Weekly Newsletter 2/22-3/1

The FBC Marysville weekly newsletter for the week of 2/22-3/1

Published 2/23/2026

Announcements:

- Fellowship meal 3/1. We will gather for a meal after our 11 am gathering this Sunday. The church will provide meat, but please feel free to bring your favorite side or dessert.

- Children's lesson training 3/8. After our 11 am gathering we will hold a class helping our children's teachers learn how to use our new curriculum from The Gospel Project.

Prayer Requests:

- Russ Williams: Pray that Russ would continue to improve after his stay at the hospital due to abdominal issues. He is home now and getting stronger each day.

- Phyllis Fogle: Pray that Phyllis would improve after falling and suffering with other health issue at the moment.

- Elders: Pray for our leader who are seeking the Lord's will daily in order to serve us and guide us well.

- Community Groups: Pray for our community groups which are the DNA of our church. Pray that we would love one another well, care for one another well, and disciple one another well in these sweet times of gathering throughout the week to pray and study God's Word.

Weekly Devotion: Acts 17:16-34

On Sunday, we spoke during our time of studying God's Word about Acts 17:16-34 where Paul is waiting for his friends at Athens, though it does not take long for him to be brought to the forefront of society. Paul, after conversing with some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers, finds himself being invited to the Areopagus or Mars Hill to present his ideas to the people who would listen. He boldly and clearly preaches the gospel to these people starting with creation, then speaking about the fall, man's redemption accomplished by Christ, and ending with God's judgement which demands a response. This moment of bold and courageous gospel proclamation at Mars Hill was spectacular, but what I am struck by in this moment is what got Paul there in the first place.

See, verses 16 and 17 of this passage are ringing in my ear this week because of Paul's missional lifestyle and deep spiritual burden. They read, "Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, His Spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols. So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there." (Acts 17:16-17 ESV). 

Firstly, let us touch on Paul's spiritual burden. You can picture the hustle and bustle of the city of Athens. Beautiful, full of new ideas, a deeply rooted history in the arts, medicine, and scholarship. On the surface, many who visited at the time may have only observed these things, however, the Christian Paul sees the world and the city of Athens through a different lens. The word here for full of idols paints the picture that the city was smothered in these idols. Writers have said you were liable to encounter more gods than people in Athens, and this did not sit right with Paul. Now, Paul does not go into a frenzy of rage destroying the statued busts of the 'gods' the Athenians worshipped, but you see his heart break in this text. His spirit was provoked, or stirred, or deeply distressed by the idolatry of the city. Why? Because these people were banking their lives on a false hope, and ascribing glory to man made sculptures that was only meant to belong to the One True God.

This broke Paul's heart, but he did not just pack his bags and go home defeated. Secondly, as verse 17 explains, Paul gets to work. Tony Merida said, "Paul's heart was broken before his mouth was opened." This is true and this provides a good model for effective gospel ministry for us. Paul is dissatisfied with the culture, he has a love for these people who know not what they do, so Paul begins sticking his nose in every place in Athens sharing the good news of the hope only found in Jesus. Not just the synagogue with the monotheistic people he could relate to, but with the people in the marketplace as well. All arenas of our lives need the gospel. Our dinner tables, our jobs, our schools, our relationships all need gospel saturation.

This week as we reflect on Paul's time in Athens, hear the call to look around and feel the unrest that Paul felt. We live in a culture that is full of idols and desperately needs Jesus. Then, let's get to work sharing the gospel in unique and powerful ways just as Paul did here in this passage. Do you have a spiritual burden for a certain group, age, need, or ministry? Serve out of a burdened spirit and not just to check a box. When we ask God to break our heart for what breaks His, we begin to see the world through the lens Paul had, and what comes next is a life of gospel effectiveness for the Lord.

Written by Anthony Lampron, Pastor