I was recently on a panel with John Piper. After I shared a handful of stories about what God is doing around the world, he turned to me—half amused, half amazed—and asked, “Darren, where do you get all these stories?” I answered, “You have to talk to people.”
Why have I personally made it my mission to tell stories of what God is doing around the world?
Acts 15 records the most important meeting of the early church, but before the council convenes in Jerusalem, Paul and Barnabas must travel there. Luke refuses to summarize the journey with a bland “they went up to Jerusalem.” Instead, he writes,
They passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and brought great joy to all the brothers. (Acts 15:3 esv)
There is a principle here. The “in-between time” matters. Between the urgent summons from Antioch and the decisive council in Jerusalem—over hundreds of miles and many ordinary stops—Paul and Barnabas steward their road for gospel encouragement. They don’t use the trip to rehearse frustrations or throw believers in Jerusalem under the bus. They use the trip to tell grace-stories—updates about how the crucified and risen Jesus is saving people who were far off and bringing them near. And the result? “Great joy.” Not shallow cheerfulness, but joy rooted in Christ’s finished work, applied by the Spirit, spreading from one community to another.
That’s what I want the stories I tell to do: make Christians glad in God.
Let me share one.
I’m usually loath to tell stories about myself, but this one is a window into that Acts 15 posture. Years ago, my friend Eric Terhune was killed while deployed in Afghanistan. I was in Buffalo, New York, when I got the call. A week later I was flying from Minnesota to Kentucky for the funeral. On one leg of my journey, I boarded one of those tiny connector planes. The seat in front of me was broken and taped off. A woman boarded who was assigned to that seat. The spot next to me was open, so I offered it to her.
We talked. I learned that others had already been sharing the gospel with her—planting seeds I knew nothing about. Somewhere over Middle America, on a day when I wanted to be left alone, on my way to “weep with those who weep” (Romans 12:15), she put her trust in Christ. No plan. No platform. Just a Savior who seeks and saves in the in-between.
Why do I tell you this story of what happened during the in-between time? To make you glad.
Acts shows us that in-between time matters and that you can use it. Reports of grace are not self-promotion; they are Christ-promotion. When we narrate what Jesus is doing—how his cross forgives, how his resurrection gives new life, how his Spirit opens hearts—we are not manufacturing optimism; we are distributing joy. We are bearing witness that the gospel still comes to people with power.
We live with tunnel vision. We are finite, and the news we hear shapes the horizons we expect. If the only stories we absorb are of decline, conflict, and exhaustion, we will quietly begin to believe that the best days of gospel fruitfulness are behind us. Go to your favorite newsfeed, and you might feel your anxiety rise as the inhabitants of the world rage against God and one another. But the risen Christ did not retire in Acts 28. He reigns now. He is gathering a people from every tribe and tongue now. He is building his church now, and the gates of hell are still losing ground.
Expect God to meet you in the “in-between.” A commute, a checkout line, a hospital hallway—these are stages where the Spirit loves to work. Then tell what you’ve seen and heard (Acts 4:20), and let joy run through the church like electricity as you tell the story.
Make it a habit to watch for the Lord’s fingerprints and then retell stories of his grace. Don’t aim to entertain or sensationalize; do what Paul and Barnabas did: “describe in detail the conversion of the Gentiles” so that “great joy” spreads among the brothers and sisters (Acts 15:3). Testimony is not fluff; it’s fuel. It magnifies Christ, strengthens the church, and pushes back the darkness.
Bearing witness to God’s work is powerful:
- It emboldens ordinary saints. Courage is contagious. Hearing how Jesus saves, sustains, and sends real people helps timid hearts speak up (Philippians 1:12–14; Revelation 12:11).
- It catalyzes prayer. Concrete stories turn vague intentions into specific intercession (Colossians 4:2–4).
- It restores joy. In a world that siphons hope, accounts of grace remind us that the risen Christ is active now.
Come, Holy Spirit! Make us faithful witnesses; make the church glad.
Witness
As readers dive into the book of Acts, they will be challenged to look for ways God wants them to grow as his ambassadors and develop a deeper appreciation of the unity and diversity of the global Church. Each day’s devotion includes a passage from Acts, a reflection on its significance, and a modern-day story that connects the biblical text to contemporary experiences.
