The apostle Paul heard the risen Christ. He went through some of the worst of human sufferings. He watched the Spirit on the move around the world, and yet he sometimes wondered how the rickety new church would make it. He proclaimed that ordinary people like ourselves would now be the ones to do the work of ministry. And for this work, he invites us to learn from himself as he learned from Christ.
Join us at the 2025 CCEF National Conference as we learn from the apostle Paul. In-person and virtual tickets are available. Learn more and register below.
Transcript
When I read books, I enjoy knowing the people who wrote them. So I'll look on the back for a short bio about kids or hobbies or where they live. I'll read the acknowledgments and the dedications to see those people who most impacted their lives. I'll pay a little bit more attention when there's a personal story. I like to see my authors in their writing, and this is one reason why I love the apostle Paul. I see him in everything that he writes. I see his love for Epaphroditus. Paul was undone by the very thought that his friend might die. I watched the leaders of the church at Ephesus weep openly and kiss him when he tells them this would be the last time that he would see them. Watch carefully and you'll see his gentleness, his love, his patience for everyone. So when he gets a bit sassy in his letters, which I love, he has to explain himself for the slightly different tone. I get to hear him praise the Lord, which is so crammed with praise that he seems to forget to take a breath. And then he tells his story to anyone who will listen. He talks about a rough past, the chief of sinners, a murderer to be precise. He tells us about how God set him apart even before he was born and was pleased to reveal Jesus to him. He talks about the great times, the painful times, the frightening times. Soon you notice that with artistry and simplicity, he begins to take his story and weaves it into the story of Jesus, hoping that his own will look more and more like Jesus’s. We all love to hear people's stories. Every story is a fascination. Paul's story about himself. They draw us in. He tells them to us so we know him and find him trustworthy, but he wants to do more. He also wants to use his stories to teach us how we can tell our own. It is this way that Paul teaches us to tell our own stories that I will be considering at CCEF’s 2025 conference. I hope you can join us.
