- The Spirit opens the way
- The Gospel crosses culture
- The Lord opens a hearts
Reflection Questions:
How does the Spirit’s redirection in verses 6-7 challenge common assumptions that “open doors” are always easy or comfortable?
What role does communal discernment play in verse 10 (“we concluded that God had called us…”)? How does this inform the way the church today should make decisions about mission and ministry?
When have you experienced what seemed like a “closed door” in ministry or life that later made sense in light of God’s broader purpose?
How can we distinguish between Spirit-led redirection and mere human hesitation? What role does prayer, scripture, and community play in that discernment?
How does the decision to speak with women, in a patriarchal culture, reflect a kingdom ethic that subverts social norms?
What cultural, racial, or socioeconomic boundaries in your own context might need to be crossed in order to faithfully share the gospel?
In what ways do we let our cultural expectations shape where and how we expect to find “receptive” people?
How can we become more attentive to overlooked spaces of spiritual seeking?
What does Luke mean when he says “The Lord opened her heart”? How does this shape our understanding of evangelism as both proclamation and dependence on divine action?
How does Lydia’s response hospitality, baptism, and faithfulness exemplify holistic conversion? How should this affect our concepts and practice for discipleship and assimilation into the church community?
In what ways might we emphasize (or perhaps neglect) both divine agency and human response in conversion narratives? How can we maintain this biblical tension?
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