye stiff, naked, and uncircumcised in heart and ears. You do always resist the Holy Ghost as your fathers did. So do ye. He's saying the Holy Ghost is pulling on you right now. I mean, if his face is glowing like a Bernadi style, and if he's speaking the words of God from scripture, I imagine the Holy Ghost is.

Powerfully present and they are pushing back. And it's interesting cuz I think all of us do this to some degree, at least I know I have, where there are times when I don't want to do what the Holy Ghost is pulling me to do. So I push back or I discount it, or I think it's my own thoughts and I, I neutralize it really fast.

And that's kind of what's happening here. They have a, he knows what's in their heart and what they could do and instead they're going to pivot and turn the other direction. So the result is their hearts are cut. So in 54 when they heard these things, they were cut to the heart and they gnashed on him with their teeth.

But he being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up steadfastly into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing on the right hand of God. In this moment, this alma, the younger moment when they are cut to the heart and they feel open and vulnerable and. Maybe even ashamed of what has happened. They have an opportunity to let that balm of Gilead pour in and instead they just close it back off.

You can almost feel them retreat, and when they retreat from that opportunity to lean in and be repentant, then they give power to the adversary and the adversary will take that space that they've just granted him and they will, he will. He will stir. That's what the adversary does. He stirs hearts and he builds contention.

And so in this moment, instead of leaning in and opening up their heart, they turn otherwise and, and they look steadfastly on him to kill him while Steven looks steadfastly on God. What I think is beautiful about this is one, it does teach you that there, there are distinct and separate beings in deity, right?

Stephen Seeds, both Jesus Christ and God the Father, and he's full of the Holy Ghost. So you see all three represented, kind of similar to what we see with the baptism of Jesus. But I also love that in this moment it seems like only Stephen can see it. Um, I think there are moments where we have miracles that are just for us.

This is a pretty remarkable miracle. There aren't many instances where God, the father is seen. And this is a rare encounter for somebody like Steven. What I think is beautiful about this is Steven's not an apostle. His work's gonna end here in just a few verses, but he is worthy of this kind of revelation and he gets to encounter God.

And I just think there is a, a sweetness in it because a lot of us are gonna suffer persecutions for his name's sake. Right? That's what the verses teach. In fact, there's some great quotes in the notes all about this, but this understanding that we are Steven in this moment is standing in proxy. He is someone who is experiencing adversity in order for the work to go further.

And he's choosing it and in that moment he gets this beautiful witness. I, I just think there's some powerful sweetness in it. So then you see what happens as a result. Basically, they are so angered. Remember they've, they've retreated, which puts them closer to the adversary side, and the adversary is gonna take advantage of that power.

And almost like a mob mentality seems to overwhelm them. And they take Steven out and they stone him. There is this little addition in Luke where he says that the coats of those who will stone him are thrown at the feet of Saul. You're gonna learn a lot more about Saul, but there's just this little tidbit here to help you understand the thread that's coming.

But he's, he is, although not one throwing stones, he is a cloak holder. I think Elder Maxwell has a whole talk on this where he talks about being a cloak holder and this idea of like, we need to actively defend rather than sit back and hold cloaks. But I think there's, there's some power in this understanding that in this key moment he.

He is a type and a shadow for Jesus Christ. That's what I love about Stephen's example, because when he's out in this pit and they are about to throw stones at him, you see in 59 they stone Stephen calling upon God and saying, Lord Jesus received my spirit similar to what he's either seen from Jesus himself or heard the apostles teach.

He offers up his spirit to God. And then the second thing he does is also in some tude of the Savior, he himself has become a type and a shadow of Jesus Christ because he kneels down and cries with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep. I don't think that means he actually fell asleep, but that would be a lovely end, but that's not the case.

I think that just means, at least it seems to be that tradition in Jewish writing is that fell asleep means trusting that a resurrection will happen and that you will again rise. He is killed in this moment, he'll become the first big martyr of this next phase of. Of the Christian faith and he, um, he exemplifies Christ.

I just think it's beautiful that someone who spent so much time teaching about the types and the shadows will become himself a type in a shadow that takes my eyes and my understanding towards Christ. That's a pretty powerful witness.

[00:22:09] ACTS 8

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Chapter eight is gonna teach us a little more about Saul. It's tempting since it, Steven seems like an bernadi character to make Saul the Alma, the elder, you know, the one that hears the message and then goes out and changes his art. That does in fact happen for Saul, but not for a couple of chapters. So basically I see Saul like a combination of Alma, the elder, who learned from Stephen, but it takes him longer to process it.

And then also Alma, the younger who, cuz he actively worked against the church and then has this incredible moment on the road to Damascus. He's a little bit of both. Almas and his character is interesting because it's so. Fixed. I, I think Saul really believed he was doing the work of God. I think he thought, I mean, it says he's young, at least younger than 40.

I think he thought he was doing what God wanted him to do. What I love about Saul is when he realizes he isn't, he changes fast. In fact, the visual that always helps me when I think about Saul is. If you ever watched like a little kid's soccer game, so like you know when Violet was little and she was on the soccer team, you would see a kid who was so excited to finally get the ball and they're working their way down the field and they're finally getting it and they can see the goal insight.

And then if you look to the other side, you see a hundred parents going other way, other way. And they're trying to get the kids' attention to like turn the other way. And as soon as that five-year-old realizes he's running the wrong way, he'll turn, he'll pivot and he'll go with the same speed and excitement towards the other goal.

That's how I see Saul. I don't think he's a bad guy, although I do think his lines are blurry. Like it, it does sound like his great persecutions were violent and intense. So I hate to paint him as like this good guy, but I think he has good intentions. He's trying to do the work of God. He's just heading to the wrong goal.

And so what we're gonna see in eight and nine is how the Lord tries to get him the other way. So when you go in eight, you're gonna see there's great persecutions happening around the church. Because of the great persecutions of someone like Saul who's rigging havoc in the church. The church scatters. I think this is one of the ways you see how God can make all things work together for good.

I don't think God is inspiring Saul to scatter the saints. That's not the nature of God. I do think as Saul and others try to scatter the saints like it becomes unsafe to be in Jerusalem, so they go out to outlying areas. God is able to take that and use it to his advantage to say, okay, we, we just got this scattering that happens.

Now we can teach even further. You know, I used to, like my dad used to hire us to pick dandelions. I remember as little kid putting those puffy dandelions into laundry baskets on the front lawn. What I don't think I realized at the time was, even though I was getting paid per dulin, I put in the basket the number of little seeds that I probably.

Like sent out into the rest of the yard, I'm sure was not advantageous for my dad. Like I think that's what's happening. As these disciples are being scattered in this gigantic yard, they're able to put down roots and they're able to grow and the gospel is now increasing despite the fact that they're trying to intimidate and threaten the disciples.

Just keep increasing and it's pretty cool to see how that plays out. So one of the ways that increases is through Philip. So where we learned about Steven as one of the seven. Another one of the seven that you hear about is Philip, and he is someone who wants to teach in Samaria, or is called Samaria.

I'm not really sure. But he goes to teach in Samaria and heals and offers, you know, help to those. And there's some great joy that happens. So you can see that in verse eight. There was great joy in the city except for in the heart of one person. Well, at least one that's mentioned, and his name is Simon.

Simon is a sore. So I had to go and learn a little bit more about sorcery. According to Old Testament, there's some interesting translation, um, options on that word. One of the ones I thought was eyeopening is it, it compared it to, um, medicinal things. So not just like magic tricks, but also maybe even like drugs that would cause hallucinations or things like that.

He is someone who is skilled in sorcery and he was able to use. The tools around him to manipulate the minds and beliefs of others because the people in the city think he is powerful. That's the impression he's given. He is that Wizard of Oz guy behind the curtain who has convinced a whole bunch of people to think he is powerful.

So when real power comes to town, he gets nervous. In fact, I think he just wants it. I don't even think he realizes. I don't think he's afraid. I think he envys the real power he sees and he wants a part of it. So you can see lots of people get baptized cuz they see and hear the words of Philip. Philip converts them and then he has to bring in.

Apostles to come and offer the gift of the Holy Ghost. So for whatever reason, I'm not sure what Philip's standing is, but it seems like he has a ironic priesthood, similar to like a priest in our day who can baptize but can't offer the gift of the Holy Ghost. So when the apostles hear that there's growth and Samaria, they come.

So Peter and John come in 14 and they offer the gift of the Holy Ghost. And when Simon sees that, then he's intrigued. This is what I think is really interesting. So it says in 17 they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Ghost. And in 18, when Simon saw that through laying on of the Apostle's hands, the Holy Ghost was given.

He offered them money saying, give me also this power that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost. It's interesting to me, it doesn't seem like Simon's motives are completely wrong. I. He's hoping to give others the gift of the Holy Ghost. But what makes his thoughts, I think, wrong or out of alignment is that he wants to be the gatekeeper of that gift that goes against what we have, like an article of faith number five, right?

That you are ordained by God, that he is the one that chooses who has this gift and who will perform ordinances. You don't get to buy it. There is no price that's put on it. The other thing that I think is interesting is it seems like Philip doesn't see this part. You know, we know that Simon is baptized and at least to some degree believes, but when he sees this happen with the apostles giving the gift of the Holy Ghost, his heart shifts a little bit.

Peter, who I think has a gift of discernment to an amazing degree, understands Simon's heart. So when you look here, you can see what happens. In 20, but Peter said, UN him Thy money perish with thee because thou has thought that the gift of the God may be purchased with money. Thou has neither part nor lot in this matter, for thy heart is not right in the sight of God.

He is, I think, hoping to exercise unrighteous dominion. He wants to use the power of God to manipulate that. That's his wheelhouse, right? That's what he's comfortable with. That's what makes his living. And so he sees opportunity and he wants it. And what I love about Peter is he understands his heart and he doesn't condemn him in this moment.

He invites him to repent. He's like, change your heart. God knows the thoughts and intents of your heart. You need to change. Even though Simon never came forward with that, I don't even know that Simon could have articulated his thoughts at this point in time. But Peter, with his gift of discernment and his astic priesthood can say like, I see where you're going.

Repent, change course. What you're doing right now is wrong and you can't have any part of this. And so he says, I perceive this is in 23. I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of inequity. I actually really love this verse cuz not only does Peter know that Simon needs to repent, what he can see that no one else can is behind the curtain.

Now he can see a man frantically spinning all those dials and hiding behind this curtain, trying to put on a show for people. And he knows exactly how hard that is. He's saying, you're tired, you, this is a pretense. It's not real. Set all this down and become something better. I just think that's exactly what the Lord is inviting all of us to do.

He's saying like, let go of trying to put on a show for the world or put on this perfect image, just be real and vulnerable so that I can help you and I can heal you. There has to be, you have to expose your heart and all your vulnerabilities in order to repent and come to him. And I think that's what Peter can see.

He can see the exhaustion that comes from living a lie, and he wants Simon to put all that down. And then in the next verse in 24, you see that Simon says to them, pray ye to the Lord for me that none of these things which you have spoken, come upon me. I don't know where Simon's heart is in this moment.

If he has turned and is now humbly saying like, please pray for me that that doesn't happen. Or if he's still so disconnected from an understanding that he thinks he can't pray and he needs somebody else to, I'm not sure, but I do love the interaction between Simon and Peter. I think it is. Kind. Peter sees the weight on Simon's shoulders and he's saying, set all that down and come where, where your heart was cannot be, where your heart is.

Be a new creature. And come. The last 15 verses of chapter eight are some of my favorites. This is the story of Philip teaching the Euch, who's in this carriage. He's this Ethiopian treasurer who the Lord wants to reach. And so he sends an angel to Philip to say, arise and go south. I just think it's really interesting to watch it play out.

To me, this is a beautiful story about Revelation, how it works, and how I can use it better and understand it better. Because you see that at the beginning, Philip doesn't get all the directions. I feel we're gonna talk about this in the object lessons too, cuz it, it resonated so well with me. But in 26, the angel says, arise and go toward the south, onto the way which go from Jerusalem to Gaza, which is desert.

He doesn't get direction about how many days he's gonna be gone. He doesn't get direction about how long he's gonna travel into the desert. I mean, like, I don't know how much, how he knows how much water to pack or food to like, who knows? He just knows he's supposed to go south towards the desert and he doesn't know why.

And I, when I was studying this just yesterday, normally I read this story and you can see these pieces of revelation be given, right? He first, he's going to tell him to go south and then he goes and he takes a few steps towards it, you know, or starts his way south. And then in the process of going, he gets more clarification and more revelation.

So this is when he learns like, oh, there's a chariot coming, go near to the chariot. And as soon as he goes near to the chariot, he gets more revelation that says, see if you can climb inside. You know, like normally I would just teach that as a layers of revelation story. What's hard about that interpretation is it almost implies that God has a full plan for us and he's only giving us a portion at a time.

And it reminds me of like, I don't know, training a dog, you know, like that, that I know exactly what's gonna happen and I'm just trying to get the dog to go. Five steps and five more steps, and five more steps. I think there's another reason why God gives us revelation in this way. It is not simply to train us in to be spectacular, obedient pets.

I don't think that's the nature of God. I think it's because agency is always at play. Here's why I think this. Yesterday we were trying to figure out I needed a suitcase. We're about to leave on a trip, and I needed my suitcase, and Emily has it, and she lives downtown. And so we were trying to find a way that Jason and Emily could meet in the middle to trans, you know, transfer the suitcase from one person to the other.

And as I was mapping it to a, you know, middle spot, three different options opened up on the gps. And I could pick, depending on if I wanted freeway or no freeway, or if I wanted slow traffic or fast traffic, I could pick. They were all pretty similar options. And if you got on the freeway and all of a sudden there's an accident on the freeway and you're using that same gps, it will reroute you, right?

You'll find another way around to get to your original destination. I think that's why sometimes you don't get all the information because agency is at play. So the reason he tells him to get up and go south is not just because he doesn't wanna give him the whole picture all at once. He wants to prove faith.

I think it's also because agency could change all kinds of things. If he just goes south, then no matter what road this Ethiopian takes, there's a good chance he could come across him. Yeah. I almost see the savior, you know, like I've talked to you about this before, but that our father in heaven is constantly working.

It's like a choose your own adventure book. You know? He's constantly saying, oh, they went left. Okay, we got, we gotta reroute. The reason that's comforting to me is I think sometimes he can see these intersections of agency where we're gonna cross paths with other people's choices and by giving me a more general direction, like, Hey Maria, just go south.

He can reroute me and still get me to where he needs to be. It, it demonstrates an agile and loving and very present God to see him. Be so involved in my story and that's how I read Phillips. I think he's getting pieces of this revelation so that there's room for agency to play out and, and so that's how the story changes.

I also think it's because there are a dozen different ways this could have gone the same way. I've got several different routes to get to that same spot on I 15. I think there are several different ways that this solution could have happened and God doesn't care if we pick one or the other. He just wants us to go south, like, just get in motion and I'll, I'll reroute you wherever you need to go.

So that plays out. He goes and he ends up in encountering this chariot. He gets prompted to go close to it, and then as he does, he can see that the unku is inside, is reading Isaiah, and he's struggling to understand it. Just like everybody who reads Isaiah. I found myself wondering, like, why would he pick Isaiah?

Like, of all the things to read, and I learned from one of the scholars I read that Unix weren't allowed to go into the inner courts of the temple. They would've been restricted. But there is this really beautiful passage in Isaiah that talks about how the Unix won't be held back and that they will have the same opportunity as everybody else in God's kingdom.

And I, I could see if, if he really was, um, emasculated that way, if that blessing in Isaiah would've, he would've wanted to come to know Isaiah and to understand Isaiah and understand those promises. So as he struggles, he invites Philip in. This is one of those moments of agency where it's possible this could have played out in a dozen different ways, but he invites Philip to sit in his chariot and to teach him.

And it's a beautiful witness of the power of good teachers that, that in this moment, that Philip knows the scripture so well that it doesn't matter where this. Ethiopian is studying. He can pick it up and he can direct eyes to Christ. It just so happens that the part he picks is all about the Lamb of God and that he will be cast out, that he will die for his people.

Like. So it's, I think, a very easy entry point for, for Philip to teach. Um, it's this beautiful contact that he makes, but I think he probably could have been on almost any page of scripture. And I think that Holy Ghost would've helped Philip in this moment, direct eyes towards Jesus Christ. Cuz you can do that on every single page.

And because Philip trusts in Jesus Christ, he opens up his mouth that that's the guidance he gets in 35. Then Philip opened his mouth and began at the same scripture and preached unto him Jesus. And as they go, and he teaches expounding scripture, almost like a road to Emmaus kind of moment for this Ethiopian in this carriage they see water.

Well, I love what I tied together in my scriptures is they're in the desert. You guys, I don't know. I don't know how much water is available, but somehow the Lord has rerouted them so that they are now along a section of water in the middle of a desert, and the Ethiopian sees it and says, can I get baptized?

Basically? And there's this beautiful moment where Philip could have said, absolutely, let's go. And instead he makes certain that this man is ready for baptism by saying the same kind of questions that we ask today. So he says in 37, and Philip said, if thou believe us, with all dying heart, thou mayes. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God.

And he commanded the chariot to stand still. And they went down both into the water immersion, both Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him. And then you have another one of those beautiful Dr. Strange kind moments where after they come out of the water, Phillip is gone. He has, he has portaled off to some other place.

And this Ethiopian goes away, rejoicing. He goes on his way, rejoicing because now he has a connection to Isaiah and he understands it. He has a connection to the living Christ, and he understands it, and he feels at home so he can go his way. He's not converted to Philip, he's converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ.

And so even if Philip disappears, he stays steady. I like that because I think it's something we wanna teach our kids. As they prepare for their missions that you want to be able to teach the gospel so well that if you get caught off the next day, if you get transferred to a whole different district the next day, your person who's studying the gospel will still stay.

In fact, they'll be rejoicing because their conversion is to Jesus Christ, not just to you. I love that Philip's story teaches us all those things.

[00:38:39] ACTS 9

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A lot of people call Acts chapter nine, the Conversion of Saul, and although I think that begins here, I'm sure his conversion takes time just like it does for everybody, but a big piece of it happens on the road to Damascus. I would argue that another big piece happens with Ananias. I think seeing those two things side by side, hearing the voice of God and seeing this bright light and hearing witness added in with.

Seeing a disciple of Jesus Christ in Ananias choose to offer you healing and help despite the fact that you've been persecuting his people. You combine those two things and you've got a powerful witness of what the character of a disciple looks like. They are someone who believes in Jesus Christ and who acts as he would act.

And you see both of those things in this chapter. So let's begin with the road to Damascus. So first you're gonna learn more about what Saul is doing among the people that he is rounding people up, that there is slaughter involved. I mean that these are big words. So that's what I mean about it's, you can't really say that.

Saul was a good guy moving the wrong direction. I think he had good intentions but had been misguided, severely misguided, and so he's breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord. In verse one, he goes to the high priests of the Jews and seeks a authorization to go and round up disciples elsewhere because they've scattered.

Remember, those seeds have started to scatter and to bloom in other places, and so now Saul wants permission to go and start rounding up people and bring them back to Jerusalem. The Jews here don't actually have authority to do any of those things, but somehow he still. Does this, he goes out and that's why he's on the road to Damascus.

That's a six day journey. I mean 135 miles. This is a big road trip and he's going in order to bring people in. Some people wonder if he's actually going in order to capture Ananias, cuz it seems like he is some sort of priesthood leader in this area in Damascus. But he's on his way and he is stopped by bright light.

So if you look in the verses, it says, and as he journeyed, this is in verse three, he came near Damascus and suddenly there shined around him a light from heaven and he fell to the earth and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecute us without me? I think it's kinda interesting. Well, a couple things.

First, I think it's really clear that the savior is saying, when you persecute my disciples, you persecute me. The same way. If we serve others, we are really serving God. I think this is the other side of that coin. When you persecute or even ignore his disciples, you are ignoring and persecuting Jesus. So there's that piece that I love.

I also really like that he asked him why I think when he, this could be just my interpretation, but I think he's inviting Saul to really think about his choices. He doesn't just command him to stop. What he says is, why are you doing it? And there must be a reason why, right? Like, is it because he's trying to please the Sanhedrin?

Is he hoping for status? Is he, is he just kind of confused, like, why are you doing what you're doing? I think there's really valuable guidance in that for us as we encounter those who are opposing forces to truth. To find out why. Because I think oftentimes there is damage behind it. There are deep wounds behind their choices.

And I think to understand why and to take time to understand what those wounds are helps you change hearts in a more powerful way. At least it helps you teach and respond better. So I love that the Savior teaches us to ask why and to try and find out why. And then he gives him this really interesting advice.

So Saul hears his voice and he says, who aren't thou Lord? He can tell this is a divine source, but he doesn't know who it is. And the Lord said, I am Jesus. Whom thou persecute us is hard for the to kick against the pricks. He is basically saying to Saul, you were trying to serve me. And by doing it, you took down the people who worshiped me.

We are. The same, the leader of this force that you're trying to go against is, is the Lord that you worship. You need to unite these two. I think it's the same kind of idea of expounding the scriptures. He's saying these two things that you think are opposing forces are one in the same. I need you on my team.

I need you to come. And I really love the phrase kick against the pricks. I mean, there's the surface level interpretation of that, which is just that it hurts, right? A prick is like a, a goat or prod that you would use to kind of push an animal to do something that you want it to do that it doesn't want to do.

And he is saying if you kick against that sharp stick basically is gonna hurt. But what I also like about this phrasing, so I think you know, if you've ever seen like a cattle drive kind of show, I mean they have those stragglers on the side who are always kind of, you know, like the cattle that are always veering off.

And so they have to either use a whip or a dog or a prod to get them back in line. For me, when I read this verse, I think what he's saying is, So this work is rolling forth. You are actually only making your life harder. It's, it's not doing the damage you think it is. In fact, every time you think you're persecuting the saints, they scatter and they more blooms come up.

So you're saying like you are actually only making your life harder. And I know it hurts. I know the weight you're carrying is heavy. You know, I think, I can't remember, it's in the notes, but there's a prophet who talked about how if Saul was there for Steven's martyrdom, if those images come back to his mind, or if the cries of the children whose parents have been carted off come back to his mind, all of that evil, even if it was done in the name of good must be weighing on him.

And he's saying to him like, stop kicking against the bricks. This work is going to roll forth. Come with us. I think it's what the prophet teaches us today about it being easier to live the gospel than it is to not live the gospel. Cuz basically, if you choose to not live the gospel, this is, this work's gonna roll you guys.

And so if you choose to. Kick against the pricks, it's gonna keep going, but your life is a lot harder. So I think that's what he's trying to teach to Saul. It's like, come, come get in this current, this flow and see how much easier your life can be when I can direct you in the right way. And so that's what he tells him.

What I love is in this moment when Saul's heart is probably cut just as deeply as his friends who were in the Sanhedrin felt, because remember, he was one of them. At least he's a junior member trying to aspire to become like them. He carried their coats. Remember he is, he has been trained as a Pharisee all of his life, and this is his road.

So I imagine this opens up his heart. He feels cut to the center just like those in the Sanhedrin did. But in this moment, instead of retreating away from that breaking open of his heart, he leans in and he seeks. Guidance. It's what you wish the people in San, he would've said when Stephen called them out, he says, Lord, what will that have me do?

That's his question. Okay, I just realized I'm running down the wrong and we're heading towards the wrong goal. Where do you want me to go? I, I think this tells you something about Saul's heart. That his heart does love God and seeks to please God, and he just was misguided. And so now he's gonna shift, and that's what the Lord says.

Basically, I want you to go go to Damascus and see what you'll need to do. It's interesting to me that he still becomes blind. So in this process, his eyes opened spiritually, but his physical eyes cloud, and you can see that in the verse in eight. And Saul arose from the earth and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man, but they led him by the hand and brought him onto Damascus, and he was three days without sight.

Neither did eat nor drink. I wondered cuz I mean now he has a testimony of the risen Lord, that he is in fact Jesus and he still has to be blind for three days. I don't know why I, I, I still don't really know why, but it kind of reminds me of Zechariah in Luke one. Remember when we were studying and he, because he is not as faithful as the Lord wants him to be in that moment.

There is that whole pregnancy phase where he is without the ability to speak. And you know, I just wonder if there is, there is reflection time that happens when you take away physical sensations and present dependency. Cuz Paul, who's probably felt really confident, in fact a lot of people think he was a child prodigy of the Pharisees and has always been pretty confident in who he is now.

Has to have somebody else lead him by the hand. You know, he is, he is dependent and I think the Lord is teaching him humility in those three days. And a big piece of that comes when the healing has to happen. So Ananias, who it seems like as a priesthood leader in this area, is directed by vision to take healing to.

Saul, here's how it plays out. So it says, um, an I hears something and he says, behold, I am here, Lord, in verse 10 and 11. And the Lord said unto him, arise and go into the street, which is called straight and inquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus. For behold, he prayeth. I think it is really interesting because essentially what the Lord is saying here is, I want you to go and take care of Saul because he's praying.

I think what the Lord has taught Saul is that he sees him much bigger. He, he wants Anani to take care of Saul because he's praying the same way I, I'm trying to remember as it Elder Raz Band, he gave that talk about the, the oath that a doctor takes to treat everybody. And there was a doctor who was judging the patients who came in.

I should have read it before I recorded, but you know, he, she was kind of judging the patients and saying like, yeah, but he got himself into this, so I'm gonna help this guy first. And. Doctor was reminded that her oath is to care for anyone who's in need. And I think that's Ananias oath. It's our oath as well that we will care for anyone who's in need.

And basically that's the answer he gives to Ananias cuz Anani is wondering like, are you sure? I don't know that ans is doubting the Lord. I think he's just asking clarifying questions and he's saying, this is the guy who's out to get us. This is the one you want me to go to. And the Lord says, yes, he is praying, meaning he is turning.

He is no longer the person he was before. I need you to treat him and care for him. And Ananias in this epic moment of faith does So he goes, he gets this guidance from the Lord in 15 go thy way for he has a chosen vessel unto me to bear my name before the Gentiles and Kings and the children of Israel.

He is a vessel. I actually love that word. We're gonna talk about this in the object lessons, but I think it implies he can carry anything. He is designed to carry. Goodness. He's been full of something else and now that's all dumped out, that's been dumped out on the side of the road to Damascus, and now he's this empty vessel and I need you to fill it.

I need you to fill it with what he will become. And Anani gets to play a part in that. So he goes, and in 17 he went his way and entered into the house and putting his hands on him, said Brother Saul, the Lord. Even Jesus that appeared unto the, in the ways as thou chemist has sent me, that thou Midas received thy sight and be filled with the Holy Ghost.

In this moment, Ananias fills that vessel. I don't think it's all the way full. I think it's gonna take a lot of different things to fill up this empty vessel that is Saul. But he begins that process of filling his heart to help him understand grace. The only way someone like Ananias, who knows what damage.

Saul has inflicted on his people could possibly forgive and call this man brother is because of the gift of the atonement of Jesus Christ. That enabling power of grace extends this option to him. And so he forgives and he heals and baptizes. That's what happens next. He gets baptized, which I love cuz what we learned from studying the Savior's baptism is that it is this initial stance of humility.

It is a posture of repentance and humility, right? He taught that every person needs to be in that posture of repentance when they come to this work. Even though the savior himself had nothing to, for repent of that, he demonstrated that humility to follow the will of God the father. And that's what this.

Saul will do as well. He begins in a stance of humility by being baptized and then they, he straightway teaches cuz that's what it says in verse 19 then was Saul certain days with the disciples, which were at Damascus and straightway, he preached Christ in the synagogues. That is the son of God. When you take someone like Saul, who's been schooled in the scriptures since his childhood, who has, who knows the Pharisees and knows their workings and is familiar in a lot of places, and you add in, you take out all the false tradition, all the false teaching, and you add in the gift of the Holy Ghost and this posture of, I wanna know what is true.

You see a powerhouse form. Much of what we're gonna study in the New Testament are the works of Paul. Well, he'll be called Paul or Saul depending on if he's in a, you know, Hebrew audience or a Greek audience. But he is someone who will be a powerhouse because he has emptied out all that didn't belong and he has filled himself with what is good.

Because he, he has a, he is bigger. I think this is what God could see, that someone like Ananias and probably even the apostles couldn't see that he is so much bigger than what he is right now. I love that cuz so many of us feel defined by our mistakes or our sins. We feel like they define us in this mortal life.

And God always sees bigger. You are always a chosen vessel to the Lord. He can take out what doesn't belong and pour in what will fill you, what will last. And I think to see this transition happen with Saul is, is a really powerful witness of that. So he talks about suffering. One of the things that's interesting is in the middle of his conversion story, there's this verse about how he will suffer.

This is the Lord speaking to Ananias and he says in 16, for I will show him how great things he must suffer for my names sake. I had to kinda wrestle with this one a little bit cuz it doesn't seem fair that his sins, if he's repentant, that the sins of his lifetime that he has to work off. You know? I don't think the Lord is giving him sufferings because he's working off his repentance.

We don't earn forgiveness that way. I think what he's trying to say here is, Paul's life is going to be hard. He's gonna endure hard things, not because, He's paying a price for something, but because he, he's gonna be a man of God and men of God have opposition. There's this great quote in the nose. I found a talk from President Worthen that he was the B BYU president.

I love his talk, but there's this one that I happened upon this week in my study and he talks about why we suffer. You know, it's one of the most common questions about why does God let you know bad things happen to good people? Why is suffering needed? And he had this quote from CS Lewis that I wrote in my march.

It says, the problem of reconciling human suffering with the existence of a God who loves is only insoluble so long as we attach a trivial meaning to the word love. That's a powerful statement to me. Basically what he's saying is like when we talk about how does God let good things happen or bad things happen to good people, it means we're misinterpreting what good things really are.

The visual that came to my mind is, So I'm a grandma now, which means I do all the things that grandmas do that I used to be bugged at. Like I remember Jason's mom giving our kids so much sugar, you know, cuz she just wanted to be this fun, happy grandma. And I would always be like, ah, they won't sleep. You can't do that.

And now I am that grandma and I, I absolutely do that. Just yesterday at 4th of July, I was giving Henry marshmallows and I think I gave him three. And, and I found myself thinking like, why am I doing this? I, I'm doing the exact thing to Hannah that happened to me. And it was funny when I went over and told her about it, her response was, you know, tolerant.

But like, mom, you know, don't do that. And I found myself thinking that's, that's the thought that was in my mind when I was reading these verses. I think God's way of loving is not in a grandmothery way. His way is more like a parent. He wants you to grow and to develop and to be strong and healthy. And in fact, I think further on in the c s Lewis quote, he talks about how we want to make a grandfatherly god.

You know, one who is dotting and kind and. Kindness is not the same as goodness, and you should go in the notes and read it, but I thought there was some powerful parallels there. He allows Paul and Saul to suffer because he needs growth, not because he is paying punishment for his earlier life of sin, but because he needs to grow just like the rest of us.

And oftentimes that requires suffering. In fact, you'll read, we'll read a lot of his writings, but he's gonna suffer some incredibly hard things. Shipwrecks and stonings and imprisonment and all kinds of hard things will happen to Saul. And he will, it will, it will forge him into this mighty Paul that we will study throughout the whole year, um, after a few years.

So there's about three years that he goes to Arabia. We don't exactly know why, but he takes some time to, I probably study the gospel and do some missionary work and learn. Then he comes back and he comes back to me with the apostles. I think it's really interesting that he comes back in such a submissive way because he's someone who could kind of claim.

Authority. He's seen the resurrected Lord on the road to Damascus. He is someone who has all this scholarly training, but he is not the same person that he was before. And so he comes and he just wants to be among the apostles. He wants to learn from them. In fact, he'll often call himself the lowest of the apostles and they are a bit weary of of him.

So you can see in the verses that it says, when SA was come to Jerusalem in 26, he has said to join himself to the disciples. But they were all afraid of him and believe not that he was a disciple. They're, they know his reputation and they're nervous. And Barnabas vouchers for him, the one that we just read about last week, that donates so, so generously to, to the common good.

He vouches for Saul and talks about how he's been prophesying in Christ's name and doing these great works. And so they begin to believe him and he becomes this power. You see what happens when. When the Lord is allowed to make all things work together for our goods in 31 says, then had the churches rest throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria and were edified walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost were multiplied.

The Savior has found a way to take the force that was opposing the church and turn it because, because Saul chose to use his agency to follow. In that moment when his heart was open and vulnerable, the Lord was able to make all things work together as far as good. So now the church can grow and thrive because the obstacle that was in their way is now on their side.

And because the church can roll for, they're multiplying their edifying each other, they're understanding the scriptures better, they're increasing in light and knowledge, and so they're edified. That word I think is powerful. We studied it in the doctrine covenants too, but it, it's the same root word that edifice has.

It means this strong foundation, something that is sturdy from within that allows you to. Grow and develop. That's what's happening to the church. Then there's one final little miracle at the very end, and that's the story of Tabitha. So first you hear about Peter and he's going around and he's teaching, and he heals someone who's been lame for eight years.

Remember, it hasn't been that long since the savior himself was around. So I always find myself wondering like, did these people know about the savior? Did they wish that they could have met the savior? And for whatever reason, at this point in time, and then I asked this an, I'm not sure to say his name, who's been lame for eight years.

He is healed and then nearby in a town next to him, somebody very treasured has died. And so they seek the help of Peter. I don't know, is if they sought the help of Peter because of the death of Tabitha or if something else was going on in the town and they just heard he was close by and he hears of Tabitha when he gets there.

Tabitha or sometimes called Dorcus, is someone who is. A generous, good woman. So you can read her versus the words about her in 36. It says she was a woman full of good works and alms deeds, which she did. And then in 39, when they're at the deathbed of tabs, I don't know how many days she's been dead or if it's been hours, but all the widows come and they come weeping and showing the coats and the garments which Dorcus or Tabitha made while she was with them.

I love this piece because I think it teaches you, remember the very beginning of this week's study, um, Peter was struggling with the weight of all the widows that they needed to take care of and that there, there were so many needs and not enough people. And so he sought help. And what I love in this little miracle with Tabitha is it shows there are people that God has been prompting to take care of the widows all along.

People who don't have a priesthood calling to do it, they are just. Disciples and disciples care for each other. What this reminds me of is my sister Sarah, so she is the state relief study president, and now she's been a young woman's for I don't know how many decades. Like every time I talk to Sarah, she is helping someone.

She'll Marco Polo with the family or something. And she's always on the way to help a widow. Like she showed us a Marco Polo in a widow's house last week who was, you know, she'd made a quilt for. And she genuinely loves all of these people. And I feel like if something happened to Sarah, there would be a line of women who are weeping and showing off all the things that Sarah had done, cuz that's just the kind of person she is.

And so I love that in this moment when Peter recognizes that someone like Tabitha has been doing this work all along, this lifting up of the temporal needs of those who are heavy and whose lives are hard. Tabitha has been doing that and so he calls on the powers of heaven to help her rise. I just think it's.

There's a beautiful symmetry to this week's study cuz where we begin is also where we end. He finds another way to comfort the widows in addition to the priesthood leaders he calls to take care of them. He empowers women to take care of their needs as well. So you see that happen in 40, but Peter put them all forth, kneeled down and prayed and turning him to the body, said Tabitha arise.

And she opened her eyes and when she saw Peter, she sat up and he gave her his hand and lifted her up. And when he called the saints and the widows presented her alive, this is a monumental miracle to happen at the hands of an apostle. And it happens to this kind charitable woman who probably has no acclaim and no fanfare, but is worthy of this miracle.

I just think that's a beautiful, remarkable thing that we have to put a big spotlight on. And then you see that the. Work continues. Simon, because he's led to this place at this time now, is kind of setting the stage for what will happen next week when we study Cornelius. So the church is about to boom, and Simon doesn't even know it, but by being in this place at this intersection of agency, he chose to be here and follow the guidance, and now it sets the stage for everything that we're gonna see next week.

There's good things to come.

[01:01:15] CREATIVE PREVIEW

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Welcome back, everybody. Hey, this is the creative side of week 28, where we try and take some of the principles that we just studied and find ways to creatively teach them in our families or to our classes, and I think I've got three easy ways for you to do that. Okay. This week I wanted to focus on a few different areas.

First, I wanted to talk about Steven and what he. Offers. He is the one that speaks in front of that council and he teaches them the scriptures and tries to expound them to have those Jews who are sitting in that council see those same scriptures in a new light. And to do that creatively, we're going to do aquil challenge.

I made up that word. It doesn't exist, but uh, there's a reason we call it aquil challenge cuz you are going to take this piece of paper that looks like a circle and turn it into a square in a really cool way and it will help your kids see things with fresh eyes. That's the whole idea behind this one.

So for supplies, you really just need the printable and then a couple pens on hand and you'll have everything you need. I would maybe print one for everybody who is in your class or in your family, maybe even a couple of them so they can have a few different versions to test. The second one, I don't have anything to hold up.

This is a simple GPS challenge that's gonna teach us about revelation. I really love the story of Philip and the Ethiopian and what it teaches us about how. The Lord guides us step by step to do his work. And so for this one, you just need a smartphone and then a goal. So if you wanted, you could take a drive and talk about a GPS and how it works, or you could go like in a city or in a park and use walking directions.

But you kinda wanna show how a GPS functions, so you're gonna need a smartphone. And then if you want, you could hide a prize somewhere, like maybe you have a prize at a destination and you're going to find a way to route yourself there. So maybe you're, you know, planning an ice cream shop that you're gonna work your way towards.

Or if you're in your house or in the neighborhood, you could hide a prize or something in the park or wherever and then navigate your way to the prize. And that's all you need for the second one. The third one is also pretty simple. It involves a printable as well. This is to teach us about the conversion that happens in Saul's heart.

That this man who was motivated and wanted to do the will of God, but was. Going the wrong direction gets reoriented. And so by the end of this week's study, he is straight way on a whole different path. And one of my favorite ways to show that is with a simple science experiment. So for this one, you're gonna need the printable.

It looks like this. It's got a bunch of arrows pointing, one direction and some backwards text. You probably can tell you can't read it, but that's because you're gonna add something to it. So the other thing you're gonna need is a vase or maybe a tall drinking glass, and then some water. Just don't fill it up quite yet.

You'll show that as you teach the object lesson, and that will make it so much cooler. Okay, that's your supplies list. You guys. Super easy week, but I promise this is a memorable one. So go get what you need. And for those of you who are in the full course, stick around and I'll show you how to pull each one off.

[01:04:01] WRAP UP

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Thanks for being here. You guys. That is it for week 28. See, I told you it was easy, easy, but I promise it's memorable. I, I hope you totally enjoy it. This is a week where you get to focus in on how the works of God are done By small and simple means, right? You're gonna study Steven and Philip and Tabitha and Ananias, and you're gonna see.

Great, great things happen because of small choices, and I just think there's so much to gain from it. I hope you really enjoy it. If you need extra help, you can come find me on Instagram, 10:00 AM on Monday. I'll go on for a live for about 40 or 50 minutes, and then if you can't catch it live, you can always catch it on my feed later.

But if you have questions about the doctrine or about how to pull off the object lessons and you need a little extra help, please feel free to leave me a comment on YouTube or jump onto the course and leave me a question on the discussion boards and I'll get to it as quick as I can. But I promise there's a lot of goodness in this week's study.

So get your scriptures and jump in, and it's gonna set the stage for where we go next. So do all you can to study, ask the Lord to multiply whatever it is you're able to accomplish, and then come back next week ready for more. All right, you guys, enjoy your week. I'll see you on Monday.