Today's Passage: Acts 4

I absolutely love this chapter.  The story of Peter and John in front of the Sanhedrin is the perfect example of how confident God desires us to be in our faith.  In reading this I'm reminded of a saying that I have heard from several different places it goes like this: If you were on trial for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence/ witnesses to find you guilty?  Basically that is Peter and John's case in these verses and yes there was plenty of evidence and witnesses.  With the Sanhedrin holding all of that against them Peter and John still didn't budge from their confessing of Jesus.  That's so powerful to me because in our culture we often adopt the thinking that the only way to keep peace is to keep quiet.  There is most certainly a way for all of us to share the truth about Jesus in love, no matter the situation.

Then something even cooler happens.  Once Peter and John stood up for the truth they had been proclaiming,  they return to their people and shared what had happened.  Upon hearing this their people grew in hope and faith and God blessed their faith by filling them with even more boldness through the Holy Spirit. 

Let us desire this for our church and let it be realized through our actions.