Paul came to Corinth in weakness with great fear and trembling. He receives encouragement in Christ from fellow believers, financial generosity, and from Jesus Himself when Jesus tells Paul, "Do not be afraid, but go on speaking, for I am with you."

God called Paul to be an apostle. Paul was faithful to go from city to city to preach and teach. Paul's stance of faithfully preach week after week is not unique to him. We also have been called to serve God faithfully with all that God has given us.

People have manipulated the feelings and actions of the town. Paul and Silas were arrested, denied justice, and abused. God took those actions and used it to introduce people to Himself and protect His new church. God's will is often not how we want things to go, but God's will leads to incredible, good things happening.

Paul and Silas are continuing on in their ministry and they come across a possessed slave girl. Paul, exercising the authority over demons given to him by the Christ, casts out the spirit within the girl and the town goes against them. This is the buildup for the story that is about to follow in the upcoming verses

Because God opens the door for the gospel, we can depend on Him to be his witness, by following His calling, trusting his timing when we face closed doors, and by using his gifts.Discipleship Questions:1. What does a call to be Jesus' witness look like for you?2. How might you build bridges with those the Lord is calling you to witness to?3. What might it look like to do ministry as a team? Who might you be a mentor for? Do you need a mentor?4. What closed doors are you facing as a time of testing?5. What does it look like to lean on God in times of testing by waiting?6. Where do you have a passion for using your gifts and resources for advancing the gospel?

We find the early church facing a major dispute, but with guidance from the apostles, they are back on track and rejoicing the many accomplishments they have achieved. They are spreading this good news out to the other churches. Then two brothers in Christ, Barnabas, and Paul face their own dispute that leads to them parting ways. But what seemed like a defeat for the church the Lord used to continue to accomplish his mission even though these disputes.Discipleship Questions:1. Have you ever entered into a disagreement knowing you had a bias towards a particular answer? Have you entered into a disagreement without knowing you had a bias and the Lord showed you afterward that you did have a bias?2. Have you ever disagreed with someone that ended on bad terms? Did the Lord teach you something in that situation? If so, What was the lesson?3. Are you facing a trial or disagreement now that is challenging? Are you trusting in the Lord?4. What does trusting in the Lord look like for you?