August 17, 2026
Hello, Beloved.
A couple of things happened this week, and I felt it. Not in a good way. For a few days, my heart sat in a mix of hopelessness, frustration, and plain powerlessness. If I'm honest, I can stay in that place longer than I should. I bring that up because my own thoughts reminded me that I’m a thermostat, based on our Acts 16 teaching series. This truth doesn't let anyone stay comfortable.
Paul and Silas experience pressure from the early part of the story to the last verse. Here’s what’s important to remember: their pressure isn't a sign they got something wrong. It shows up precisely because they're following the Spirit's lead. Does that stir your soul? It does mine. It’s easy to assume obedience makes the road easier, but Acts 16 tells us otherwise. Doing the right thing and staying faithful to what God has said doesn't guarantee comfort. Sometimes it guarantees the opposite.
I have friends serving in parts of the world where following Jesus can genuinely cost them their freedom, even their lives. Reading Acts 16 with them in mind alters how I read it. The chapter speaks to me differently, and maybe you, too. I believe most of us aren't facing prison for our faith or beatings for being obedient to God. That doesn't mean the pressure you and I feel isn’t real. It just shows up differently. We work hard to avoid life’s pressures, and when they show up, they surprise us. For example, a child is drifting from everything we raised them to believe. Or a needed work promotion goes to someone else. Or a conversation with your teenager goes sideways. Or a secret you're afraid to tell anyone, fearing what they may think of you, or a weekend where you have to choose between what's easy and what's right.
Paul and Silas respond to six different pressures in six specific ways.
They follow.
They stay.
They pray.
They speak.
They obey.
They serve.
None of it looks heroic in the moment. It’s plain, old-fashioned faithfulness, repeated again and again, under circumstances we didn’t ask for. That's really the point of this whole series. God isn't after people with bigger platforms or louder voices. He's after people who stay faithful when nobody's clapping, who let the Spirit shape them so completely that wherever they walk into a room, something in that room changes. The Holy Spirit is making us thermostats, everyday people who are making a positive, kingdom difference.
The pressure didn't make Paul and Silas who they were. It revealed who they'd already become. I think that's true for the rest of us too. And I hope it's true for you, whatever you're carrying into this week.
The Lord and His peace be with you and those you love!
GATEWAY EVENTS: Click here.
WHERE TO ENGAGE:
Gateway Groups (a community where you can experience God, be family, and share the love of Jesus with others.)
SUNDAY SERVICE:
THERMOSTATS: Everyday People Making a Difference — Entire Service or Part 3 Teaching Only
CHURCH FINANCIAL REPORT:
Click here to learn more about Greater Things (our accelerated mortgage elimination commitment) and participate.
Giving Report: (*weekly income needed $21,500)
August 2: $14,823.89
August 9: $22,090.58
August 16: $20,723.51
August 23:
August 30:
Greater Things YTD 2026: $55,659.67
Current Mortgage Balance: $244,578.46
Take care and stay hopeful. We can’t wait to see you soon.
Transforming Lives Together,
Lance and Darlene Bane
Lead Pastor
Phone: 203-934-0880
Email: office@yourgateway.com