5-Day Devotional • Empowered Witnesses

Introduction

During “connect months” we do not formally connect in community groups, but that doesn’t mean we take a break from our Christian faith. Therefore, we are offering this resource as a daily devotional throughout the week to reflect on the sermon from Sunday.

Devotional

Day 1: Waiting for God's Power

Reading: Acts 1:1-5

Devotional:

Impatience comes naturally to us—we want answers, resolution, and control immediately. Yet Jesus instructed His disciples to wait in Jerusalem for the Holy Spirit. This waiting wasn't passive; it was an active practice of positioning themselves to be immersed in God's presence and identified with His character.

Before we rush into action, we must wait on God. When we act in our own strength and timing, we become enmeshed in cultural patterns rather than transformed by the Spirit. Waiting produces the fruit of patience, and with it comes love, joy, peace, and all the characteristics that mark us as God's people.

Reflection: What does your impatience look like? How might waiting on God's Spirit change the way you approach your relationships and responsibilities today?

Day 2: Baptized into the Spirit

Reading: Galatians 5:16-26

Devotional:

To be baptized means to be immersed and identified. Jesus promised His followers would be baptized with the Holy Spirit—immersed into God's very nature and identified by His character traits. Just as purple dye transforms white cloth, the Spirit transforms us from the inside out.

The question we must ask ourselves is: What identifies us? When people encounter us, do they see love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control? Or do they see anger, judgment, and self-righteousness? We cannot be witnesses to resurrection power if we're not displaying the character of the One who rose from the dead.

Reflection: Which fruit of the Spirit is most lacking in your life right now? Ask God to immerse you more deeply in His presence so you can be identified with His character.

Day 3: Power to Influence

Reading: Acts 1:6-8; Matthew 16:13-19

Devotional:

Jesus promised His followers would receive power—not power to retreat, protect, or dominate, but power to influence the world with resurrection life. The Greek word used is where we get "dynamite"—an explosive influence that makes a real difference.

The kingdom of God is not defensive; it's advancing. Hell puts up gates, not heaven. We're called to move forward with the gospel, bringing light into darkness and testifying to the ways God brings dead things to life. This requires engagement, not isolation. It means entering into culture with the transforming message of hope rather than withdrawing into religious subcultures.

Reflection: In what areas of your life are you retreating rather than advancing? How might God be calling you to engage your neighborhood, workplace, or community with His resurrection power?

Day 4: Watching with Curiosity

Reading: Acts 17:16-34

Devotional:

Paul's ministry in Athens demonstrates what it means to watch and learn. He observed the culture, noticed their altars, listened to their poets, and asked questions before offering answers. He engaged with curiosity rather than condemnation.

Too often, the church answers questions no one is asking and offers solutions to problems people don't recognize. Being witnesses requires us to watch—to observe where people are hurting, to ask deeper questions, and to listen at least as much as we speak. When we discover pain and brokenness, we can testify that God brings dead things to life.

This watching must start at home with our families, extend to our communities, reach the uncomfortable places (our "Samaria"), and ultimately to the ends of the earth.

Reflection: Who in your life needs you to ask more questions and offer fewer opinions? What might you discover if you approached them with genuine curiosity about their struggles and hopes?

Day 5: Witnesses Near and Far

Reading: Acts 1:8; 1 Peter 3:13-16

Devotional:

Jesus laid out a vision for witness that starts where we are and extends to the ends of the earth: Jerusalem (home), Judea (surrounding areas), Samaria (uncomfortable places), and beyond. We're called to share what we've seen, heard, and personally experienced of God's resurrection power.

This witnessing isn't about having all the answers or dominating culture with our values. It's about testifying to what God has done—how He's brought life from death in our own hearts and in the lives of people around us. Some are called to cross-cultural ministry across the city or ocean. All are called to participate in God's vision for restoring all things.

The question isn't whether we'll engage culture, but how. Will we be enmeshed in it, evasive toward it, or faithfully engaged with it as witnesses to resurrection hope?

Reflection: Where is your "Samaria"—the place or people that make you uncomfortable? How might God be calling you to witness there? What resurrection story can you share today?