Can every person really change, or is it true that a tiger never changes its stripes? This sermon takes us to Acts 9, where the fiercest persecutor of the church is knocked to the ground on the road to Damascus and asks a single question: who are you, Lord? The story of Saul and the frightened Ananias shows that spiritual change begins with knowing Jesus, happens through the power of the Holy Spirit, and unfolds over a lifetime. Listen, if you have ever written someone off as beyond hope, or thought that about yourself.
Discussion questions
For your small group or for personal reflection after the sermon.
- Saul asks the high priest for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, and then near Damascus he asks, "Who are you, Lord?" What does that question reveal about who Saul was and what he really knew about Jesus?
- Ananias tells God he has heard about all the harm Saul did to the saints in Jerusalem. What might have been going on in Ananias's heart, and what moved him to go to Judas's house on Straight Street despite his fear?
- The speaker stresses that Ananias came not only so Saul could see again, but so he would be filled with the Holy Spirit. Why is real transformation the work of the Holy Spirit rather than our own spirituality or willpower?
- The disciples in Damascus found it easier to believe in Jesus' resurrection than in Saul's transformation. Who around you do you quietly write off as someone who will never change, and where does that attitude come from?
- The stories of Teresa and her neighbor, and of Ananias, show that God sends people who know Jesus to those who don't know Him yet. Who has been an Ananias in your life, and what exactly did they do?
- Who might the Holy Spirit be sending you to this week, even if that person stirs up fear or prejudice in you, and what first concrete step can you take toward them?
