“Not Everyone Believes”

​B I B L E  B I T S  &  B I T E S
Devotions for Families

Season: Book of Acts
Episode 17: “Not Everyone Believes”
Today’s Bible Bite: Acts 13:4-52

Video Story:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HuQN9F1lA9M (CFBC Kids Ministry)

“But Elymas, the sorcerer (as his name means in Greek), interfered and urged the governor to pay no attention to what Barnabas and Saul said. He was trying to keep the governor from believing.” (Acts 13:8, NLT)

As Paul and Barnabas traveled to various places, they taught the people the truth about Jesus. In one place however, a sorcerer named Elymas, didn’t want people to believe and so kept trying to oppose Paul and Barnabas. Finally, Paul had had enough of Elymas’ lies and stared at him. Paul accused him of trying to keep people blind to the truth and then told him he was going to go blind, literally, for a time because of his lies. Elymas’ blindness convinced many of the truth of Paul’s message.
Then Barnabas and Paul traveled further and met with some Jews. But many refused to believe, so Paul declared that if the Jews didn’t want the truth about Jesus, he was going to tell Gentiles (the non-Jewish people) instead. This made the Gentiles who believed Paul and Barnabas’ message very happy.

Think about it...
• Barnabas and Paul traveled by ship and went to Cyprus. Who did they meet there?
• Elymas tried to convince the governor not to believe Paul and Barnabas. What happened when Elymas became blind?
• Paul and Barnabas taught in the synagogue and many people came to hear their message. Why did they have to leave?
• Many of the Jewish people refused to listen to Paul and Barnabas. What decision did he make?
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Prayer: Thank you, God, for Barnabas and Paul’s love for you, love for people, and their bravery to share their faith with people they didn’t know. Help me to be like them.