1. Wes Woodell www.outoftheoverflow.com

2. Acts 7:58-8:1
57 At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, 58 dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul ... 8:1And Saul approved of their killing him.

3. BIG EVENTS IN HEBREW HISTORY
Promise to Abraham
Promise to Moses
Promise to David & Solomon’s Temple
Babylonian Exile
Judaism in the First Century

4. Acts 7:57-8:1
57 At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, 58 dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul ... 8:1And Saul approved of their killing him.

5. Acts 8:1b-2
1b On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. 2 Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him.

6. Acts 8:3-4
3 But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison. 4 Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went.

7. Acts 9:1-2
1 Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem.

8. Acts 9:3-4
3 As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”

9. Acts 9:5-6
5 “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked.
“I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. 6 “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”

10. Acts 9:7-9
7 The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone. 8 Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. 9 For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.

11. Acts 9:10-12
10 In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, “Ananias!”
“Yes, Lord,” he answered.
11 The Lord told him, “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. 12 In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.”

12. Acts 9:13-14
13 “Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your holy people in Jerusalem. 14 And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.”

13. Acts 9:15-16
15 But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. 16 I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”

14. Acts 9:17
17 Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”

15. Acts 9:18
18 Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized …

16. HOW DID PAUL EVOLVE?
CONVICTION: Jesus is in charge!

17. Colossians 1:15-16
15 The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.

18. Colossians 1:17-18
17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.

19. Colossians 1:19-20
19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

20. HOW DID PAUL EVOLVE? CONVICTION: Jesus is in charge!
COMMITMENT: Lived in faithfulness to Jesus daily.

21. Colossians 1:21-23a
21 Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. 22 But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation— 23a if you continue in your faith ...

22. John 3:16
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

23. John 3:16
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever is faithful to him shall not perish but have eternal life.

24. Romans 5:1-2a
1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2a through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.

25. Romans 5:1-2a
1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faithfulness, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2a through whom we have gained access by faithfulness into this grace in which we now stand.

26. Galatians 2:20
20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

27. Galatians 2:20
20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faithfulness to the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

28. Galatians 3:26-28
26 So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, 27 for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

29. Galatians 3:26-28
26 So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faithfulness, 27 for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

30. Galatians 3:29
29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

31. HOW DID PAUL EVOLVE? CONVICTION: Jesus is in charge!
COMMITMENT: Lived in faithfulness to Jesus daily .
CALLING: Carried out his ministry powerfully by speaking the word of God boldly.

32. Colossians 1:28-29
28 He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ. 29 To this end I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me.

33. Acts 20:24
24 However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.

34. Acts 20:25-27
25 “Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom will ever see me again. 26 Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of any of you. 27 For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God.

35. DO YOU WANT TO EVOLVE? Does Jesus rule you? Are you faithful?
What’s your ministry?
Do you speak boldly for Jesus?

36. Wes Woodell
twitter.com/weswoodell
Blog: outoftheoverflow.com