11 Jun Encouragement (Acts 11:23) by Rich Reich
Welcome God now with this LIFE Group Devotion (FB), provided by LIFE Runners (FB). Leaders. Guest Authors. LIFE Minute radio.
“When he arrived and saw the grace of God, he rejoiced and encouraged them all to remain faithful to the Lord in firmness of heart.” ~ Acts 11:23 (full readings)
Rich’s Reflections: Today is the Feast Day of Saint Barnabas. He was originally called Joseph, but was named Barnabas (meaning son of encouragement) by the Apostles (Acts 4:36). Barnabas was sent by the church of Jerusalem to the new converts in Antioch. Antioch was one of the most important churches in the history of Christianity, primarily due to Barnabas’ gift of encouragement. The church of Antioch was where the disciples were first called Christians (Acts 11:26) and Antioch was the first church to send out missionaries (Acts 13:3). You may feel powerless to make an impact in your own church because you are not in a position of leadership like the pastor or liturgical director. However, you too can build up your church by being a source of encouragement for others. Mother Teresa once said, “Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.” By being a friend and encouraging others through acts of kindness, you will be helping to build up the Kingdom of God.
* Rich Reich is the co-founder of the LIFE Group Devotions and the National LIFE Runners Team. He is married to Erica and lives in Satellite Beach, FL. Full bio.
Faith Challenge: Be a source of encouragement to others around you.
Counter-Culture News: LSN, LifeNews, Priests for Life, AFA, Vatican, Project Rachel.
Our Prayers: Prayer to end abortion, Spiritual Adoption, Alpha Center, Peters family (JP). Add Prayers on our website. Pray with meals, bedtime, wake up, LIFE Runners, etc. Consider mid-week Family Rosary (17 min). Let’s pray now.
Feast Day: St. Barnabas
Faith Quote: “There are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind.” – C.S. Lewis
Through Christ our Lord,
Rich
James 1:22
* Evangelize: Make room for unbelievers & re-evangelization of self, by way of prayer (relationship) and following Christ’s example of love (service/sacrifice/mercy). Mt 28:19.