In the summer of 1971 a sixteen-year-old went along with a friend to an electronics club meeting and met an older engineering student, and out of that chance conversation grew a company that changed the world. That story opens a look at Saul of Tarsus, who set out on his own road to Damascus and met there the One who called himself the way (Acts 9). The message shows that living life on our own terms, religiously or not religiously at all, is still two sides of the same coin, and that God can call a person by name in the very middle of their rebellion. Listen, and ask yourself whether you are ready to pay the price for the road He offers.
Discussion questions
For your small group or for personal reflection after the sermon.
- Luke describes Saul as "breathing out threats and murder", yet he was a devout Pharisee, blameless under the law. Why could religious zeal in particular lead him to persecute followers of the Way?
- Jesus asks, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?", even though Saul was hunting down the disciples. What does this tell us about Jesus' relationship with His church and about who Saul's real problem was with?
- The sermon says each of us follows "our own way", religious or completely irreligious, and both are living life on our own terms, away from Christ. In which areas of your life is it easiest for you to live your own way?
- The speaker stresses that Christianity is not a set of rules or simply a moral life, but a personal encounter with the living God. What has your encounter with Jesus looked like, and how is it different from mere religiosity?
- Ananias has doubts, yet he goes and greets the persecutor with "Brother Saul". What does his obedience teach you, and who would you find it hard to call a brother or sister today?
- After meeting Jesus, Saul's new road came at a price, from escaping in a basket over the wall to prisons and beatings. What price are you willing to pay this week so that someone around you can meet Jesus?
