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.

Digging Deeper: More Than Knowing About Jesus

Avatar photo Kelly Skelton on August 18, 2026

 

“One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatira named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. She was a worshiper of God.” 

Acts 16:14 (NLT)


MORE THAN KNOWING ABOUT JESUS

 

Lydia was already searching. She was a worshiper of God. She was spiritually curious. She was listening intently when something happened that changed everything for her: she encountered Jesus.

There is a difference between knowing about God and knowing God personally. You can attend church, know Bible stories, sing worship songs, have Christian friends, and even know Scripture, yet still miss the beauty of having a personal relationship with Jesus.

Maybe you’ve experienced that tension yourself. You know what you’re supposed to believe, but sometimes your faith feels more like information than intimacy.

John 15:4 says, “Remain in me, as I also remain in you.”

Remain. Abide. Stay connected. Jesus wants your heart, not just your Sunday mornings. He wants your fears, your questions, your dreams, your disappointments, your failures, and your hopes. The things you don’t tell anyone else—He wants to meet you there.

Sometimes we can become so busy doing things for Jesus that we forget to simply be with Jesus.

How much more effective are you when you teach people about someone you personally know? The most powerful faith isn’t always something we can explain; it’s something we have experienced firsthand. It’s something we’ve walked out and lived out.

Lydia was listening, and God prepared her heart. Maybe that’s what God is doing for you right now. You were made for more than knowing about Him. You were made to truly know Him.

Is your relationship with Jesus personal, or has your faith become primarily about knowledge, routine, or a series of boxes you check?

Today, as you walk through your day, I pray that you would experience Jesus—not simply as someone you know about, but as the Savior you personally know and love. I pray that the noise around you would become quiet enough for you to hear His voice.

Lord, help us bring You our real emotions, our fears, our dreams, and our questions. Take our faith from routine to relationship. Remind us that we don’t have to perform for Your love because we already have it.

 

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 Where You Are

Avatar photo Kelly Skelton on August 17, 2026

 

“From there we traveled to Philippi, a Roman colony and a leading city of that district of Macedonia. And we stayed there several days.”

 

Acts 16:12 (NLT)


MORE THAN WHERE YOU ARE

 

Sometimes God leads us into places that feel ordinary before He reveals the extraordinary thing He wants to do there.

Philippi probably didn’t look like the beginning of something significant. Paul and his companions had traveled there because God had redirected their steps. They didn’t have every detail figured out; they simply obeyed.

Isn’t that often how God works in our lives? We want the whole plan; God gives us the next step. We want certainty; God asks us to trust. We want to know what our lives will look like five years from now, and God says, “Walk with Me today.”

We are human, and we can easily become defined by where we are in life—a spouse, a parent, a sibling, a friend, a professional, a caregiver, a teacher, a leader. These roles are great gifts, but they were never meant to become the entirety of who we are. Before you were anyone’s spouse, parent, sibling, friend, employee, or leader, you were created by God and for God.

You were made for more. Not necessarily more accomplishments, more recognition, or more responsibilities. You were made for more of Jesus. He didn’t create you simply to survive your days, check off your responsibilities, and collapse into bed exhausted at night. He created you for a relationship with Him.

John 10:10 reminds us that Jesus came so that we might have life—and have it abundantly.

That doesn’t mean a life without difficulty. It means a life filled with His presence, His purpose, His grace, and His love.

Maybe today you feel like you’re in a mundane place—a routine job, a busy home, a season of waiting, or a place where nobody seems to notice you. Philippi teaches us something important: God can use ordinary places for extraordinary purposes.

Your classroom can be a mission field. Your workplace can be a mission field. Your neighborhood can be a mission field. Your kitchen can be a mission field. Your conversations with friends can become holy opportunities.

You don’t have to wait for a dramatic moment to live out your faith. You were made for more right where you are.

Where has God placed you right now? Who has He intentionally placed around you?

Today, as you walk through your day, I pray that you would begin to see your ordinary surroundings through the eyes of Jesus. I pray that you would recognize that where you are is not accidental and that your life is not insignificant.

Remind us, Lord, that we were created for more—not more applause, more accomplishments, or more approval, but more of You. Help us slow down enough to notice the people You have placed in our paths. Give us confidence that You can use our everyday lives for Your extraordinary purposes.

 

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 – Why Small Groups?

Avatar photo Ryan Hoffer on August 14, 2026

 

And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.

Acts 2:42 (ESV)


WHY SMALL GROUPS?

I pray you’ve hung in there through a week’s worth of historical anecdotes about small groups. Learning the stories and biographies of Christians who faithfully lived out their faith in generations past ought to inspire us in our own walk with the Lord—I know it has inspired me. Now, let me tell you why small groups matter so much to me.

In 2016, my wife and I were in a difficult season of life. I had just gotten sober after a decade-long battle with alcoholism. We were enduring financial and legal hardships as a result of my addiction, and we had three children, including a newborn. Yet, in the middle of it all, the Lord was stirring in our hearts.

We began looking for a church, and NorthStar is where we landed. We desperately desired biblical community for several reasons: (1) we wanted to grow in our faith within the local body of Christ; (2) we needed support as we navigated the trials we were facing; and (3) we wanted our children to grow up surrounded by godly friendships.

I remember praying during those early days, asking God to give us Christian friends. Before long, we found ourselves in a married couples’ small group, and I was pouring out my heart to strangers in living rooms as we worked our way through books of the Bible. Before we knew it, we were having guys’ and girls’ nights, our kids were enjoying playdates together, and we were discovering that everyone else’s life was messy too.

Even more importantly, prayers were being answered. We were growing closer to God. Fruit was being produced in our lives. And somehow, by God’s grace, I was still sober.

Eventually, we began leading small groups ourselves.

One day, I came home to find that my wife had bought a framed picture that still hangs in our bedroom today. It simply says, “I still remember when I prayed for the things I have now.” Even as I write these words and remember that season, I am overcome with emotion—or perhaps a better word is gratitude.

I cannot say enough about the importance of being plugged into a small group or about the work God is able to do in the hearts of people who gather together out of devotion to Jesus Christ. Whether viewed through the lens of church history or personal experience, I hope this week has demonstrated that truth.

My prayer is that, wherever you are reading this today, you will have the opportunity to encourage someone in the Lord—and to be encouraged by someone in the Lord. We were never meant to follow Jesus alone.

God bless.

Ryan Hoffer serves as NextGen Production Director at NorthStar. He holds an M.Div in Church History and enjoys playing the harp. He and his wife, Tiffany, live in Acworth and have three children.

Digging Deeper – Susanna Wesley’s Kitchen

Avatar photo Ryan Hoffer on August 13, 2026

 

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 16:15 (ESV)


SUSANNA WESLEY’S KITCHEN

Yesterday we talked about John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, and the small-group structure of bands and classes that he established. Today, we’ll turn our attention to his mother, Susanna Wesley—one of the most remarkable women in church history—and the small group she hosted in her kitchen.

Susanna was truly a hero of the faith. She was born in 1669 as the youngest of 25 children to Samuel Annesley, a minister in the Presbyterian Church, and his wife, Mary White. By the time she was a teenager, she had learned Latin, Greek, French, Hebrew, and English and was able to read and interpret the Scriptures in their original languages.

She married Samuel Wesley, a clergyman in the Church of England, and devoted herself wholeheartedly to the Christian education of their household, including their sons John and Charles, who would later become the founders of Methodism. Each child received a thorough (one might even say methodical) classical and theological education from their mother. So profound was her influence that John Wesley once remarked, “I learned more about Christianity from my mother than from all the theologians of England.”

Indeed, Susanna composed instructional commentaries on the Apostles’ Creed, the Ten Commandments, the Lord’s Prayer, and other foundational Christian teachings for use in family worship. Her extensive correspondence with her adult children—much of which still survives—reveals that she continued to disciple them through thoughtful theological instruction woven into ordinary family conversation.

In 1710–1711, while her husband Samuel was away for several months on church business, Susanna experienced a renewed sense of calling after reading a book about Danish missionaries serving in India. She wrote in her journal:

“If my heart were sincerely devoted to God… I might do somewhat more than I do. I thought I might live in a more exemplary manner in some things; I might pray more for the people, and speak with more warmth to those with whom I have an opportunity of conversing.”

As a result, she began hosting Sunday evening gatherings in her kitchen to read prayers and sermons with her children. What began as a simple family devotional soon attracted neighbors and parishioners, and before long, the little gathering had grown to nearly 300 people. In fact, more people attended Susanna’s kitchen meetings than the regular Sunday morning service.

She wrote in her journal:

“Our company has increased every night, for I dare deny none that asks admittance. Last Sunday I believe we had above two hundred, and many went away for want of room.”

Naturally, these meetings were viewed with suspicion by leaders within the Church of England, who disapproved of such nontraditional gatherings. A formal complaint was eventually sent to her husband, ordering that the meetings be stopped. Susanna’s response has become one of the most courageous statements of Christian conviction in church history:

“If you do, after all, think fit to dissolve this assembly, do not tell me that you desire me to do it, for that will not satisfy my conscience; but send me your positive command, in such full and express terms as may absolve me from all guilt and punishment for neglecting this opportunity of doing good, when you and I shall appear before the great and awful tribunal of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

No further attempts were made to stop the gatherings, and they continued until her husband returned home.

The impact of those kitchen meetings on young John and Charles Wesley is difficult to overstate. Long before Methodism became a movement known for its bands and classes, they witnessed firsthand the power of ordinary believers gathering around God’s Word in the context of authentic Christian community. Their mother’s quiet faithfulness helped shape a legacy of small groups led by men and women who longed to see lives transformed through Christ-centered community.

Ryan Hoffer serves as NextGen Production Director at NorthStar. He holds an M.Div in Church History and enjoys playing the harp. He and his wife, Tiffany, live in Acworth and have three children.