May 17, 2026 | ACTS | Week 14 | Being Agents of Renewal | Acts 9:1-22

Devotional

Day 1: Blinded by Conviction

Saul gripped letters authorizing arrests, breathing murderous threats. Dust swirled as he neared Damascus. Suddenly, light flashed – brighter than desert sun. He fell. A voice shook the ground: “Why do you persecute ME?” For three days, Saul sat blind, fasting. The persecutor became the pursued. Jesus shattered Saul’s religious performance with one radiant question. [50:21]

Jesus didn’t debate theology with Saul. He exposed Saul’s violence as violence against Christ Himself. The voice from heaven identified with the persecuted church – every insult to believers struck the Lord’s body. Conviction came not as condemnation, but as surgical light revealing Saul’s true condition.

When has Christ’s light exposed your hidden motives? We justify anger as “righteous,” gossip as “concern,” or pride as “standards.” His light strips our fig leaves. What Saul thought was zeal, Jesus called persecution. What do you call “service” that He might name “self-promotion”?

“He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’”
(Acts 9:4, ESV)

Prayer: Ask Jesus to reveal any violence hidden in your “good” intentions.
Challenge: Write down one “virtue” you’re proud of, then pray: “Jesus, show me if this honors You.”

Day 2: Ananias’ Shaky Hands

Ananias stared at his trembling palms. The Lord’s command echoed: “Place hands on Saul.” Memories flashed – stories of families torn apart by this zealot. Yet he walked to Straight Street, entered Judas’ house, and spoke the unthinkable: “Brother Saul.” Oil-scented hands touched scarred eyelids. Scales fell like shattered pottery. [59:50]

Obedience often begins with trembling. Ananias didn’t deny his fear but carried it through Damascus’ hostile streets. His “Brother Saul” redefined both men – one becoming family, the other becoming new. God uses our shaky obedience to build His church, our mustard-seed faith moving kingdom mountains.

Who feels beyond redemption in your world? The coworker mocking your faith? The estranged relative? Ananias teaches us: Christ’s “instruments” often surprise us. What relationship have you written off that God might be calling you to touch with His mercy?

“The Lord told him, ‘Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying.’”
(Acts 9:11, ESV)

Prayer: Confess your fears about obeying one specific prompt from God.
Challenge: Text/Call someone you’ve avoided, saying: “God brought you to mind today.”

Day 3: Wilderness Tentmaking

Saul’s sandals wore thin in Arabian deserts. Three years passed without synagogues or sermons. Later, needle-pricked fingers stitched tents in Tarsus’ marketplace. For ten years, Paul served travelers – Persian merchants, Greek philosophers, Roman soldiers. No crowds. No letters. Just thread, hides, and silent preparation. [01:06:15]

God wastes nothing. Those desert years purged Saul’s Pharisaic pride. Tarsus’ marketplace trained him to converse across cultures. Our “wilderness seasons” – unemployment, illness, or obscurity – aren’t punishments. They’re workshops where God forges tools fit for His hand.

What wilderness are you resisting? The mundane job? The quiet house? The recovery program? Paul’s tents became pulpits. Your “ordinary” is God’s training ground. How might He be using your current season to prepare you for greater fruitfulness?

“Nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went away into Arabia, and returned again to Damascus.”
(Galatians 1:17, ESV)

Prayer: Thank God for three gifts hidden in your current wilderness.
Challenge: Journal about one skill/lesson God is developing in you this season.

Day 4: Ripples of Obedience

John Campbell’s Bible study circled mismatched teens – surfers, skaters, “uncool” kids quoting Scripture. One restless teen watched, hungry. Years later, that teen stood preaching – John’s simple obedience echoing through generations. Ananias never saw Paul’s letters or churches. John never saw this sermon. [35:39]

Kingdom work transcends our vision. Nehemiah rebuilt walls unaware of Messiah’s donkey ride. Your small obediences – bedtime prayers, work integrity, forgiven arguments – send ripples through eternity. We’re hyperlinks in God’s redemption story, connecting chapters we’ll never read.

What “small” act have you discounted? The nursery shift? The silent donation? The coffee invite? You’re part of a mosaic only heaven will fully reveal. Who needs your faithful presence today, even if no one applauds?

“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession.”
(1 Peter 2:9, ESV)

Prayer: Ask God to show you one “hidden” ministry He’s given you.
Challenge: Encourage someone who impacted your faith journey – call, note, or gift.

Day 5: Tacos and Temple-Building

The tables clattered as men set up for Taco Tuesday. Laughter mixed with sizzling carne asada. Ordinary tortillas became feasts of fellowship. Like Pentecost’s wind filling the house, God’s Spirit fills taco nights, Bible studies, and laundry days. We’re living stones – tacos shared, prayers whispered, kids taught. [38:38]

You are God’s temple – not a building, but breath and skin. Every Christ-centered conversation sanctifies space. When Paul said “pray continually,” he meant this: making meals, filing reports, and playing catch become worship. Your daily rhythms host God’s presence.

Where do you feel “less than” spiritual? The office? School pickup line? Remember: Pentecost happened around a meal, not a temple. How can today’s ordinary moments become encounters with God’s extraordinary presence?

“And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts.”
(Acts 2:46, ESV)

Prayer: Thank God for three “ordinary” parts of your day.
Challenge: Infuse one routine task with prayer (e.g., pray for neighbors while commuting).

Sermon Summary

Acts 9 lands like a sonic boom, where heaven and earth collide and Jesus interrupts Saul and re-routes the future of the church. Pentecost has already signaled a new temple, not made with stone but with people filled with the Spirit. Stephen’s vision has revealed a new High Priest who stands to intercede. Now a light from heaven breaks on Saul, and the mission starts pressing out to the nations. Peter will later call this people a holy nation, a royal priesthood. Jesus is building a people that do not fit old categories, which is why both synagogue and Caesar push back.

Jesus recruits through conviction, not flattery. “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” names the truth with love. New birth is not Saul switching teams. New birth is Jesus remaking reality for him, opening his eyes by first closing them. The goads are already in play, small prods and bends that have been nudging his conscience. When the light finally comes, Jesus does not tell him to retreat. Jesus says to keep going to Damascus, but now attentive to his voice. The Lord is the Lord of trajectories.

Ananias then shows what response looks like. Prayer has him listening. Obedience has him trembling. Messy honesty sounds like, “Lord, are you sure?” but the Lord calls Saul a chosen instrument. Ananias places hands, calls him Brother, and becomes the hands and feet of Jesus. Obedience looks like a child’s scribble placed in a master artist’s hands. God paints around it and makes it sing.

Refinement follows fire. Scales fall, baptism follows, bold preaching begins, and yet the montage music cuts out. Arabia swallows Saul for three hidden years. Tarsus holds him for almost ten more, stitching leather and speaking with travelers from everywhere. Hardship turns into apprenticeship. The Lord is forging a voice that can speak to Jews and Gentiles, mystics and magistrates. The desert is not punishment. It is preparation. The Spirit keeps the cadence simple. Life with God, not just for him. Agents of renewal learn that recruitment is Jesus’ work, response is their obedient partnership, and refinement is faith in the slow grind of preparation until the next assignment opens.

Key Takeaways

1. Jesus recruits through convicting love His call does not stroke egos, it tells the truth and heals at the same time. “Why do you persecute me?” unmasks zeal that has turned violent and shows that sin is always personal to Jesus. Conviction is wounding work that becomes birthing work, and the wound is where grace gets in. Attentiveness to that voice is the turn from self-assured religion to life from above. [49:05]
2. Messy obedience becomes beautiful partnership Ananias does not posture as fearless, he talks to God about his fear and then goes. God takes that shaky yes and turns it into sight restored, Spirit given, and a Brother received. The childlike scribble of obedience becomes a canvas for the Master to finish. Partnership looks ordinary from the outside, but it carries heaven’s weight. [57:17]
3. Conversion births a new vocation “Chosen instrument” names identity and assignment in one breath. Salvation is not a private upgrade, it is enlistment into service that Jesus himself plays through a yielded life. Instruments do not make music on their own, they sound when the Player has them in hand. Vocation rests, then moves, in the grip of Christ. [58:54]
4. Wilderness seasons forge durable ministry Arabia and Tarsus do not waste Saul’s calling, they temper it. Hidden years train ears, toughen hope, and sand down the need to be seen. The Lord uses slow places to fit a life to hard assignments that are still ahead. The absence of a montage is not the absence of God. [63:47]
5. Live with God, not just for him The posture shifts from proving to partnering, from cubicle striving to startup synergy with a faithful Friend. Life with God listens, answers, and learns to enjoy the work because Jesus is in the trench too. The yoke stays easy when the Company is near. Presence shapes purpose, everyday and everywhere. [42:57]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[32:48] - Taco Tuesday invite
[33:27] - Prayer and turn to Acts 9
[37:05] - Agents of renewal: recruit, respond, refine
[38:23] - Pentecost and the new temple
[39:48] - Stephen and the standing High Priest
[40:37] - Light from heaven and a new nation
[42:04] - Persecutor to preacher, life with God
[45:01] - Jesus recruits through new birth
[46:52] - Conviction: zeal, truth, and goads
[54:29] - Ananias’ messy obedience and God’s artistry
[58:54] - A chosen instrument and laying on hands
[60:59] - Refinement over montage: scales to preaching
[63:47] - Hidden years in Arabia and Tarsus
[69:36] - Agents of renewal in everyday callings

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
- Acts 9:1-19 (ESV)
- 1 Peter 2:9 (ESV): “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”
- Galatians 1:15-16 (ESV): “But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles…”

Observation questions

In Acts 9:1-9, what specific actions did Jesus take to confront Saul, and how did Saul respond?
How did Ananias initially react when God called him to help Saul, and what changed his willingness to obey? (See Acts 9:13-17) [56:09]
What imagery does 1 Peter 2:9 use to describe the identity of God’s people, and how does this contrast with “old categories” mentioned in the sermon?
According to the sermon, what happened to Saul during his time in Arabia and Tarsus, and why was this significant? [01:03:47]

Interpretation questions

Why do you think Jesus asked Saul, “Why do you persecute me?” (Acts 9:4) instead of directly condemning his actions? How does this reveal His heart toward sinners?
Ananias called Saul “Brother” before healing him (Acts 9:17). What does this suggest about how God views even those who seem opposed to His purposes?
The sermon describes Saul’s wilderness years as “preparation, not punishment.” How might prolonged seasons of waiting or obscurity serve God’s purposes in someone’s life? [01:05:01]
What does it mean for believers to be a “chosen instrument” (Acts 9:15)? How does this identity shape both our daily choices and long-term calling?

Application questions

When have you experienced a “goad” or conviction from God—a moment where He gently redirected your path? How did you respond, and what did it teach you? [51:43]
Ananias obeyed despite fear. Is there a situation in your life where God is asking you to step into something uncomfortable or risky? What practical step could you take this week to lean into that obedience?
Saul’s wilderness season involved mundane work (e.g., tentmaking). How can you view your current responsibilities—even repetitive or hidden ones—as part of God’s refining process? [01:06:15]
The sermon says, “Life with God listens, answers, and learns to enjoy the work because Jesus is in the trench too.” What would it look like to shift from striving for God to partnering with Him in your relationships or work?
Reflect on 1 Peter 2:9. How could embracing your identity as part of a “royal priesthood” change the way you interact with people who don’t know Jesus?
Are you in a “wilderness” season? What practices (prayer, community, etc.) could help you trust God’s timing and purpose in this season? [01:07:57]
Saul’s conversion led to bold preaching. What is one way you can use your unique story or gifts to point others to Jesus this month?

Sermon Clips

24s

“Did he know that he was fulfilling a great purpose in that second, in that moment? Probably not. And today, look at Ananias. Did he know that he was laying hands on a man who would write all these letters and plant all these churches and do all of these things? Probably not. But he was obedient in that moment. And through that obedience, God did something amazing.”

36s

“And and this is a beautiful guitar and this is a beautiful bass and very nice looking instruments, but they're kinda just sitting around until our worship team comes out and they start strumming them. They start playing them. They start making the beautiful music as they do, all their licks and all their tunes and all that they do. And that's what we're called to be as an instrument like, k, Lord, here I am. I'm your instrument. Whatever you wanna do with my life, just do that. I trust you. I believe you. I know that you work all things together for for good to make me more and more like you.”

45s

“He kinda wrote about it, but he didn't say much about it. He didn't say much about what happened. All that we know is that Saul went to the Desert Of Arabia for three years. So he goes to Damascus. Watch the map with me because I'll walk you through it. You have Saul traveling to Damascus, conversion moment, Ananias into the wilderness. You see what's going on here? It's not just this instantaneous success. In fact, he's going through a process being refined in the wilderness.”

30s

“And I don't know about you, if you've ever found yourself in a wilderness moment, but I love this. Ryan, this week, with the staff, wrote it down what he said. He said, just because you're in a wilderness doesn't mean you're doing something wrong. Sometimes we have to go through the midst of that wilderness in order to be prepared for what's next. And Saul had a lot of great things up ahead, but he needed to go through this refinement process in the wilderness for three years.”

Ask a question about this sermon

North Coast Calvary Chapel This sermon · AI assistant

How does Jesus initiate conviction in hearts

What does obedient partnership with God look like

Why might God allow wilderness seasons for refinement

May 17, 2026 | ACTS | Week 14 | Being Agents of Renewal | Acts 9:1-22 | Abel Mendez