And Saul approved of their killing him. On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him.  But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison.Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. 
Acts 8:1-4

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Three years after we retired, we bought a fixer-upper on a small neighborhood lake. We bought it in the spring, and the small neighborhood lake is what attracted us the most. The house was hideous but had great bones—a complete gut job.

Then something disgusting happened midsummer. Our once gorgeous lake became putrid green, and giant fuzzy aquarium-looking plants named milfoil grew in the middle of the still open water. It was evil. Algae persecuted us. Windows and doors all around our neighborhood began slamming shut because it reeked of rotten eggs.

As I jest about milfoil persecuting us, in today’s Scripture, the Disciples scattering for their safety was no laughing matter. The new believers left Jerusalem—their “world” as they knew it (Acts 8:1-4). They moved away from everything they loved because Saul and others were persecuting them. 

Yes, this man—who became Paul, one of the greatest spreaders of the Gospel, once God got hold of him—was a murderer. Maybe that’s why God changed his name.

At times I have felt like I wanted to murder, especially milfoil in my lake! But at age eight, I became a Christ-follower—changing everything and forcing me to reconsider all my thoughts and motives over the years.  

On the road to Damascus, Paul was blinded and then transformed after killing a tremendous number of believers. The loving grace of God transformed both Paul and me. 

And, if you know God today, we have these ancient believers to thank!

You might wonder how this could happen. The Holy Spirit filled the Disciples’ bodies, minds, and souls, and our Great God gave them the strength to continue spreading the Gospel. He walked with them through continued persecution, and many died horrible deaths telling others about what Jesus did on the cross to redeem people who believe in Him.

This Gospel story continues today in both you and me.

Next Steps

Do you ever feel scattered and alone? Consider joining a serving team—it’s one of the best ways to find community and not feel so alone. Check out the various opportunities to do so here. 

Don’t forget, this summer, we are committing to a goal of 50,000 Acts of Service! As we continue on in our Unleashed series, we want to be the hands and feet of Jesus to our neighbors in our communities. You can log your act of service here. Let’s be bold, commit to acts of kindness, and witness God move powerfully through our communities!