Reimagine Acceptance Through the Life of PhilipНамуна

Ordinary People, Extraordinary Mission

Have you ever felt like God only uses “special” people with impressive spiritual resumes for meaningful ministry? Maybe you’ve wondered if God could use someone like you to make a real difference. If you’ve ever felt too common to be used by God, you are not alone—and you’re about to discover one of the most encouraging truths in all the Bible.

When Luke wrote what we now call Acts, he didn’t give it that title. He was simply recording what God was doing through early Christians and churches. The name “The Acts of the Apostles” came later. While partly accurate, it’s also a bit misleading because much of what unfolds in Acts doesn’t happen through the apostles—it happens through everyone else.

When persecution broke out, “all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria,” and “Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went” (Acts 8:1, 4, NIV). The message of Jesus finally moved beyond Jerusalem, not through the apostles, but through everyone else.

We realize something powerful: the same God who worked wonders through Jesus and His followers now moves through all His followers, doing extraordinary things through extraordinarily ordinary people.

Though Acts focuses on a few key figures—mostly Peter and Paul—many of its greatest moments come through the “supporting cast," including some of the people we’ll explore in this series, like Philip, Lydia, Stephen, and Barnabas. He also worked through people we won't study like Silas, Rhoda, Priscilla, Aquila, and Dorcas—along with countless unnamed believers whose faithfulness changed the world.

Acts has 28 chapters, which means...we’re living in Acts 29. God’s story didn’t stop at chapter 28. It continues today through you. The same Spirit who empowered those scattered believers now empowers you, right where you are.

God is still showing up and showing off through people who don’t look the part. He’s still writing His story, and He wants you to be part of it. Your daily faithfulness—in your workplace, your home, your neighborhood, your conversations—matters more than you know. You’re not a spectator. You’re a vital character in Acts 29.

In this series, we’ll see how God moved through ordinary people in the early church, and how He wants to do the same today. Get ready to believe that your life really can make a difference.

Reflection Questions:

1. What has made you feel like you're “too ordinary” to be used significantly by God?
2. What might it look like for you to embrace your role in “Acts 29,” starting today?

Prayer:
God, thank You for using ordinary people like me to fulfill Your extraordinary purposes. Help me see my life as part of Your ongoing story. Use my life, God. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.