Unit 3: The Call of Women
Prophesying Daughters | Bible Background • LUKE 2:36-38; ACTS 1:12-14, 2:16-21, 21:8-9 | Printed Text • LUKE 2:36-38; ACTS 2:16-21, 21:8-9 | Devotional Reading • JOEL 2:28-32
AIM FOR CHANGE
By the end of this lesson, we will EXAMINE how God called and empowered women to proclaim His message, AFFIRM contributions of godly women to the church’s mission, and ADVOCATE for greater recognition of God-called women in the church.
IN FOCUS
Gina had enjoyed the company of elderly folks since she was a child. Now, as an adult, Gina worked taking care of them. She had seen so much heartache. The physical suffering was bad enough, but it was the emotional suffering like abandonment and loneliness that hurt them the most.
In the past year, there had been several elderly folks in Gina’s church who had succumbed to poor health and were no longer able to attend services. Gina genuinely missed seeing their faces in church on Sunday morning. She began to pray for the folks she missed, and the more she prayed, the greater her burden became. Her burden began to expand beyond the boundaries of her church and extended to the elderly folks who needed to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
The Holy Spirit was at work in Gina’s heart. Surely she wasn’t the only one in her church who saw the need for outreach in this area. Gina spoke with her pastor, and with his prayer and support, she launched a visitation and outreach program for the elderly in her community. The outreach team found that some of the elderly folks wanted to hear nothing about a Savior or the gift of salvation. They began to pray that the Holy Spirit would soften those hardened hearts and that He would empower them in their ministry. One by one, lost souls were led to Christ—not only the elderly but their family members and caregivers as well.
Today’s story illustrates how the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, at work in one faithful heart, can reach out to lost, hurting souls and unite a community.