Bold to Tell Where We Came From
Month 2: Does God Exist? · Walking in the Spirit
Today's Scripture
Read together: Acts 17:24–28
24 The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples made by human hands. 25 Nor is He served by human hands, as if He needed anything, because He Himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. 26 From one man He made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and He determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their lands. 27 God intended that they would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us. 28 ‘For in Him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are His offspring.’
Memory Verse
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”— Genesis 1:1 (BSB)
📖 Bible-in-a-Year (optional)
Today's reading: 1 Corinthians 1–4
Reading the whole Bible in a year — do this when you have extra time. (Paul says the message of the cross is the power of God.)The Heart of It
In Athens, Paul stood in a city stuffed with idols. It was full of clever thinkers who loved to argue. He could have stayed quiet. He was outnumbered, and he was far from his hometown. Instead, the Spirit filled him, and he stood up and announced a truth they'd never heard. He told them God made the world and everything in it, and that He gives everyone life and breath and everything else. Then he said something beautiful. He said that in God we live and move and have our being. Paul wasn't bold because he was naturally brave. He wasn't bold because he'd memorized a debate. He was bold because the Holy Spirit was with him, and the truth he carried was real.
You and I were never meant to share where we came from on our own steam. Jesus promised, "You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me" (). That's the secret of a Spirit-filled witness. The same Helper who lives in us gives us the courage to open our mouths. He also gives us the gentleness to do it kindly. So when a friend wonders aloud where the world came from, you don't have to freeze. You can breathe a quiet prayer. Just say, "Holy Spirit, help me." Then simply tell the truth. The God who made everything is the same God who gives you your very next breath.
Around the Table
Paul wasn't scared to tell people God made the world. God's Helper was with him! And God's Helper is with us too.
Let's do it: Take a deep breath. Who gave you that breath? God! Now whisper, "Holy Spirit, help me be brave to talk about You."
Paul said we "live and move and have our being" in God. The Holy Spirit gave Paul courage to share that with strangers.
Let's talk: When does it feel hard to talk about God? How could the Holy Spirit help you there?
Paul talked with thinkers who completely disagreed with him. He was bold, but he was also respectful. His confidence came from the Spirit, not from cleverness.
Let's go deeper: What's the difference between being bold in the Spirit and just being loud or argumentative? Which one actually wins hearts?
💬 Conversation Starter
Who's the bravest person you know? What makes them brave? The Holy Spirit can make you brave to talk about Jesus, even when it's scary.
🛡️ Defending the Faith
We don't argue people into the kingdom by willpower. We witness in the Spirit's power. So when you're nervous to speak up about God the Maker, ask the Holy Spirit for help. Then speak the truth gently and clearly (). Bold and kind go together. We speak "with gentleness and respect" ().
For Dad · Go Deeper
is a masterclass in Spirit-led apologetics. Paul knows his audience. He quotes their own poets. He starts with creation, and he aims everything at Jesus and the resurrection. But notice the engine underneath it all. He is a Spirit-filled man on mission, not a freelance philosopher. Robert Menzies emphasizes that in Luke-Acts the Spirit's filling is fundamentally about empowerment for witness. Your apologetics study matters, but it's not a substitute for dependence on the Spirit. It's a tool the Spirit uses. Before you coach your kids to "have answers," teach them to pray for boldness and to expect the Helper to show up. And let them catch you doing it. Asking the Spirit's help before a hard conversation is one of the most disciple-shaping things they'll ever see.
Draws on: Robert Menzies, Empowered for Witness; and .
Let's Pray Together
"Holy Spirit, fill us with Your power. Make us bold to tell people that God made them. Help them know He gives them every breath. And make us kind as we speak. In Jesus' name, amen."
The Spirit who lives in me makes me bold and kind to tell where the world came from.