Word + Walk: When God Puts His Hand On It

Oct 19

✝️ When God Puts His Hand On It

Text: Acts 13:1–12
Big Idea: When God’s hand moves, His mission cannot be stopped. The Spirit sends, the church obeys, opposition rises, but God’s power prevails.

I. The Church That Lets Go (Acts 13:1–3)

The church in Antioch was a picture of diversity—Jews and Gentiles, Africans and Romans, teachers and prophets—worshiping together. While they fasted and ministered to the Lord, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul.”
They didn’t hold on to their best; they released them for God’s greater mission.
When God puts His hand on people, our job isn’t to clutch them but to bless them.

Reflection: Where is God asking me to let go so that His mission can move forward?

II. The Call Meets Contention (Acts 13:4–8)

Barnabas and Saul obeyed the Spirit and preached the Word across Cyprus. But in Paphos they met a man called Bar-Jesus, also known as Elymas—a “magician” who tried to turn the governor away from the truth.
His name means “son of Jesus,” but his works proved him a “child of the devil.” Not every voice that uses Jesus’ name speaks His truth.

Reflection: How do I discern the difference between spiritual authority and spiritual counterfeit?

III. The Hand of the Lord (Acts 13:9–11)

Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, confronted Elymas: “You son of the devil… the hand of the Lord is upon you.”
That phrase means divine judgment—but also divine correction. Elymas was struck blind for a time—a picture of mercy that disciplines to restore.
The same hand that strikes resistance strengthens obedience.

Reflection: Is God’s hand correcting or empowering me right now—and am I willing to submit either way?

IV. Unstoppable Mission (Acts 13:12)

When the proconsul Sergius Paulus saw what happened, he believed, astonished not just at the miracle but at the teaching of the Lord.
God’s hand moved from the synagogue to the seat of Roman power. What began with fasting in Antioch reached the halls of government—proof that the gospel has no off-limits zone.
When God puts His hand on it, His will, will be done.

Reflection: Where is God extending His hand through me—to my family, my workplace, my community?

🙏 Walk It Out: 5-Day Devotional

Day 1 – The Hand That Sends
Acts 13:1–3; Romans 10:14-15
When God calls, the church must release.
Walk It Out: Who is God sending from your circle—and how can you support them?

Day 2 – Worship Before Work
Acts 13:2; John 4:23-24
Mission begins in worship, not in planning.
Walk It Out: How can you center your week in worship before making decisions?

Day 3 – Counterfeit Light
Acts 13:6-8; 2 Corinthians 11:13-15
Not every “spiritual” voice speaks truth.
Walk It Out: How do you test what you hear against God’s Word?

Day 4 – The Hand That Corrects
Acts 13:9-11; Hebrews 12:6-11
God’s discipline is mercy that leads to sight.
Walk It Out: What correction from God might actually be grace in disguise?

Day 5 – The Word That Wins
Acts 13:12; Isaiah 55:11
Miracles open eyes, but teaching changes hearts.
Walk It Out: How can you help God’s Word multiply where you live?

🗣️ Adult Bible Class & Family Discussion Questions

Who were the prophets and teachers at Antioch, and what does their diversity teach us about God’s kingdom?
→ Acts 13:1; Revelation 7:9
Follow-Up: Where can you intentionally build relationships with believers who don’t look, vote, or live exactly like you?
What does it mean that they were “worshiping and fasting” when the Spirit spoke?
→ Acts 13:2; Romans 12:1
Follow-Up: What spiritual discipline could you reclaim this week so you can hear the Spirit more clearly?
How does the Spirit—not strategy—drive mission?
→ Acts 13:2-4; Zechariah 4:6
Follow-Up: When have you relied on planning more than prayer? What would it look like to flip that?
Why is releasing gifted people essential to the gospel’s spread?
→ Acts 13:3; Matthew 28:18-20
Follow-Up: Who in your life needs your blessing to step into their calling, even if it leaves a gap where you are?
What role did John Mark play, and why is serving quietly still kingdom work?
→ Acts 13:5; Mark 10:43-45
Follow-Up: Where can you serve behind the scenes this week so someone else can shine for God’s glory?
What does Bar-Jesus’ name reveal about false appearances in faith?
→ Acts 13:6; Matthew 7:15-20
Follow-Up: Are there areas where you carry the right label but the wrong heart? What step of repentance could realign you?
How can believers recognize modern “Elymas” influences that oppose truth?
→ Acts 13:8; 1 John 4:1
Follow-Up: What voices—media, mentors, friends—need testing against Scripture before you keep listening?
What does “the hand of the Lord” signify in Scripture?
→ Acts 13:11; Ezra 7:28; 1 Samuel 5:6
Follow-Up: How have you felt God’s hand lately—lifting you up or pressing correction on you—and how will you respond?
Why was Elymas’ blindness temporary, and what does that say about God’s mercy?
→ Acts 13:11; Romans 2:4
Follow-Up: Where might God be using a hard season to open your eyes rather than punish you?
What convinced Sergius Paulus to believe—the miracle or the teaching?
→ Acts 13:12; Romans 10:17
Follow-Up: How can you pair your actions (the “miracle” others see) with clear words about Jesus this week?
How does this passage show the gospel’s reach across social and political lines?
→ Acts 13:7, 12; Philippians 1:13
Follow-Up: Who in your workplace or community has influence that the gospel could touch through your witness?
Where might God be “putting His hand” on you or this church today?
→ Acts 13:2, 11; 1 Peter 5:6
Follow-Up: What concrete step—serving, giving, reconciling, or going—will you take in response to His touch?

🧾 Quick Scripture Reference List

Acts 13:1–12 – The Spirit sends Barnabas and Saul; Elymas opposes; Sergius Paulus believes
Matthew 28:18-20 – Make disciples of all nations
Romans 10:14-15 – How will they hear without a preacher?
2 Corinthians 11:13-15 – False apostles masquerade as light
Hebrews 12:6-11 – God disciplines those He loves
Isaiah 55:11 – God’s Word accomplishes its purpose
1 Samuel 5:6 – The hand of the Lord against the Philistines
Ezra 7:28 – The good hand of the Lord upon me
Romans 2:4 – God’s kindness leads to repentance
1 Peter 5:6 – Humble yourselves under God’s mighty hand

Christopher Stephens