Thursday, June 1 – Acts 14:24-26

They passed through Pisidia and came into Pamphylia. When they had spoken the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia. From there they sailed to Antioch, where they had been entrusted to the grace of God for the work that they had accomplished.

God had called Paul and Barnabas out from Antioch. He had also called them to remain connected to Antioch. Their leaving wasn’t a forever goodbye. In Christ, it never is!

The two men returned after a year or two on their missionary journey. That journey was arduous. They traveled through the mountainous region of Pisidia and the lowlands of Pamphylia. They also traveled through important cities such as Perga, a province capital, and Attalia, the seaport of Perga. All of this was to complete the work God sent them out to accomplish. And once they carried out their mission, they sailed back to Antioch.

That’s because the church at Antioch was part of their mission, and they were partners in that mission. And the same is true for us today. Whether we leave to do the work of discipleship globally or stay to do the work of discipleship locally, we have a responsibility to one another in the local church God has entrusted to us.

• Considering the difficulty of travel in that day, is it surprising to you that Paul and Barnabas went back to Antioch? Why or why not?
• How does the description of Antioch being the place “where they had been entrusted to the grace of God for the work that they had accomplished” speak to you about the purpose of the church in your life?
• Praise God for the local church. Ask Him to strengthen your local church and your connection to that church, reminding you the believers in that congregation are your partners in the mission to which God has called you.