Acts 26 | Telling God's Story and Your StorySample

His Story. Our Story.

Each of us has a story. And for each of us, that story intersects with God’s story.

God’s story has been unfolding from the beginning. He invites you into it. Imagine. In God's story, you have a role to play!

God entrusts us with the telling of that story—his story, and your story. Your story matters. And God wants your story to point others to his story—a story that they can be a part of, too.

Acts 26 is Paul’s story. Paul is on trial. Or better, has been waiting for trial. It’s been two years now that he’s been in prison, and with Acts 26, we have a new Roman governor whose first order of business is to see what this controversy surrounding the prisoner, Paul, is all about.

We left off with the coming of King Agrippa II, the great-grandson of Herod the Great (the one who tried to kill Jesus after he was born in Bethlehem), and his sister, Bernice. Festus, the new Roman governor, is trying to make heads or tails of this whole thing, and who better to consult with than the Jewish ruler of the region.

Here’s where Acts 26 picks up. Paul is now standing before Agrippa, before Bernice, before Festus, and the Imperial court. Agrippa says to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself” (Acts 26:1, NIV). And so Paul does. He shares what’s highly personal, even that of which he is ashamed. He shares God’s intervention. He shares his hope and challenges them with that same hope. He shares his story willingly, telling the story of what God has done, and what God has done in his life.

Paul tells his story. But it’s really God’s story. And in the telling of his story, we’ll find an invitation for those listening to bring God’s story into their life.

Tips for Telling the Story

Learn how Paul tells his story. Today, you’ll read how he shares it. Try to pick up on what’s personal, on God’s intervention, on his hope, and his invitation. Then try to use that pattern when telling your own story, too.