Lydia is a merchant who sells expensive purple material. She lives in Philippi. She worships God but doesn’t know about Jesus.
When Paul shows up, he tells her who Jesus is and what he did. She wants to follow Jesus too. She believes and is baptized to show her commitment to him. Then she asks Paul and his buddies to stay at her house.
Later, Paul and Silas heal a fortune-telling slave girl and end up in jail as a result. The next day they’re released and head back to Lydia’s where they meet with more of Jesus’s followers. After encouraging them, Paul and Silas leave town.
When Lydia decides to follow Jesus, she goes all in. She even has people meet at her home. She doesn’t need to take a class, join a church, or wait until her faith matures. She does what she can right away.
We later learn of an active local church in Philippi. I imagine Lydia is a key part of it. They might still meet at her house.
Do we make people wait before we let them serve Jesus or help at church?
[Discover more about Lydia in Acts 16:14–40.]
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Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront a status quo faith and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
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