Bridge: Witnesses to the World
Month 10: Telling the Good News · Family Worship
Today's Scripture
Read together: Acts 1:8 & Matthew 28:18-20
8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” — Acts 1:8
18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” — Matthew 28:18-20
Memory Verse
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.””— Acts 1:8 (BSB)memorize this week
📖 Bible-in-a-Year (optional)
Today's reading: Isaiah 43-45
Reading the whole Bible in a year — do this when you have extra time. (Around Day 300 of 365 — "You are My witnesses," says the LORD, hundreds of years before Acts 1:8.)The Heart of It
Three hundred days. Look how far this family has come. Today we stand on a bridge that looks out at the whole world. Before Jesus went back to heaven, His very last words were a job description for everyone who follows Him: "You shall be witnesses to Me" (). A witness is not a lawyer who has to win a case. A witness is not a salesman with a clever script. A witness just tells what they have seen and what they know to be true. You have seen God answer prayer. You have felt His love and forgiveness. That makes you a witness. And notice that Jesus says you will witness to Me. The point is always to point people to Him, not to ourselves.
Then watch the map He draws. First comes Jerusalem, right at home. Then Judea and Samaria, nearby, and even people who are different from us. Then "the end of the earth," the whole planet. The good news starts in your own house and never stops moving until it has reached everyone. That is why sends us to "all the nations." Jesus has "all authority in heaven and on earth," so He has the right to send us everywhere. And He gives the promise to be "with you always, even to the end of the age." This is the bridge into the rest of our story. There is a King with all authority, a Spirit with all power, and a family ready to be sent. You were not saved to sit still. You were saved to be sent.
Around the Table
A witness just tells what they know. You know Jesus loves you! Jesus wants the news to go from our house all the way around the world.
Let's do it: Start at your front door and take big steps "out into the world," saying at each step: "home… neighbors… far away… everywhere!"
has a map: Jerusalem, Judea/Samaria, and the ends of the earth. Same good news, going farther and farther.
Let's talk: Who is one person nearby (your "Jerusalem") and one place far away (the "ends of the earth") we could pray for and reach?
Jesus pairs His power with His authority. The Spirit empowers what the King commands, and Jesus promises His presence the whole way.
Let's go deeper: If Jesus truly has all authority and is always with you, what fear about sharing your faith does that shrink?
💬 Conversation Starter
If our family could send the good news to any one country in the world, which would you pick — and what's one thing you'd want them to know about Jesus?
🛡️ Defending the Faith
When someone says, "Why do Christians have to push their religion on everybody?", you can answer gently. We are not pushing. We are inviting. It's like sharing the cure to a sickness everyone has. Jesus has the authority to send us to all nations (). And we go because we genuinely love people, always "with gentleness and respect" (). We never force. We only offer.
For Dad · Go Deeper
This bridge day is a good place to lift your eyes from the daily grind to the global story your small obedience is part of. In a sense, is the table of contents for the entire book of Acts. The gospel ripples outward from one room of frightened disciples all the way to the capital of the empire. Your family is one ripple in that same wave, a wave that has now reached three hundred days into your home. Notice the design. Jesus does not say, "Try harder to be a witness." He says, "You shall be witnesses" once the Spirit comes. It is the natural overflow of a Spirit-filled life. So the most strategic thing you can do for world missions tonight is simple. Stay full of the Holy Spirit, and visibly love your neighbors. Your kids are your first "Jerusalem." The way they watch you treat the cashier, the immigrant family, and the difficult relative is teaching them how far the gospel is meant to travel.
Draws on: Robert Menzies, Empowered for Witness; John Stott, The Message of Acts.
Let's Pray Together
"Father, You have made us witnesses for Jesus. Thank You that Jesus has all authority. Thank You that He is with us always. Fill us again with Your Holy Spirit. Send us out in love — at home, with our neighbors, and to the ends of the earth. In Jesus' name, amen."
A King with all authority, a Spirit with all power, and a family ready to be sent. I was saved to be sent.