Begin with 2 minutes of stillness and silence before God.

Can you think about a time you had an opportunity to share the Gospel with someone, but something held you back? Maybe your co-worker briefly mentioned religion, but the fear of rejection and changing your relationship kept you from probing further. Maybe you felt led to pray for your waitress at dinner, but you had honestly had a long day and didn’t feel like you had the emotional bandwidth to step into that conversation. Or maybe you invite the parents of a kid on your child’s team to church, but they don’t seem very interested, so you never mention it again. Do you relate to these stories? We are presented with an opportunity to talk about Jesus, and we miss it - often due to fear. Fear of rejection, dismissal, discomfort, judgment, or the unknown. Perhaps the fear that stops us from sharing Jesus with others is a fear of losing time or energy in the middle of an already busy schedule. Or maybe it’s the fear of feeling like we don’t know enough.

I can think of several times in my life when I let some sort of obstacle stand in my way of sharing the Good News of the Gospel with someone, and I’m praying that today’s passage challenges you and encourages you the same way it did for me. In Acts 4:1-22, we find two men who have the courage to share the Gospel despite fear and opposition. Peter and John have just healed a crippled man at the temple gate, after 40 years of him being unable to walk. The man immediately hops up and begins declaring the miracle that just happened, while Peter and John continue to preach about Jesus to the temple. This attracts the attention of the religious leaders and temple guards who are so disturbed and annoyed by Peter and John that they throw them in jail and then bring them before the high priest to demand they stop sharing the Gospel. But filled by the Holy Spirit, they refuse, and their bold and unashamed declaration of truth brings thousands of people to Jesus and He is praised in the midst of the trial.

I love this passage so much because it reminds me that we aren’t on our own as we live out our calling to share the Gospel with others. Peter's boldness is not fueled by his own strength or eloquence but by the Holy Spirit working within him. This reminds us that as followers of Christ, we are called to rely on God’s strength rather than our own abilities when sharing the gospel with others. As Peter and John continue to testify about Jesus, the religious leaders are amazed at their boldness, recognizing them in Acts 4:13 as “unschooled, ordinary men” who had been with Jesus. (Did you know Venture's Unschooled and Ordinary podcast is named after this verse? This is a quick plug to listen to it this week!) It is through the same Holy Spirit that gives us boldness and courage to share the Gospel, even in the midst of obstacles. As we continually place our faith in Jesus Christ, He can transform our inner fears into outer courage that gives us the boldness to lead people to know, love, and follow Him.

Take 2 minutes to reflect in silence.

Reflection:

• When you think about sharing the Gospel with others, what are the things that hinder you most or cause you the greatest fear?
• How can you begin to trust God even in the face of those obstacles?
  
• Read Galatians 1:10. How does this verse encourage you to share the Good News of Jesus Christ even in the face of rejection?
  
• Pray for specific opportunities to have “Gospel conversations” this week. Pray that God will give you the boldness and courage to step into these opportunities.