““Brothers and fathers, hear the defense that I now make before you.” And when they heard that he was addressing them in the Hebrew language, they became even more quiet. And he said: “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city, educated at the feet of Gamaliel according to the strict manner of the law of our fathers, being zealous for God as all of you are this day. I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering to prison both men and women, as the high priest and the whole council of elders can bear me witness. From them I received letters to the brothers, and I journeyed toward Damascus to take those also who were there and bring them in bonds to Jerusalem to be punished.”
‭‭Acts‬ ‭22:1-5‬ ‭ESV‬‬

All,This stands out because Paul says, “being zealous for God as all of you are this day. I persecuted this Way to the death”. I love how Paul always finds commonality with his audience. Here he connects with their zealousness around their passion. Do we find commonality with unbelievers around a shared passion? William Wilberforce was able to do that and he stopped the slave trade in England. Please pray that we and our friends see others as God sees them. Please pray for a friends wife who had a mysterious illness this past week.