FUEL For Your FAITH

Acts 15 ends with a practical expression of grace. James and the leaders in Jerusalem crafted a letter that protected the truth of the gospel while also promoting unity among Jewish and Gentile believers. This is a beautiful picture of how grace works—not only vertically between God and us, but also horizontally between us and others. Grace invites us to lay down unnecessary burdens that divide, to honor one another, and to walk in love. The Jewish believers released Gentiles from the demands of the law; the Gentile believers made concessions out of respect for their Jewish brothers. Neither group compromised the gospel, but both chose humility for the sake of unity. We often struggle with this today. We allow preferences, personality differences, cultural backgrounds, or minor disagreements to pull us apart. Yet God calls us to the same grace-shaped posture the early church demonstrated. Grace teaches us to listen, to be patient, to honor one another, and to put others before ourselve...

The early church faced a dangerous teaching: that believers must keep the Mosaic Law to be fully accepted by God. But Paul, Barnabas, and James all affirmed that grace produces freedom—not bondage. Acts 15:10 warns against placing a yoke on believers that even the Israelites could not bear. Many Christians today still carry invisible yokes: the pressure to be perfect, the fear of disappointing God, the need to perform spiritually to feel accepted. These burdens steal our joy and distort our view of God. Paul wrote to the Galatians that adding human effort to salvation causes us to fall from grace—not in the sense of losing salvation, but in losing sight of grace as our foundation. True grace opens prison doors. It lifts heavy burdens. It restores hope. It empowers obedience, but never demands it as a prerequisite for acceptance. Grace frees you from striving so you can walk in the Spirit and experience the life God designed for you. The more deeply you understand God’s grace, the more ...

Peter reminded the early church that both Jews and Gentiles were saved the same way: through the grace of the Lord Jesus. No one receives forgiveness because they meet a standard. No one earns God’s mercy by trying hard or achieving spiritual status. Forgiveness flows solely from God’s grace. Yet many Christians struggle to accept this truth personally. We believe in grace but live as though forgiveness depends on our consistency. We replay our failures, worry God is frustrated with us, and fear we have exhausted His patience. But the basis of forgiveness is not our performance — it is Christ’s sacrifice. His grace is not diluted by our weakness, our wounds, or our worst mistakes. Trying to add to God’s grace is like trying to “improve” something already perfect. When we attempt to prop up our forgiveness with works, guilt, or self-punishment, we only water down the beauty of the gospel. God desires that we walk in the freedom of knowing we are forgiven fully. This matters because forg...

In Acts 15, the churches rejoiced when they heard how Gentiles were being saved by God’s grace. This joy mirrors the celebration described in Jesus’ parable of the prodigal son in Luke 15. When the lost son returned home — dirty, broken, and penniless — the father didn’t scold or shame him. Instead, he celebrated. He ran to him, embraced him, clothed him, and called for a feast. What an incredible picture of the Father’s heart!  And yet, not everyone celebrated. The older brother stood outside the party, angry. He felt he deserved more because he had “performed better.” This mindset still exists in all of us. Sometimes we are more like the older brother than we care to admit. When we compare, judge, or quietly resent God’s grace toward others, we reveal our own misunderstanding of grace.   Grace should always lead to celebration — not just when we experience God’s forgiveness, but when others do as well.   When we remember how lost we were, how far God came to rescue us...

The churches in Galatia had received the message of salvation with joy, yet it didn’t take long before confusion slipped in. Teachers began adding requirements, suggesting salvation was not just about Jesus’ finished work but also human effort. Sometimes we find ourselves thinking God is more pleased with us when we “perform well”. We slip into the belief that our standing with God rises and falls with our spiritual scorecard.   But the true gospel stands immovable: we are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. It is not Jesus plus good behavior, Jesus plus church attendance, Jesus plus spiritual perfection, or Jesus plus emotional stability. It is Jesus — fully and only.   Understanding this is essential because adding anything to the gospel ultimately subtracts from it. When we try to earn God’s approval, we diminish the sufficiency of Christ’s sacrifice.   Scripture: Ephesians 2:8-9 - For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not...

Paul and Barnabas risked everything to make disciples. Acts 14:19–22 tells us that Paul was stoned and left for dead, yet he got up and continued preaching. That’s the heart of a disciple—one who values following Jesus more than comfort or safety. Discipleship always carries a cost, but it also brings eternal reward.   A true disciple follows Jesus wholeheartedly and helps others do the same. It means enduring hardship, investing in relationships, and strengthening others in their faith. Paul and Barnabas modeled this when they returned to the churches they planted, “strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith.” (Acts 14:22)   Being a disciple means walking in obedience, perseverance, and dependence on God’s grace. Scripture: Matthew 28:19-20 - " Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am wit...

After the miracle in Lystra, the people tried to worship Paul and Barnabas, calling them gods (Acts 14:11–13). But instead of accepting the praise, they tore their clothes and cried out, “We are also men of the same nature as you” (Acts 14:15). They knew that all glory belonged to God. Humility is the safeguard of ministry. Whenever God works through us—when He blesses, heals, or changes lives—it can be tempting to believe we had something to do with it. But pride is a trap that leads to spiritual downfall. The moment we begin to seek the praise that belongs to God, we step away from His favor. The humble heart knows that every good work is God’s doing, not ours. True humility doesn’t mean thinking less of ourselves—it means thinking of ourselves less. It’s about redirecting every ounce of credit to the One who empowers us. When we stay humble, God can trust us with greater influence. Paul and Barnabas’ humility kept the focus on Jesus and preserved the purity of their mission. Scriptu...