As we continue our journey through the book of Acts, we see a great example of discipleship and teaching others to lead and be lead well. Paul is continuing his journey and he ends up in Corinth. There he meets two tentmakers named Aquila and Priscilla. He lives and works with them for awhile and one day takes them with him on the next part of his travels. When they arrive in Ephesus, Priscilla and Aquila see an exciting young preacher, Apollos, teaching but he doesn't know the whole story of Jesus. He never mentions Jesus' death, resurrection or the coming of the Holy Spirit. He needs their help to learn more. Paul, Priscilla, Aquila and Apollos all spend time learning and teaching and encouraging each other and others. This is what discipleship should look like! 

Starting this week, we will be meeting for Sunday school with our Elementary aged students. Pre-K students will still be meeting in the service or in the nursery. However, if you are still needing to worship at home, we are continuing to provide weekly worship guides here online. We hope you will continue journeying with us through the book of Acts. 

Next Sunday (September 13th) we will be opening back up another part of our services at First Brethren Church. Our nursery and Elementary aged classes will be opening again! (Unfortunately, our Pre-K class will not yet be open. If your students need to leave the worship service, they are welcome in the nursery.) 

This week, we will be looking at how Paul shares the message of the Gospel in Athens with 3 different groups. Their responses are kind of curious. I wonder how we will respond (or have responded) to this message? 

As we see in Acts 16, there are several different ways that people can be "in chains" or bondage. First, the fortune telling woman with the spirit was in bondage because she had no free will of her own. Paul sets her from her chains by casting out the spirit. Secondly, when Paul and Silas are taken to prison because they had done this, they are physically put in chains and also thrown in a prison cell. They are set from when they worship and pray and the jail is shook by an earthquake. Their physical chains are broken. Finally, the Roman jailor, when he sees that Paul and Silas and the other prisoners did not escape, he wants to know why and he hears the story of Jesus for the first time. He is spiritual saved from his chains. His sin no longer holds him. We see him and his family baptized and saved. 

Use the activity below to remind yourself of ways in which to help set yourself and those you care about free-by knowing Jesus! 

Like Paul and Silas, we should continue to sing praises. Sing this song to be reminder that God is our "Chainbreaker".