S- Acts 17:16-28

O- Paul went into Athens and was distressed about all of the ungodliness there. Instead of leaving or cursing it or condeming the people there he preached the same message of Christ and His resurrection but in a new and a fresh way that made the people interested in hearing more.

He also studied their culture, their beliefs, and there literature and used their culture in his gospel presentation and showed them how Jesus was the completion of their belief system and not a contradiction. He took the time to learn about them and to show them he cared which made his gospel message that much more powerful.

A- Sometimes we as Christians can be so afraid of the world and that it will influence us, our families, and or churches that we run away from it. Paul was so connected to God and had such a love for the people that didn't know Him that he was willing to learn about other non Godly practices in order to redeem them for God. He even got to the point were he was disturbed by what he saw in that culture but he got passed those things in order to be an effective witness.

I want to have the power and wisdom that Paul had to be so connected to God that I am not influenced by the world and at the same time be able to study the world around me and be able to show others in that world the fingerprints of God all over the place.

P- Lord please give me a love for you and a love for the lost that Paul had. Please help me to be effective in balancing my time with you and my time with the world and please help me to be effective in leading others into a relationship with you. Give me words of wisdom and words of knowledge that will help others see that you are real and that you have been seeking after them for some time.