Surprising Elements by Pastor Chuck Swindoll Acts 9:10-21 Surprises are always part of God’s leading. In Saul’s case, the surprise came in the form of a light from heaven, marking a life-changing transformation. For Ananias, it was a seemingly unreasonable and illogical command from the Lord, delivered in a vision.Read More …

A New Beginning by Pastor Chuck Swindoll Acts 9:10-19 Regardless of what you have done, no one is beyond hope. That’s the great hope of the Christian message. No amount or depth of sin in your past can trump the grace of God. If you question that, remember Saul, theRead More …

A Chosen Instrument by Pastor Chuck Swindoll Acts 9:10-16 If you haven’t yet done so, stand for a few moments in Ananias’s sandals. Understand how difficult it would have been to see how God’s plan could possibly work. How in the world could God take a man known for suchRead More …

God Wins by Pastor Chuck Swindoll Acts 9:5-9; Acts 26:12-15 God goaded and prodded the stubborn pride of Saul—that Pharisaic ox. Day after day he kicked against those goads, until finally he got the message. There would be no more running. No more hiding. The fight was over. As always,Read More …

God’s Goads by Pastor Chuck Swindoll Acts 9:5-9; Acts 26:12-15 Apparently, “to kick against the goads” was a common expression found in both Greek and Latin literature—a rural image, which rose from the practice of farmers goading their oxen in the fields. Though unfamiliar to us, everyone in that dayRead More …

A Quick Turnaround by Pastor Chuck Swindoll Acts 9:1-4 The essence of genuine repentance is that the mind does a turnaround. The Greek word is metanoia, meaning, literally, “to change one’s mind.” That’s precisely what happened to the once-proud Pharisee on the road to Damascus. So many things within Saul’sRead More …

No Surprises by Pastor Chuck Swindoll Acts 9:1-4 For more than three decades, Saul controlled his own life. His record in Judaism ranked second to none. On his way to make an even greater name for himself, the laser of God’s presence stopped him in his tracks, striking him blind.Read More …

Roadside Conversion by Pastor Chuck Swindoll Acts 9:1-4 The ninth chapter of Acts begins abruptly. Saul’s blood is boiling. He’s on a murderous rampage toward Damascus. He charged north out of Jerusalem with the fury of Alexander the Great sweeping across Persia and the determined resolve of William Tecumseh ShermanRead More …

An Unexpected Ally by Pastor Chuck Swindoll Acts 5:33-38 William Barclay calls Gamaliel an “unexpected ally.” In the midst of flaring tempers and irrational thinking, this wise, seasoned teacher calmly rose to his feet and warned, “Take care here. Don’t rush to judgment.” In his words: “Stay away from theseRead More …

A Brutal Beginning by Pastor Chuck Swindoll Acts 5:29-32; 8:1-3 We must not forget that as we study the life of the man they called Paul. We must also brace ourselves for some rather gruesome surprises. The first pen portrait of Paul (whom we first meet as Saul of Tarsus)Read More …