Friends Who Worship Other Gods
Month 5: What About Other Religions? · Loving Others
Today's Scripture
Read together: Acts 17:16-17
16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was deeply disturbed in his spirit to see that the city was full of idols. 17 So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and God-fearing Gentiles, and in the marketplace with those he met each day.
Memory Verse
“Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”— John 14:6 (BSB)
📖 Bible-in-a-Year (optional)
Today's reading: Numbers 34-36
Reading the whole Bible in a year — do this when you have extra time. (God sets the borders of the Promised Land — He is a God of careful, kept promises.)The Heart of It
Before Paul ever preached his famous sermon in Athens, the Bible tells us what was happening in his heart. It says "his spirit was provoked within him when he saw that the city was given over to idols" (). The word provoked means he was deeply stirred. He wasn't annoyed, and he wasn't disgusted. He was moved with concern. He didn't roll his eyes at people who worshiped other gods. He cared that they were missing the real One. And what did that caring make him do? Verse 17 says he "reasoned... daily" with whoever happened to be there. His love turned into conversation, not condemnation.
That's exactly how to treat friends who worship other gods, or no god at all. You'll have classmates, teammates, and neighbors who pray to different gods. Some celebrate different holidays. Some believe in nothing at all. Loving them doesn't mean agreeing that all gods are equal. Paul never did that. It means letting your heart be stirred like Paul's. You care enough to stay friends, ask good questions, and gently share what you've found in Jesus. Real love can hold two things at once. It can say, "I think you're wrong about God." And it can also say, "I genuinely love you and want the best for you." In fact, the most loving thing you can ever do for a friend who worships other gods is to point them, kindly and patiently, to the only One who can save.
Around the Table
Paul cared about people who worshiped pretend gods. We can be good friends to everyone and tell them about the real God too!
Let's do it: Name one friend who believes differently and pray for them by name right now.
Paul was "stirred" — he cared that people were missing the real God. How is caring different from being annoyed or judgy?
Let's talk: How can you be a great friend to someone and still tell them about Jesus?
Paul's love became conversation ("reasoned daily"), not condemnation. You can disagree with a belief while deeply loving the believer.
Let's go deeper: What's the most loving thing you could do for a friend who worships a different god — and why does it require courage?
💬 Conversation Starter
Who's a friend or classmate who believes something really different from you? What's one thing you genuinely like about them?
🛡️ Defending the Faith
Caring about someone's eternity isn't intolerance. It's the deepest kind of love. Like Paul, we let our hearts be "stirred" for people who don't know Jesus. Then we turn that into friendship and conversation, "with gentleness and respect" (). We never sneer.
For Dad · Go Deeper
Paul's emotional engine in Athens wasn't outrage. It was holy grief. That distinction matters enormously for how your kids will engage a pluralistic world. A child raised on contempt for other beliefs becomes a culture-warrior. A child whose heart is stirred with compassion becomes a missionary. The difference is almost entirely caught from a father's reactions. When the Buddhist neighbor or the atheist coach comes up at dinner, what does your face do? Tony Evans reminds us that the goal is never to win the culture but to reach the person. Relationship is the bridge that truth crosses. So make your home a place that befriends outsiders, not one that merely critiques them.
Draws on: Tony Evans, Kingdom Man.
Let's Pray Together
"Father, stir our hearts like Paul's — give us real love for people who worship other gods. Help us be good, faithful friends who care enough to point them to Jesus. Save our friends, Lord. In Jesus' name, amen."
I can truly love a friend who believes differently. And the best way to love them is to point them to Jesus.