Digging Deeper: Your Story Matters

Avatar photo Lee Wilson on August 28, 2026

 

11 So, setting sail from Troas, we made a direct voyage to Samothrace, and the following day to Neapolis, 12 and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We remained in this city some days. 13 And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to the riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we sat down and spoke to the women who had come together. 14 One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul. 15 And after she was baptized, and her household as well, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” And she prevailed upon us.

Acts 16:11-15 (ESV)


YOUR STORY MATTERS

 

Having a ’90s childhood means that I experienced top-class Disney movie releases while growing up. From Aladdin, A Goofy Movie, to The Lion King, there were plenty of classics released in that time.

This trend over the last decade or so of turning animated classics into live-action films has not been my favorite. Part of what made those films so good was the incredible songs and musical scores pinned underneath the timeless animation. When they remade “The Lion King” into live action, I did not bother to watch it, in part because they cut down the iconic song “Be Prepared” in the movie.

There is a vital need for our preparedness when we think about our faith journey. It promotes a sense of urgency and the need to be intentional about all the decisions that we make. President Jimmy Carter said, “We should all live our lives as though Christ was coming this afternoon.”

As we continue studying Lydia’s conversion as recorded in the book of Acts, we are reminded of the need we all have to be willing to share the gospel with others. Paul and his traveling party were doing their part to fulfill the Great Commission, often risking life and limb to be faithful stewards of the task given them.

Lydia, upon hearing the gospel message, was baptized and had her entire house baptized in the name of Jesus. There was an immediate call to action and faithfulness centered around the sharing of how this message had moved her.

Sometimes it might be uncomfortable to share your message of faith in your life. It could be a taboo topic to bring up at work, or maybe you have family members – as I do – who do not have any godly beliefs at all. Sometimes, for the sake of getting along, we choose passivity, trusting in a sense that God will make it happen and maybe believing he doesn’t really need us to be awkwardly outspoken in those moments.

But what if God has uniquely prepared you for that moment and that conversation? What if all of your experiences are pushing you towards a conversation today with somebody you’ve never met – and what if their eternity depends on it?

When questioned about whether or not our actions can actually affect the eternity of others, Pastor John Piper offered this:

“…we learn that God has set up the world in such a way that we human beings bear the burden of real causality. We are causes in the world. We make things happen under God’s providence. Our actions make things happen. Our failure to act fails to make things happen and, therefore, it is not right to say, ‘Because of predestination, my failure to act will not prevent someone’s salvation.’ We don’t know that. We cannot see into God’s book of decrees and plans.”

1 Peter 3:15 encourages us to always be prepared to discuss and defend our faith, 1 Timothy 2 says that we should pray for all people, which includes unbelievers, and James 4:2 helps reaffirm that those prayers make a difference.

Much like Lydia, we are called to be bold with our faith. Have the uncomfortable conversation, be prepared to discuss the difference Jesus makes in your life, and pray tirelessly for the unbelievers in your life, that God would open their heart to hear his call to come home with him.

 

Lee Wilson and his wife, Deanna, have been NorthStar Church members since 2010. They are parents to Everett, Henry and Roselyn. Lee is passionate about sports (Go Braves, Go Dawgs) and has the pleasure to serve on the worship team as a bassist.

 

Digging Deeper: Providential Purpose

Avatar photo Lee Wilson on August 27, 2026

 

11 So, setting sail from Troas, we made a direct voyage to Samothrace, and the following day to Neapolis, 12 and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We remained in this city some days. 13 And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to the riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we sat down and spoke to the women who had come together. 14 One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul. 15 And after she was baptized, and her household as well, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” And she prevailed upon us.

Acts 16:11-15 (ESV)


PROVIDENTIAL PURPOSE

 

During the apostle Paul’s missionary journey recorded in Acts, he makes over 30 stops over a period estimated to be between 12–15 years long.

Along this journey, we are told that Paul had been “forbidden by the Holy Spirit in Asia (Acts 16:6).” A few verses later, Paul sees a man from Macedonia in a vision urging him to “come over to Macedonia and help us.” He and his companions took that as a sign from God to make that journey and did so (Acts 16:10).

A central character in our study this week has been Lydia from Thyatira, which is located in Asia in modern-day Turkey. Being a successful and prominent businesswoman who sold “purple goods,” Lydia had moved to ply her trade in the city of Philippi, a predominantly military town which was roughly a two weeks’ journey from Thyatira.

We can infer from the text that Lydia was a faithful Jewish believer, but given the predominantly male and military nature of Philippi, there was no place of meeting for people of her faith. She is therefore found gathered on the riverbank with a small group of women where her story intersects with Paul’s.

In a sermon he gave on Lydia’s conversion, Charles Spurgeon discussed God’s purposeful means of creating this intersection:

“You will remember that Thyatira was situated in that part of the country into which Paul was forbidden by the Spirit to go and preach; therefore, had Lydia been at home, she could not have heard the truth; and as ‘Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God,’ she must have remained unconverted. But providence brings her to Philippi at the right time.”

God had set in place all that was necessary to bring Lydia to that riverbank. He had used her trade, her business sense, her faith, her success, and geography to create the perfect moment that she would hear Paul’s words and so accept Jesus as her savior. Alas, the church in Europe had begun.

The series of events that had to come into play – Paul being shut out of certain locations, Lydia’s business bringing her to the riverbank, and her financial means lending themselves to ministry – all paint the picture of the architect of our faith finely tuning our lives to serve the ultimate glory of his kingdom.

After finding this gift in the sweet song of salvation, Lydia immediately shifts all she is in the fervent pursuit of Jesus. Her house, built on the success of her business, became the first church in Europe. Her entire household was baptized, and later in the book of Acts, when Paul leaves, he goes to see Lydia first, meaning this was not a fading passion but a real commitment to Jesus.

Our faith has been brought about due to the providential purpose of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. May we all be filled with immense gratitude for him, and may we also respond each day with this unrelenting pursuit of Jesus in our lives.

 

Lee Wilson and his wife, Deanna, have been NorthStar Church members since 2010. They are parents to Everett, Henry and Roselyn. Lee is passionate about sports (Go Braves, Go Dawgs) and has the pleasure to serve on the worship team as a bassist.

 

Digging Deeper: Slow Down

Avatar photo Lee Wilson on August 26, 2026

 

11 So, setting sail from Troas, we made a direct voyage to Samothrace, and the following day to Neapolis, 12 and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We remained in this city some days. 13 And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to the riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we sat down and spoke to the women who had come together. 14 One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul. 15 And after she was baptized, and her household as well, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” And she prevailed upon us.

Acts 16:11-15 (ESV)


SLOW DOWN

 

I went to college for journalism and had the idea that I was going to be a sports writer. I have been an avid sports fan my whole life and had some natural interest in writing, so it seemed like a perfect fit.

I went to Georgia State University and served as the sports editor of the school paper for two years. One thing that GSU offered was proximity to local professional sports. We developed a relationship with the Atlanta Hawks and now-defunct Atlanta Thrashers, who agreed to let us have media credentials to any games we wanted.

We wrote about the teams and ran full-page ads for tickets, and the experience was incredible. Through that, I was able to build relationships with the Thrashers PR team, which would come in handy a few years later when I became the media intern for the organization.

One of the benefits that came along with that was free tickets to most any Thrashers game. Since I was almost always working during the hockey games, I tried my best to give the tickets to friends and family when I had them. I once gave tickets to a coworker I previously had at Target named Chris.

He had two young boys at the time and was from Canada, so he was thrilled to have the chance to go, and I was thrilled to be able to give them to him. It cost me absolutely nothing to give him those tickets. His kids, around 6–8 years old at the time, wrote me handwritten thank-you cards and said how much fun they had. They ended up getting a stray hockey puck and took pictures with the ice girls. That was 16 years ago.

A little over two years ago, Chris prematurely passed away. It had been several years since I worked with him, but we had kept in touch, and I chatted with him anytime I went to Target, where he still worked.

At his funeral, I went to offer condolences to his wife and sons, both now grown and in their twenties. I had met his wife a few times in passing but did not know her that well, and I didn’t really know what to say, so I introduced myself to her. She paused and said, “Are you the guy that gave us the hockey tickets?”

I was astonished that she even remembered that, but told her I was. She commented to her sons, who remembered that experience, and they all talked about what a great time they had at that game.

I am fully aware I had nothing to do with that. I had free tickets that weren’t going to be used, and it just happened to work out that I was able to provide them to him and his family. They went out and made a core memory as a family, which is a really cool thing for me to think about when I think of my friend Chris.

It serves as a good reminder that God can take the mundane and weave wonderful things out of it. This past Sunday, Mike instructed us on the importance of slowing down to engage those in our path. When we do this, we have a chance to be a part of these beautiful moments that God creates.

So slow down and engage those around you, and by all means, when you get the chance, go to a hockey game.

 
 

Lee Wilson and his wife, Deanna, have been NorthStar Church members since 2010. They are parents to Everett, Henry and Roselyn. Lee is passionate about sports (Go Braves, Go Dawgs) and has the pleasure to serve on the worship team as a bassist.

 

Experiencing Grace

Kevin Burrell on August 26, 2026

 

“God saved you by His grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.”

Ephesians 2:8-9

 

EXPERIENCING GRACE

A college student-athlete received permission to leave the field early one afternoon so he could have some uninterrupted study time just before his final exam.

When he arrived to class, everyone was doing their last-minute study preparation. The professor came in and said he would review with all the students for a period of time before the final.

They went through the review, with most of it being on the study guide; however, there were some things the professor was reviewing that the students had never heard of.

When questioned about it, the professor said that all the answers were in the book and all the students were responsible for everything in the book. None of the students argued that point.

Finally, it was time to take the final.

The professor instructed:

“Leave the test face down on the desk until everyone has their copy, and I’ll tell you when to start.”

When all the students turned them over at the same time, every answer on the test was filled in!

The bottom of the last page said the following:

“This is the end of the Final Exam. All the answers on your test are correct. You will receive an ‘A.’ The reason you passed the test is because the creator of the test took it for you. All the work you did in preparation for this test did not help you get the A. You have just experienced…Grace!”

The professor then went around the room and asked each student individually, “What is your grade?

Do you deserve the grade you are receiving?

How much did all your studying for this exam help you achieve your final grade?”

One student said, “I am not a crier by any stretch of the imagination, but I had to fight back tears when answering those questions and thinking about how the Creator has passed the test for me.”

The professor then said:

“I have tried to teach each of you all semester that every day you are a recipient of grace. I’ve tried to communicate to you that you need to demonstrate this gift of grace as you encounter people in your life. Don’t hammer them; they are not the enemy. Help them, for they will pass it on to others if it is full of GRACE!”

Listen Closely—

In the same way, you didn’t earn God’s grace. You couldn’t. That’s the whole point.

God’s grace isn’t a prize for good behavior or a reward you can work toward—it’s a gift, freely given, because of how deeply He loves you.

There’s nothing to prove, no score to keep, and no way to boast about earning God’s grace on your own merit.

All that’s asked of you is to believe and to reach out by faith and accept what’s already being offered. Not to strive for it. Not to earn it. But to take hold of what God’s unconditional love has already provided you.

Undeserved. Unearned. Unmerited. But freely given grace—simply because He loves you.

That’s The Amazing Grace of God!

Love God. Love People. Live Sent.

Be Worth Being.

Kevin

 

Kevin Burrell has worked in professional baseball as both a player and MLB scout for the past 45 years, and currently serves as an area scouting supervisor. Kevin was drafted in the 1st round of the 1981 free agent amateur draft (25th selection overall), and played ten years of professional baseball with four different organizations. He and his wife, Valerie, live in Sharpsburg, Ga.

Digging Deeper: Right Place, Right Time

Avatar photo Lee Wilson on August 25, 2026

 

11 So, setting sail from Troas, we made a direct voyage to Samothrace, and the following day to Neapolis, 12 and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We remained in this city some days. 13 And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to the riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we sat down and spoke to the women who had come together. 14 One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul. 15 And after she was baptized, and her household as well, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” And she prevailed upon us.

Acts 16:11-15 (ESV)


RIGHT PLACE, RIGHT TIME

 

When I was a kid, we would take our summer vacations at the Outer Banks in North Carolina. Home to the Wright Brothers’ first flight and plenty of beautiful lighthouses, I think back with great affection on the summer days I spent there. This was long before a substandard Netflix show popularized the area.

My hometown of Virginia Beach is only about two hours from there, and it originally became a vacation option due to proximity. Once my family moved to the Atlanta area, we maintained our summer trips there to meet up with my Virginia Beach family every summer for over 20 years. In total, between aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents, we had about 16 of us under one roof.

Every morning at OBX, we had the same routine – wake up early, eat a massive breakfast, and then stay at the beach as long as we could until our parents made us leave. I would often play with my cousin, whose mom (my aunt) is a nurse. She served as a nurse for most of my life.

One morning, we were all in the water enjoying a beautiful summer day on the tide when there was a sudden sense of urgency. My dad started yelling for my aunt, who happened to be standing next to me. She yelled, “OH MY GOD,” and started sprinting out of the water.

Just down the beach from us, a desperate man was pulling a lifeless teenager out of the water. She was pale white with blue lips, and I can still see the image of him dragging her body out of the surf by her arm.

My aunt, the nurse, immediately rushed over and began CPR. The other kids and I were being sheltered from the event by concerned grandparents, but everyone watched in stunned silence.

I remember seeing paramedics rushing down the sand dunes near the beach entrance and nearly falling over, trying to get to the woman. The quick reactions of my aunt, and my father and uncle, who rushed to a nearby house to call 911 in a time that predates cell phones, led to her resuscitation just as the paramedics arrived.

She was taken by ambulance for monitoring and treatment but was released that day. She and her boyfriend came over the next day and spoke with immense gratitude to us on the beach. In fact, she sent my aunt Christmas cards for years after that, and a genuine connection formed.

My aunt was a hero that day. She was in the right place at the right time and responded to the call when she was needed. As we continue to study Lydia, we also find somebody who was in the right place at the right time and responded accordingly to the call.

Lydia was on the riverbank worshipping with other Jewish believers when it so happened that Paul came by to share Jesus with them. Lydia responded in obedience, accepting the call of the Lord on her heart, and through her obedience, the first church in Europe on record was formed.

We do not know the moments that God has prepared us for, yet we can control our response when the moment approaches. Whether you’re a trained nurse on a beach or a faithful business leader on a riverbank, if you exercise obedience when God calls, then his kingdom will be glorified.

 

Lee Wilson and his wife, Deanna, have been NorthStar Church members since 2010. They are parents to Everett, Henry and Roselyn. Lee is passionate about sports (Go Braves, Go Dawgs) and has the pleasure to serve on the worship team as a bassist.

 

Digging Deeper: The Color of Royalty

Avatar photo Lee Wilson on August 24, 2026

 

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” 

Acts 1:8 (ESV)

 

11 So, setting sail from Troas, we made a direct voyage to Samothrace, and the following day to Neapolis, 12 and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We remained in this city some days. 13 And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to the riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we sat down and spoke to the women who had come together. 14 One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul. 15 And after she was baptized, and her household as well, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” And she prevailed upon us.

Acts 16:11-15 (ESV)


THE COLOR OF ROYALTY

 

It is said that purple is the color of royalty. In fact, ancient law made it so. Ancient Roman and Elizabethan law forbade the common population from wearing the color, limiting it legally only to the ruling class. Violators would face the death penalty.

The Byzantine Empire featured rulers who donned purple attire, signed royal decrees and documents in purple ink, and whose offspring were referred to as being “born in the purple.” In ancient Japanese culture, purple was a sign of wealth and authority.

Part of the appeal of the color was its scarcity and difficulty to produce. Its origins are from the ancient city of Tyre in Phoenicia (modern-day Lebanon). It required gathering tens of thousands of murex sea snails and extracting their tiny mucus glands and then simmering or fermenting them in salt vats for days. The complex, intensive process and multitude of snails required to yield a single gram of purple dye is said to make it “more valuable than gold.”

When Paul is sharing the gospel on a riverbank in Macedonia, one among his audience is Lydia, who is denoted as a “seller of purple goods.” This is no small distinction. Lydia would have been a successful and wealthy businesswoman whose primary clientele would have been limited to the elite social, wealthy class.

Finding success like that in ancient times would have required a lot more than LinkedIn posts and good networking skills. Historians believe Lydia was likely a member of the dyer’s guild that existed in Thyatira and suggest that she moved to Philippi to ply her trade. Given the customer base she had, it is reasonable to presume she lived in spacious accommodations while there.

Once she heard Paul sharing the gospel, she converted to Christianity and was baptized along with her household. Then, she insisted on being hospitable, urging Paul and his group to stay with her.

Luke records, “she prevailed upon us,” when she was insisting they come back to her house. This insinuates a persistent urging, an unrelenting plea from this new believer. Given the persuasive techniques of a successful saleswoman, it is no surprise she was able to convince them to join her. The fact that she was a successful person yielded a house spacious enough to accommodate the entire group and take excellent care of the weary travelers.

The lesson here is that Lydia was working towards something, but she didn’t even know what it was. Her work ethic and subsequent success were aimed at natural desires – financially and otherwise. However, all of that was preparing her for this moment, where she would travel to ply her trade to a foreign land just to encounter a group of believers who would bring Jesus to her doorstep.

Lydia is the first documented European believer in Jesus, and her house, built on the wealth and success of her business, became the first European church in history. God weaved a purpose into her story beyond what she could see, but once she heard the call, she did not relent and pursued him.

God can sow many wondrous things into our lives, using even the mundane to paint a marvelous masterpiece, if only we answer when he calls without relenting and pursue him above all else.

 

Lee Wilson and his wife, Deanna, have been NorthStar Church members since 2010. They are parents to Everett, Henry and Roselyn. Lee is passionate about sports (Go Braves, Go Dawgs) and has the pleasure to serve on the worship team as a bassist.

 

Digging Deeper: More Than You Ever Imagined

Avatar photo Kelly Skelton on August 21, 2026

 

“The Lord opened her heart…” She and the members of her household were baptized…”

Acts 16:14-15 (NLT)


MORE THAN YOU EVER IMAGINED

 

Lydia’s story begins with a woman sitting beside a river, listening, and it ends with a woman opening her home. The real story lies in what happened in between: Jesus changed her life.

Because her faith became personal, her belief became public, and her influence was felt throughout. I truly believe this is what happens when we realize we were made for more.

And maybe today you need to hear this: Your life matters more than you realize.

The enemy would love for you to believe that your story is too ordinary—that you’re too old, too young, too busy, too broken, too inexperienced, or too imperfect. I pray you hear this loud and clear: God has never required perfection from us. He seeks surrendered hearts. Just like Lydia opened her home, she became part of the story of the early church.

Maybe you’ve spent years pouring into everyone else and have forgotten to let Jesus pour into you. Maybe you’ve been serving but not abiding. Maybe you’ve been teaching but haven’t allowed yourself to be taught. Maybe you’ve been quietly following Jesus but have never taken the courageous step of sharing your faith.

Today, I pray that you are reminded: You were made for more.

More than survival. More than people-pleasing. More than checking boxes. More than keeping your faith private. More than simply attending church.

You were made for relationships, purpose, and influence. You were made to know Jesus and to make Jesus known.

The same God who opened Lydia’s heart can open the hearts of the people you love. The same God who used Lydia’s home can use yours. The same God who took one woman’s faith and multiplied its influence can take your surrendered story and use it in ways you may never fully see.

You were made for more. And more begins with Jesus.

Today, as you close out your workweek, I pray that you would remember who you are and why you were created. I pray that you would know deep in your soul that you were made for more—not because you need to accomplish more, but because Jesus is inviting you into more of Him.

Lord, open our hearts the way You opened Lydia’s heart. Draw us into a deeper, more personal relationship with You. Teach us to listen for Your voice, trust Your leading, and follow You even when we don’t know what comes next.

Please give us courage to share our faith. Give us the words when we don’t know what to say. Give us the confidence to share the stories You so intricately wrote. Use our homes, our workplaces, our friendships, our struggles, our testimonies—our whole lives.

Let us become people who don’t simply talk about Jesus but know Him, love Him, follow Him, and make Him known. May our lives teach others what Your grace looks like.

And when I wonder whether my life matters, remind me of Lydia beside that river—a woman who listened, believed, opened her heart, and then opened her home.

Remind us that You can take one surrendered woman and use her life for Your kingdom.

 

Kelly Skelton is a Georgia native, raised in the south on Jesus, Georgia football and sweet tea.  She is her husbands’ biggest fan and her two daughters’ loudest cheerleaders.  She recently published her first children’s book titled, But God Had a Plan.  She stays active in the Dallas area as a  photographer, videographer, writer, and middle school teacher.

 

Digging Deeper: More Than a Private Faith

Avatar photo Kelly Skelton on August 20, 2026

 

“When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. ‘If you consider me a believer in the Lord,’ she said, ‘come and stay at my house.’ And she persuaded us.”

Acts 16:15 (NLT)


MORE THAN A PRIVATE FAITH

 

Lydia didn’t keep her faith to herself. She believed—and then she opened her story. As her faith became visible, her home became a place of ministry, and in turn, her relationship with Jesus affected the people around her. Her faith became more than something she believed privately. It became a visible part of her story.

Romans 1:16 says, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.”

We live in a culture that often tells us to keep our faith quiet. We fill the narrative with, I don’t want to make people uncomfortable. I don’t want them to think they can’t be themselves around me. I don’t want to force anything.

But I think sometimes we lose sight of what we are called to do. He never called us to hide our light; He called us to shine, to be different. We can show others who Jesus is through more than just our words. We should be His hands and feet wherever our mission field is.

Sometimes the moments that open those doors are simply the ones where we have a servant’s heart and show up—where we step in when the world feels lonely. In those moments, God can use your testimony to point others to Him, opening up the very conversation you were already playing out in your head.

Matthew 5:14–16 says, “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

Being open about your faith doesn’t mean you have to be loud, pushy, or judgmental. It means being boldly unashamed of Jesus and carrying His love wherever you go. It means refusing to hide the most important relationship in your life.

Lydia’s faith changed her home. What if your faith changed yours?

What if your children saw a parent who genuinely loved Jesus? What if your coworkers knew you were someone who would pray for them? What if your friends knew they could come to you when life fell apart because you would point them to Christ? What if your home became a place where people encountered the love of Jesus?

You were not created to keep Jesus tucked away in a chapter of your story. You were created so that He would become the reason for every chapter of your story.

Today, as you walk through your day, I pray that your faith would become visible through the way you live, love, speak, serve, and respond.

Lord, give us courage to never be ashamed of You. Let our homes, our workplaces, our friendships, and our conversations become places where Your light shines. Help us to be bold. May people see something different in us—not because we’re perfect, but because we belong to You.

 

Kelly Skelton is a Georgia native, raised in the south on Jesus, Georgia football and sweet tea.  She is her husbands’ biggest fan and her two daughters’ loudest cheerleaders.  She recently published her first children’s book titled, But God Had a Plan.  She stays active in the Dallas area as a  photographer, videographer, writer, and middle school teacher.

 

Digging Deeper: More Than an Open Heart

Avatar photo Kelly Skelton on August 19, 2026

 

“The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message.”

Acts 16:14 (NLT)


MORE THAN AN OPEN HEART

 

This may be one of the most beautiful sentences in Acts: The Lord opened her heart.

Lydia was listening, but God was doing something deeper. Paul shared the message, and God opened her heart to receive it.

That is the partnership of faith: we are called to share. I don’t know about you, but sometimes I hesitate to talk about Jesus because I think I have to have all the answers before I can speak up. I worry:

What if they ask me something I don’t know? What if I fail to explain it right? What if I miss this opportunity? What if they don’t agree? What if I say the wrong thing?

But Acts 16 reminds us that our responsibility is faithfulness, not transformation. Paul preached, and Lydia listened. God opened her heart.

There’s a lesson here for every person who has ever felt inadequate. You don’t have to convince someone into the kingdom. You don’t have to win every argument. You simply have to be willing to say, “Let me tell you what Jesus has done in my life.” God will take care of the rest. God will nurture the seed that you helped plant.

1 Peter 3:15 says, “But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.”

Hope—not perfection, not expertise, not flawless words—hope.

Your testimony matters. Every time He met you in your brokenness, every prayer He quietly answered, and every prayer in which He boldly exceeded your expectations—those testimonies were meant to be shared. That season you walked through that most people never knew about, the peace He gave you when your world felt like it was crumbling—they are all stories that may become the very conversation God uses to open someone else’s heart.

Sharing your faith isn’t about making yourself look spiritual. It’s about making Jesus known. Your life is a living classroom, and every day God gives you opportunities to teach others what His grace looks like. Trust God to do the heart work.

Today, as you walk through your day, I pray that God would give you eyes to recognize divine opportunities. When you feel nervous, I pray that He reminds you that you don’t have to change someone’s heart—He can do that.

Lord, give us courage to speak about You with gentleness, love, and confidence. Help us stop believing that we need perfect words or a perfect testimony. Let our story point people toward Your story. Use our conversations, our kindness, our failures, our victories, and our everyday lives to teach others about who You are.

 

Kelly Skelton is a Georgia native, raised in the south on Jesus, Georgia football and sweet tea.  She is her husbands’ biggest fan and her two daughters’ loudest cheerleaders.  She recently published her first children’s book titled, But God Had a Plan.  She stays active in the Dallas area as a  photographer, videographer, writer, and middle school teacher.

 

The Injury Changes Everything

Kevin Burrell on August 19, 2026

 

“Jesus took Peter, James, and John, and led them up a high mountain to be alone with Him.”

Mark 9:2

 

THE INJURY CHANGES EVERYTHING

Have you ever had a moment that split your life into “before” and “after”?

A job termination that came out of nowhere. A health diagnosis that changed how you see every day since. A divorce you never saw coming. A financial crisis that gutted your sense of security. A death that left you in a state of disbelief. A physical setback that altered what your body can do, permanently.

We all carry something like that—a defining moment we didn’t choose, that we wouldn’t have chosen, but that shaped everything that came after it. You still live with it today. It shows up in how you make decisions, how you coach, how you scout, how you lead, maybe even how you walk into a room.

Jacob had a night like that. And what happened to him in the dark, wrestling with God until sunrise, left him changed for the rest of his life—in his body and in who he was.

Genesis 32 tells us that the night before Jacob faced his brother Esau—the brother he’d cheated, the brother he feared—a Man (God) showed up and wrestled with him all night long, until daybreak. Jacob wouldn’t let go. Not even when God touched his hip and wrenched it out of socket (v. 25). Not even in pain. Jacob held on and said, “I will not let you go unless You bless me.”

And God did bless him—and gave him a new name—but God also left Jacob with a limp for the rest of his life that never went away.

Coaches and scouts know something about wrestling matches that leave a mark. You’ve scouted, drafted, and signed players who took a hit and never played the same again.

You’ve coached athletes through injuries that changed how they moved on the field for the rest of their career.

What you may not have considered is that God does something similar in the men and women He’s preparing for something greater.

A.W. Tozer put it this way:

“It is doubtful God will ever use a man greatly—until He has hurt him deeply.”

That is not a cruel God. That’s the pattern all through Scripture. Jacob at the Jabbok, Elijah at the Brook of Cherith, Joseph in the pit, Paul with his thorn in the flesh.

The limp isn’t punishment. It’s evidence. It’s what’s left over after a man stops fighting God for control of his own life and starts holding on for the blessing instead.

Here’s the truth for anyone walking close with God: you’re going to walk with a limp. It’s coming. Expect it. Embrace it. It will be the best and the worst thing that ever happens to you. The pain doesn’t fully leave, and neither does the power that comes with it.

The coaches in the locker room chasing wins—or the “religious” church-going crowd looking for comfortable, easy faith—won’t fully understand either one.

Why?

Because you can’t coach it into someone. You can only survive the wrestling match and walk away marked by it.

Listen closely—

Where has God been wrestling with you—for control of a decision, a relationship, a career, a team?

What “limp” are you carrying around that’s actually proof you didn’t let go?

Are you still trying to hide it or walk around without it showing, or have you let it become part of your story? Because we all have a story.

Jacob didn’t win that fight by overpowering God. He won it by refusing to release his grip on God.

Hold on, my friend. The injury changes everything, and the blessing is in the limp.

 

Love God. Love People. Live Sent.

Be Worth Being.

Kevin

 

Kevin Burrell has worked in professional baseball as both a player and MLB scout for the past 45 years, and currently serves as an area scouting supervisor. Kevin was drafted in the 1st round of the 1981 free agent amateur draft (25th selection overall), and played ten years of professional baseball with four different organizations. He and his wife, Valerie, live in Sharpsburg, Ga.