Family Devotional: Another King

One faith talk this week is a win.

Anton Brown • Senior Pastor
November 8, 2026

4 Minute Read

This week the page grows out of “Another King,” from Acts 17:1–9. The heart of it is this: Jesus is the true King. He died and rose again for us, and He rules over every ruler. In Thessalonica an angry crowd shouted that the Christians were saying “there is another king, Jesus,” and they were right. That is the picture your table will be sitting with this week, in a week when many grown-ups have been talking about leaders and elections. Read together, talk together, pray together, sing together. Here is this week's page.

Another King

Family Devotional · Acts 17:1–9 · November 8, 2026

This page works two ways: as one ten-minute sitting at the table, or as five short Monday-to-Friday steps from the same page. There is no wrong way.

This week's Big Idea

Jesus is the true King. He died and rose again for us, and He rules over everyone.

Memory verse

“This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ.” Acts 17:3 (ESV)

1. READ

Read Acts 17:2–7 out loud. Stay on this one passage all week.

Monday: verse 2. Paul goes to the synagogue and teaches from the Bible for three Saturdays in a row.

Tuesday: verse 3. Paul shows from the Bible that God's promised King had to die and rise again, and that the King is Jesus.

Wednesday: verse 4. All kinds of people believe and join Paul and Silas.

Thursday: verses 5–6. Some people get jealous, stir up a crowd, and drag Jason out of his house.

Friday: verse 7. The crowd shouts that the Christians are saying “there is another king, Jesus.”

2. THINK

“Christ” means the King God promised to send. Paul showed from the Bible that this King would die and come back to life, and Jesus did exactly that. Jesus is King over every president, governor, and leader in the world, and He died on the cross and rose again so that people who turn from sin and trust Him can belong to Him forever.

3. TALK

You do not need to ask them all.

For young children: What did the crowd say the Christians called Jesus?

For school-age children: Why would a king who died and rose again be stronger than any king who only rules for a while?

For teens: People at school and online argue a lot about leaders and elections. What would change for you if you really believed Jesus is already King over all of them?

For the whole table: What is one thing you are glad about because Jesus is King?

4. DO

Do this: Each night this week, pick one leader to pray for by name: someone in our town, our state, or our country. Ask God to give that person wisdom, and thank Jesus that He is King over that person too.

Another way to do this: Draw a crown on a piece of paper and write “Jesus is King” inside it. Each night, add one small picture or word around the crown for something Jesus rules over, like the sky, our town, or our family. On Friday, look at everything He is King over.

5. PRAY

Father, thank You that Jesus is the King You promised, and that He died and rose again for sinners. Please bring every person at this table who does not yet trust Jesus to turn to Him, and help the ones who do to follow Him gladly. Help us pray for our leaders and trust You more than any of them. In Jesus' name, Amen.

6. SING

How Great Thou Art. It sings about the cross where Jesus died for us and about the day He comes back, which is the story of a King who was crucified and raised. If no one wants to sing, read the first verse out loud instead.

One faith talk this week is a win.
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November 8, 2026 • 4 Minute Read
Family Devotional: Another King
This week the page grows out of “Another King,” from Acts 17:1–9. The heart of it is this: Jesus is the true King. He died and rose again for us, and He rules over every ruler. In Thessalonica an angry crowd shouted that the Christians were saying “there is another king, Jesus,” and they were right. That is the picture your table will be sitting with this week, in a week when many grown-ups have been talking about leaders and elections. Read together, talk together, pray together, sing together. Here is this week's page. Another King Family Devotional · Acts 17:1–9 · November 8, 2026 This page works two ways: as one ten-minute sitting at the table, or as five short Monday-to-Friday steps from the same page. There is no wrong way. This week's Big Idea Jesus is the true King. He died and rose again for us, and He rules over everyone. Memory verse “This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ.” Acts 17:3 (ESV) 1. READ Read Acts 17:2–7 out loud. Stay on this one passage all week. Monday: verse 2. Paul goes to the synagogue and teaches from the Bible for three Saturdays in a row. Tuesday: verse 3. Paul shows from the Bible that God's promised King had to die and rise again, and that the King is Jesus. Wednesday: verse 4. All kinds of people believe and join Paul and Silas. Thursday: verses 5–6. Some people get jealous, stir up a crowd, and drag Jason out of his house. Friday: verse 7. The crowd shouts that the Christians are saying “there is another king, Jesus.” 2. THINK “Christ” means the King God promised to send. Paul showed from the Bible that this King would die and come back to life, and Jesus did exactly that. Jesus is King over every president, governor, and leader in the world, and He died on the cross and rose again so that people who turn from sin and trust Him can belong to Him forever. 3. TALK You do not need to ask them all. For young children: What did the crowd say the Christians called Jesus? For school-age children: Why would a king who died and rose again be stronger than any king who only rules for a while? For teens: People at school and online argue a lot about leaders and elections. What would change for you if you really believed Jesus is already King over all of them? For the whole table: What is one thing you are glad about because Jesus is King? 4. DO Do this: Each night this week, pick one leader to pray for by name: someone in our town, our state, or our country. Ask God to give that person wisdom, and thank Jesus that He is King over that person too. Another way to do this: Draw a crown on a piece of paper and write “Jesus is King” inside it. Each night, add one small picture or word around the crown for something Jesus rules over, like the sky, our town, or our family. On Friday, look at everything He is King over. 5. PRAY Father, thank You that Jesus is the King You promised, and that He died and rose again for sinners. Please bring every person at this table who does not yet trust Jesus to turn to Him, and help the ones who do to follow Him gladly. Help us pray for our leaders and trust You more than any of them. In Jesus' name, Amen. 6. SING How Great Thou Art. It sings about the cross where Jesus died for us and about the day He comes back, which is the story of a King who was crucified and raised. If no one wants to sing, read the first verse out loud instead. One faith talk this week is a win.

Anton Brown

Senior Pastor

November 1, 2026 • 4 Minute Read
Family Devotional: Never Too Late
This week the page grows out of “Never Too Late,” from Acts 16:25–40. The heart of it is this: it is never too late, and nothing we have done is too bad, for Jesus to save anyone who trusts Him. In the middle of the night, after an earthquake shook a prison open, the jailer fell down trembling and asked, “What must I do to be saved?” Before morning, everyone in his house had heard the word of the Lord, and they were baptized and sat down together to a meal full of joy. That is the picture your table will be sitting with this week. Read together, talk together, pray together, sing together. Here is this week's page. Never Too Late Family Devotional · Acts 16:25–40 · November 1, 2026 This page works two ways: as one ten-minute sitting at the table, or as five short Monday-to-Friday steps from the same page. There is no wrong way. This week's Big Idea It is never too late, and nothing we have done is too bad: anyone who trusts Jesus will be saved. Memory verse “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.” Acts 16:31 (ESV) 1. READ Read Acts 16:25–26 and 29–40 out loud. Stay on this one passage all week. Monday: verse 25. At midnight in the prison, Paul and Silas pray and sing to God, and the other prisoners listen. Tuesday: verse 26. An earthquake shakes the prison, every door opens, and everyone's chains come loose. Wednesday: verses 29–31. The jailer falls down trembling and asks, “What must I do to be saved?” Paul and Silas answer, “Believe in the Lord Jesus.” Thursday: verses 32–34. Everyone in the house hears the word of the Lord, the jailer washes their hurts, his family is baptized, and they share a meal full of joy. Friday: verses 35–40. In the morning Paul and Silas walk out of the prison in the open and go to Lydia's house to encourage the believers. 2. THINK The jailer had locked Paul and Silas in the dark with their feet fastened in wooden stocks, and that night he was terrified. When he asked how to be saved, Paul and Silas did not tell him to try harder; they told him, “Believe in the Lord Jesus.” Jesus died for sinners and rose again, so it is never too late and no one is too bad to trust Him, and when the people in the jailer's house heard and believed, God filled them with joy. 3. TALK You do not need to ask them all. For young children: After the jailer believed in Jesus, what did he do for Paul and Silas's hurts? For school-age children: Paul and Silas did not tell the jailer to try harder or be better. Why is “Believe in the Lord Jesus” better news than “try harder”? For teens: Everyone in the jailer's house heard the word for themselves, and no one could believe for someone else. Is your trust in Jesus your own, or are you still leaning on your parents' faith? For the whole table: Is anyone too bad, or is any time too late, for Jesus to save? 4. DO Do this: Have each person at the table write the name of one person who does not yet trust Jesus on a slip of paper. Put the slips in a cup by the table, and each night this week pull one out and pray for that person by name, because it is never too late for Jesus to save. Another way to do this: Draw an open door on a piece of paper, and draw or write someone you love inside the doorway. Tape it up where you eat breakfast, and each morning this week point to it and say, “Jesus, please save them.” 5. PRAY Father, thank You that Jesus died for sinners and rose again, and that no time is too late and no wrong is too big for You to forgive. Please bring each person at this table to hear Your word, to believe in Jesus for themselves, to be baptized, and to rejoice in You, and grow the ones who already trust Him. Fill our home with the jailer's joy. In Jesus' name, Amen. 6. SING Blessed Assurance. It sings, “This is my story, this is my song, praising my Savior all the day long,” and the jailer's story ends that way: a man who thought it was too late, now rejoicing in God with his whole house. If no one wants to sing, read the first verse out loud instead. One faith talk this week is a win.

Anton Brown

Senior Pastor

October 25, 2026 • 4 Minute Read
Family Devotional: One Little Word
This week the page grows out of “One Little Word,” from Acts 16:16–24. The heart of it is this: Jesus is stronger than anything that has a hold on us, and He can set us free. A girl was held by a spirit that was not from God, and when Paul spoke one sentence to it in the name of Jesus Christ, the spirit had to leave right away. That is the picture your table will be sitting with this week. Read together, talk together, pray together, sing together. Here is this week's page. One Little Word Family Devotional · Acts 16:16–24 · October 25, 2026 This page works two ways: as one ten-minute sitting at the table, or as five short Monday-to-Friday steps from the same page. There is no wrong way. This week's Big Idea Jesus is stronger than anything that has a hold on us, and He can set us free. Memory verse “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” Acts 16:18 (ESV) 1. READ Read Acts 16:16–19 out loud. Stay on this one passage all week. Monday: verse 16. A girl is held by a spirit that is not from God, and her owners use her to make money. Tuesday: verse 17. Day after day she follows Paul, shouting true words about God. Wednesday: verse 18, the first part. Paul waits many days, and then he turns around to speak. Thursday: verse 18, the last part. Paul speaks to the spirit in the name of Jesus Christ, and it leaves right away. Friday: verse 19. The owners are angry, and they grab Paul and Silas. 2. THINK The girl said true things about God, but a spirit that was not from God had a hold on her, and she could not get free. Paul did not use magic words; he spoke in the name of Jesus, and the spirit had to go, because Jesus is stronger than every power. Jesus was beaten, died on the cross, and rose again to set people free from sin and from everything that has a hold on them. 3. TALK You do not need to ask them all. For young children: What did Paul say to the spirit, and what happened right away? For school-age children: What are some things that can have a hold on a person, like a fear or a habit that is hard to stop, and why is Jesus stronger than them? For teens: The girl said true things about God and was still not free. If someone asked whether you belong to Jesus or only know about Him, what would you honestly say? For the whole table: What is one thing Jesus is stronger than? 4. DO Do this: On Monday, have each person write down one thing that is hard to stop doing or hard to stop being afraid of. You can keep it private. Each night this week, pray together and ask Jesus by name to be stronger than it, and on Friday thank Him for anything He has done. Another way to do this: Make a small card that says “Jesus is stronger” on the front. On the back, draw something that scares you or something that is hard for you. Keep the card by your bed this week, and pray to Jesus each time you see it. 5. PRAY Father, thank You that Jesus is stronger than every power, and that He died and rose again to set sinners free. Please set free every person at this table who does not yet trust Jesus, and help the ones who do to belong to Him gladly. Keep us from listening to any voice that is not Yours. In Jesus' name, Amen. 6. SING Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing. It asks God to bind our wandering hearts to Him and to take our hearts and seal them as His own, which is what it means to belong to Jesus. If no one wants to sing, read the first verse out loud instead. One faith talk this week is a win.

Anton Brown

Senior Pastor

October 18, 2026 • 4 Minute Read
Family Devotional: Come and Stay
This week the page grows out of “Come and Stay,” from Acts 16:11–15. The heart of it is this: when God opens our hearts to Jesus, we open our homes to other people. Paul and his friends sailed across the sea and found a few women praying by a river, and while one of them, Lydia, listened to Paul talk about Jesus, the Lord opened her heart. Right away she was baptized and said to Paul and his friends, come to my house and stay. The line your table will be sitting with is the one from Sunday morning: opened hearts open homes. Read together, talk together, pray together, sing together. Here is this week's page. Come and Stay Family Devotional · Acts 16:11–15 · October 18, 2026 This page works two ways: as one ten-minute sitting at the table, or as five short Monday-to-Friday steps from the same page. There is no wrong way. This week's Big Idea When God opens our hearts to Jesus, we open our lives to other people. Memory verse “The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul.” Acts 16:14 (ESV) 1. READ Read Acts 16:11–15 out loud. Stay on this one passage all week. Monday: verses 11–12. Paul and his friends sail straight across the sea to a big city called Philippi. Tuesday: verse 13. There is no crowd waiting, only a few women praying by a river. Wednesday: verse 14. Lydia already prays to God, and she listens to Paul. Thursday: verse 14 again. The Lord opens her heart to hear about Jesus. Friday: verse 15. Lydia is baptized and says, come to my house and stay. 2. THINK Lydia prayed to God every week, but she did not yet know Jesus. While she listened to Paul tell about Jesus, the Lord opened her heart so she could see Him and trust Him. Jesus opened His Father's house to us when He died for sinners and rose again, and when He opens our hearts, we want to open our homes too. 3. TALK You do not need to ask them all. For young children: Where were the women when Paul found them, and what were they doing? For school-age children: Lydia went to prayer every week, but she still needed God to open her heart. Why can we not open our own hearts to Jesus? For teens: Lydia was sincere and religious, and she still needed the Lord to open her heart. If someone asked you whether the Lord has opened your heart to Jesus, what would you honestly say? For the whole table: Jesus opened His home to us. Who could we open our home to this month? 4. DO Do this: Pick one person or family from church and invite them over for a meal sometime in the next month. Let the children help plan one part of it: the food, the table, or a game to play together. It does not need to be fancy. A table and a conversation is enough. Another way to do this: Make a welcome card for one person from church. Write “Come and stay” on the front and draw your door on the inside, then hand it to that person at church next Sunday. 5. PRAY Father, thank You that Jesus died for sinners and rose again, and that He opened Your house to people who did not deserve it. Please open the heart of every person at this table who does not yet trust Jesus, and grow the ones who do. Make our home a glad, open place for others, because You opened Yours to us first. In Jesus' name, Amen. 6. SING All I Have Is Christ. It sings that we would never have come to God if He had not loved us first, and that a life Jesus has saved now belongs to Him. That is Lydia's story: the Lord opened her heart, and she gave Him her home. If no one wants to sing, read the first verse out loud instead. One faith talk this week is a win.

Anton Brown

Senior Pastor

October 11, 2026 • 5 Minute Read
Family Devotional: Help Us
Dear Mayflower family, This week the page grows out of “Help Us,” from Acts 16:6–10. The heart of it is this: people everywhere need help, and the best help God sends is the good news about Jesus. Paul and his friends wanted to tell people about Jesus, and God closed two roads in front of them. Then one night Paul saw a man from a faraway place called Macedonia, saying, come over and help us, and the friends knew what help to bring: the good news about Jesus. The line your table will be sitting with is the one from Sunday morning: they asked for help, and God sent the gospel. Read together, talk together, pray together, sing together. Here is this week's page. Pastor Anton Help Us Family Devotional · Acts 16:6–10 · October 11, 2026 This page works two ways: as one ten-minute sitting at the table, or as five short Monday-to-Friday steps from the same page. There is no wrong way. This week's Big Idea People everywhere need help, and the best help God sends is the good news about Jesus. Memory verse “concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.” Acts 16:10 (ESV) 1. READ Read Acts 16:6–10 out loud. Stay on this one passage all week. Monday: verse 6. Paul wanted to tell people about Jesus in Asia, and God said no. Tuesday: verse 7. They tried another road, and Jesus closed that one too. Wednesday: verse 8. They came to Troas, a town by the sea, and ran out of road. Thursday: verse 9. In the night a man said to Paul, come over and help us. Friday: verse 10. Paul and his friends knew the help he needed was the good news about Jesus, and they went right away. 2. THINK Paul and his friends wanted to tell people about Jesus, and Jesus closed two roads because He knew where His good news needed to go next. A man from Macedonia asked for help, and he did not even know what kind of help he needed. God sent him the very best help there is: friends who came to tell him that Jesus died for sinners and rose again, and that Jesus is able to help everyone who calls on Him. 3. TALK You do not need to ask them all. For young children: Paul wanted to go one way, and God said no. Then a man asked Paul for help. What help did God send him? For school-age children: The man said help, but he did not say what kind. When someone we know is sick, sad, or having a hard time, what are some ways we can help them? How could we tell them about Jesus too? For teens: The man from Macedonia was asking for more than he knew. Lots of people say they are spiritual, but they could not tell you that the help they need is Jesus. When things get hard, what do you reach for first? Have you ever asked Jesus to help you in your own words, the way a woman once knelt in front of Him and said, “Lord, help me” (Matthew 15:25)? For the whole table: Who is one person we know who needs help this week, and what is one way we could help them and tell them about Jesus? 4. DO Do this: Pick one person who is having a hard time: someone sick, someone lonely, someone sad. Bring them something small this week, a meal, a treat, or a card the children made, and in the card write one true sentence about Jesus, like “Jesus is able to help.” Another way to do this: Pick one person who does not know Jesus yet. Draw a little boat on a piece of paper, write that person's name on the sail, and put it on the fridge. Every night this week, ask God to send them the good news about Jesus, the way He sent Paul across the sea. 5. PRAY Father, thank You that when people cried for help, You sent the good news about Jesus, who died for sinners and rose again. Please save every person at this table who does not yet trust Jesus, and grow the ones who do. Help us to notice the people around us who need help, and give us courage to tell them about Your Son. In Jesus' name, Amen. 6. SING Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing. It sings that we have come this far only by God's help, and that Jesus came looking for us when we were wandering, which is exactly what He did for the people of Macedonia. If no one wants to sing, read the first verse out loud instead. One faith talk this week is a win.

Anton Brown

Senior Pastor

October 4, 2026 • 4 Minute Read
Family Devotional: Timothy Joins Paul and Silas
Dear Mayflower family, This week the page grows out of "Timothy Joins Paul and Silas," from Acts 16:1–5, Sunday's passage, with Leon Jones as our guest preacher. The heart of it is this: Paul was willing to give up almost anything so people could hear about Jesus, but he never changed the good news about Jesus. A young man named Timothy, taught the Bible at home by his mother and grandmother, joins Paul and Silas, gives up something hard so Jewish people will listen, and helps carry the good news to the churches just as it was. Read together, talk together, pray together, sing together. Here is this week's page. Pastor Anton Timothy Joins Paul and Silas Family Devotional · Acts 16:1–5 · October 4, 2026 This page works two ways: as one ten-minute sitting at the table, or as five short Monday-to-Friday steps from the same page. There is no wrong way. This week's Big Idea Paul was willing to give up almost anything so people could hear about Jesus, but he never changed the good news about Jesus. Memory verse "So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and they increased in numbers daily." Acts 16:5 (ESV) 1. READ Read Acts 16:1–5 out loud. Stay on this one passage all week. Monday: verse 1. God gives Paul a new helper, a young man named Timothy. Tuesday: verse 2. The Christians in two towns said good things about Timothy. Wednesday: verse 3. Timothy gave up something hard so Jewish people would listen. Thursday: verse 4. Paul and his friends brought the churches the decisions from Jerusalem to keep. Friday: verse 5. The churches grew strong, and more people believed every day. 2. THINK Timothy's mother and grandmother taught him the Bible when he was little, and when Paul came to town, God gave Timothy to Paul as a helper. Paul had Timothy circumcised, a sign Jewish families gave their boys, not to make Timothy right with God but so Jewish people would be willing to listen, because Paul would give up almost anything so people could hear about Jesus. But Paul never changed the good news itself: Jesus did everything needed to save us, and nobody has to add anything to what He did. 3. TALK You do not need to ask them all. For young children: Timothy's mother and grandmother taught him about God when he was little. Who teaches you about God? What is one thing you have learned about Jesus? For school-age children: The Christians in two different towns said good things about Timothy. What do you think they noticed about him? What would you want people to notice about you, and who could help you grow that way? For teens: Paul would change almost anything about how he did things so people would listen, but he would never change the message. Is there something you could give up so a friend would be more willing to hear about Jesus? Have you ever been tempted to leave part of Jesus out so faith would be easier to talk about? And have you trusted Christ yourself, or have you only learned about Him? For the whole table: What is one thing our family could give up this week so that someone else could hear about Jesus or feel His love? 4. DO Do this: This week, each person picks one thing they usually get to choose, like the dinner, the game, or the seat in the car, and gives that choice to someone else in the family on purpose, without being asked. At the end of the week, talk about how Paul and Timothy gave things up so others could hear about Jesus. Another way to do this: Choose one favorite thing to share together this week, like a snack, a toy, or an afternoon, and give it to someone outside the family, a neighbor or a friend from church, with a note that says, "Jesus loves you, and we wanted to share." 5. PRAY Father, thank You that Jesus gave up everything to come and save people like us, and that nobody has to add anything to what He did. Please save every person at this table who does not yet trust Jesus, and grow the ones who do. Make us a family that gladly gives things up so others can hear about You, and that never changes Your good news. In Jesus' name, Amen. 6. SING All I Have Is Christ. Paul could give up so much because Christ was enough, and this hymn sings that nothing else is needed. If no one wants to sing, read the first verse out loud instead. One faith talk this week is a win!

Anton Brown

Senior Pastor

September 27, 2026 • 4 Minute Read
Family Devotional: Not By Agreement
Dear Mayflower family, This week the page grows out of "Not By Agreement," from Acts 15:36–41. The heart of it is this: God's work keeps going because of God's grace, not because the people doing it are strong or because they always agree. Two men who loved Jesus, Paul and Barnabas, could not agree about whether to take a young man named Mark with them, so they went two separate ways, and God did not lose one thing in it. The picture your table will be sitting with is the one from Sunday morning: two ships left Antioch, and one gospel was on both of them. Read together, talk together, pray together, sing together. Here is this week's page. Pastor Anton Not By Agreement Family Devotional · Acts 15:36–41 · September 27, 2026 This page works two ways: as one ten-minute sitting at the table, or as five short Monday-to-Friday steps from the same page. There is no wrong way. This week's Big Idea God's work keeps going because of God's grace, not because the people doing it are strong and not because they always agree. Memory verse "having been commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord." Acts 15:40 (ESV) 1. READ Read Acts 15:36–41 out loud. Stay on this one passage all week. Monday: verse 36. Paul says, let us go back and see how our friends are doing. Tuesday: verses 37–38. Two good men wanted two different things for one young man. Wednesday: verse 39. They could not agree, so they went two different ways. Thursday: verse 40. The church prayed and handed Paul over to the grace of the Lord. Friday: verse 41. Paul kept going, and the churches grew stronger. 2. THINK Paul and Barnabas both loved Jesus and both loved people, and they still could not agree about whether young Mark should come along, so they went two different ways. The Bible never tells us which man was right. It tells us that the church prayed and handed Paul over to the grace of the Lord Jesus, the same Jesus who was handed over on the cross for people who ran away from Him and who then came back and found them by name, and that grace kept the work going and made the churches stronger. 3. TALK You do not need to ask them all. For young children: Paul and Barnabas could not agree, and they went two different ways. Did God stop taking care of them? Who kept the good news going? For school-age children: The church did not try to fix the argument. They prayed and handed Paul over to the grace of the Lord. What is something you cannot fix that you could hand over to God this week? For teens: Much later, Paul writes to Timothy and asks for Mark by name, and calls him very useful (2 Timothy 4:11). The young man who quit became the one Paul wanted with him at the end. Is there someone you have quietly decided is not worth another try, or someone you are afraid has decided that about you? What changes if a person is held by God's grace and not by their own record or anyone's good opinion of them? For the whole table: Who is one person in our church or our family that we have not seen in a long time, and what is one thing we could do this week to go and see how they are? 4. DO Do this: Pick one person our family has not seen in a while and go see them this week. Take something small with you, a card the children made or a plate of cookies, and ask one question out loud: how are you? Then stay long enough to hear the whole answer. Another way to do this: Sit down together and call that person on speakerphone so everyone can say hello, or write four sentences on a card, have every person at the table sign it, and walk it to their door or their mailbox. 5. PRAY Father, thank You that Your Son was handed over for people who left Him, and that He came back and found them by name. Thank You that Your work keeps going on Your grace and not on how strong we are or how well we agree. Please save every person at this table who does not yet trust Jesus, and grow the ones who do. Make us a family that goes to people instead of keeping track of them from far away. In Jesus' name, Amen. One faith talk this week is a win.

Anton Brown

Senior Pastor

September 20, 2026 • 4 Minute Read
Family Devotional: The Spirit Decided
This week the page grows out of "The Spirit Decided," from Acts 15:22–35. The heart of it is this: God's Spirit decided the big question, and the church wrote the answer down, signed it, and sent two men to read it out loud, and the answer was that Jesus already carried the heavy load, so there is no bigger load for anyone to carry. The picture your table will be sitting with is a whole church gathered to hear a letter read aloud, and the gladness in the room when they heard what it said. Read together, talk together, pray together, sing together. Here is this week's page. Pastor Anton The Spirit Decided Family Devotional · Acts 15:22–35 · September 20, 2026 This page works two ways: as one ten-minute sitting at the table, or as five short Monday-to-Friday steps from the same page. There is no wrong way. This week's Big Idea God's Spirit decided, and the church wrote it down and said it out loud. Jesus already carried the heavy load, so nobody has to carry a bigger one. Memory verse "And when they had read it, they rejoiced because of its encouragement." Acts 15:31 (ESV) 1. READ Read Acts 15:27–32 out loud. Stay on this one passage all week. Monday: verse 27. They sent two men to say the same thing out loud. Tuesday: verse 28. It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us: no greater burden. Wednesday: verses 29–30. The letter was carried down to Antioch and given to the whole church. Thursday: verse 31. They read it, and they were glad. Friday: verse 32. Judas and Silas stayed and made the brothers strong with many words. 2. THINK Some men told the church in Antioch that God wanted one more thing from them before He would have them, and the church did not know what to believe. The leaders in Jerusalem prayed, listened to God's Word, and wrote a letter that said the Holy Spirit had decided: no greater burden. Jesus carried the heaviest load on the cross, so the church had no more weight to give anybody, and when the letter was read out loud, the people were glad. 3. TALK You do not need to ask them all. For young children: The people heard the letter and were glad. What did the letter say about the heavy load? Who carried the heavy load for us? For school-age children: Why did the leaders send two men to read the letter instead of just sending the paper? What can two men do that a piece of paper cannot? For teens: Verse 24 talks about people who spoke as if they had an authority they were never given, and it left a whole church unsure about their salvation. Has anyone ever made you feel that God wants something more from you before He will accept you? How does verse 28, no greater burden, answer that, and what would it look like to actually trust Jesus with it instead of trusting your own effort? For the whole table: If Jesus already carried the heaviest load, what is one load our family could stop trying to carry this week? 4. DO Do this: Write a short letter together to someone in your family or church who needs to hear something true and kind. Put everyone's name at the bottom. Then hand-deliver it and read it out loud to them, the way Judas and Silas did. Another way to do this: Pick one true thing from this week's passage, like "no greater burden," and each person says it out loud to the person on their left. Then everyone signs their name on one card in the middle of the table, and the card goes on the fridge for the week. 5. PRAY Father, thank You that Your Spirit settled the biggest question and that You put Your promise in writing. Thank You that Jesus carried the heaviest load on the cross so that we do not have to. Please save each person at this table who does not yet trust You, and grow the ones who do. Make us people who say what is true and put our names on it. In Jesus' name, Amen. 6. SING Blessed Assurance. The church in Antioch got its assurance back when the letter was read out loud, and this hymn sings about a promise you can rest on. If no one wants to sing, read the first verse out loud instead. One faith talk this week is a win!

Anton Brown

Senior Pastor

September 13, 2026 • 4 Minute Read
Family Devotional: Saved Like Them
Family Devotional: Saved Like Them This week the page grows out of "Saved Like Them," from Acts 15:1–21. The heart of it is this: God saves everyone the same way, by His kindness in Jesus, and nobody gets in through a different door. Some believers wanted to add one more requirement before God would accept people who were brand new, and Peter stood up and said that he himself would be saved in exactly the same way those new believers were. That is the picture your table will be sitting with this week. Read together, talk together, pray together, sing together. Here is this week's devotion. Saved Like Them Family Devotional · Acts 15:1–21 · September 13, 2026 This page works two ways: as one ten-minute sitting at the table, or as five short Monday-to-Friday steps from the same page. There is no wrong way. This week's Big Idea God saves everyone the same way, by His kindness in Jesus. Nobody gets in a different way. Memory verse "we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will." Acts 15:11 (ESV) 1. READ Read Acts 15:7–11 out loud. Stay on this one passage all week. Monday: verse 7. God chose to have the good news spoken to people far away. Tuesday: verse 8. God knows the heart, and He gave them His Spirit. Wednesday: verse 9. God made no difference between us and them, and He made their hearts clean by faith. Thursday: verse 10. Do not lay a load on people that nobody has ever been able to carry. Friday: verse 11. We will be saved by the grace of the Lord Jesus, just like them. 2. THINK Some people said you had to add one more thing before God would take you. Peter stood up and said no. God made their hearts clean by faith, not by anything they brought. Jesus did all of the work on the cross, so the only way anyone comes to God is with empty hands. 3. TALK You do not need to ask them all. For young children: Peter said God made their hearts clean. Can you make your own heart clean? Who can do that? For school-age children: Why do you think people wanted to add one more rule before God would accept somebody new? What rule do we sometimes add? For teens: Peter had walked with Jesus and preached to thousands, and he still said he would be saved in exactly the same way as brand new believers with no history at all. Where do you quietly count on your record, your family, your church, or your behavior, to make you okay with God? What would it mean to trust Jesus instead of that record? For the whole table: What is one thing we could stop expecting a new person to be like, so that they can just come and meet Jesus? 4. DO Do this: Fill a backpack with heavy books. Let each person wear it for a moment and name one rule they think they have to keep to make God happy with them. Then take it off together and say out loud, "Jesus carried it." Another way to do this: Write or draw one of those rules on a slip of paper, crumple it up, and drop it in a bowl in the middle of the table. Read the memory verse over the bowl, then throw the papers away together. 5. PRAY Father, thank You that You know our hearts and that You make hearts clean by faith in Jesus. Please save each person at this table who does not yet belong to You, and grow the ones who do. Keep us from adding anything to what Jesus finished. Give us the same grace You gave them. In Jesus' name, Amen. 6. SING All I Have Is Christ. The whole sermon is that nobody brings anything to God but empty hands, and this hymn says exactly that. If no one wants to sing, read the first verse out loud instead. One faith talk this week is a win.

Anton Brown

Senior Pastor

September 6, 2026 • 3 Minute Read
Family Devotional: God Did It!
Family Devotional: God Did It! Dear Mayflower families, Mayflower families, this page is our weekly Family Devotional. It is one page, built from Sunday's sermon, so the table sits with the same Word the pulpit preached. A parent can lead it cold. You don't need training, and you don't need to prep. Use it as one ten-minute sitting, or walk it Monday through Friday as five short steps from the same page. There is no wrong way. One faith talk this week is a win. This week the table sits with God Did It!, from Acts 14:24-28. Sunday's Big Idea in plain words: God is the one who did the work. Paul and Barnabas were the friends who went with Him. You will sit with a locked door, a long road home, and a God who opens the way in. Released Sundays at 2pm through Planning Center / Church Center. [BRACKETS: Anton, paste the Church Center link if you want one here.] Pastor Anton This week's Big Idea God is the one who did it. We get to go with Him. Memory verse "he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles." Acts 14:27 (ESV) 1. READ Read Acts 14:24-28 out loud. Stay on this one passage all week. Monday: verses 24-25. They walk the road and speak the word. Tuesday: verse 26. They had been handed to God's grace, and the work was finished. Wednesday: verse 27a. They gather the church and tell what God had done with them. Thursday: verse 27b. God opened a door of faith. Friday: verse 28. They stayed with the disciples for a long time. 2. THINK Paul and Barnabas did not come home to talk about themselves. They told the church what God had done. God finished the work. God opened the door. Jesus said, "I am the door." We cannot open the door of faith from the outside. God opens it, and we come in by trusting Jesus. 3. TALK You do not need to ask them all. For young children: If a door is locked, can you open it from the porch? Who has to open it? For school-age children: Why did Paul and Barnabas talk about God instead of talking about how brave they were? For teens: Where have you finished something hard and then made yourself the hero of the story? What would it mean to trust Christ as the One who opens the door, not just to try harder at being humble? For the whole table: What is one thing God did this week that we will report with God as the subject? 4. DO Do this: At the table tonight, each person names one real thing God did this week. Start the sentence with "God," not "I." Then thank Him out loud. Another way to do this: Draw a simple door and write "God opened it" on the door. Each person writes or draws one gift from this week on a slip of paper and slides it under the door. Read the slips together on Friday. 5. PRAY Father, thank You that You finished the work, and that Jesus is the Door. Save our children. Teach this family to report You, not ourselves. Open the door of faith for anyone at this table still standing on the porch. In Jesus' name, Amen. One faith talk this week is a win.

Anton Brown

Senior Pastor

August 30, 2026 • 4 Minute Read
Family Devotional: Darkness Blinded Him
This page is our weekly Family Devotional. It is one page, built from Sunday's sermon, so the table sits with the same Word the pulpit preached. A parent can lead it cold. You do not need training and you do not need to prep. Use it as one ten-minute sitting, or walk it Monday through Friday as five short steps from the same page. There is no wrong way. One faith talk this week is a win. This week the table sits with Darkness Blinded Him, from 1 John 2:9-11. Sunday's Big Idea in plain words: a person can talk about the light and still be blind, because hatred has already done something to his eyes. You will sit with a dark hallway, a claim that did not help, and Jesus--the Light who opens eyes and sends us to our brothers and sisters. Pastor Anton This page can work two ways: as one ten-minute sitting at the table, or as five short Monday-to-Friday steps from the same page. There is no wrong way. This week's Big Idea A person can say he walks in the light and still be in the dark, because hatred has already blinded his eyes. Memory verse "Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness." 1 John 2:9 (ESV) 1. READ Read 1 John 2:9-11 out loud. Stay on this one passage all week. Monday: verse 9. The man who says he is in the light. Tuesday: verse 9 again. The word still. Wednesday: verse 10. The one who loves his brother remains in the light. Thursday: verse 11. He walks in the dark and does not know where he is going. Friday: verse 11 again. Because the darkness has blinded his eyes. 2. THINK John is not telling us to be nicer. He is showing us that hatred is a blinding that has already happened. Jesus said, "I am the light of the world." He came so that whoever believes in Him would not stay in the dark. Love for our brothers and sisters shows that His light has done its work. It is not how we buy the light. 3. TALK Pick the questions that fit your table. You do not need to ask them all. For young children: What happens if you walk through the house at night and never turn on a light? For school-age children: Why is saying "I am in the light" not the same thing as loving your brother? For teens: Where have you learned Christian words while quietly deciding you have no use for someone Christ calls your brother or sister? What would it mean to come to Christ the Light instead of managing that contempt? For the whole table: Who is one person we will ask God to help us love this week, and what is one thing love would actually do? 4. DO Do this: Name one brother or sister in the church you have walked past. Pray for that person by name at the table. Then do one concrete kindness for them this week (a message, a meal, a visit, a word). Another way to do this: Draw a simple picture of a dark hallway and a bright lamp. Write one person's name near the lamp. Ask God together to help you love that person, then place the picture where the family will see it. 5. PRAY Father, thank You that Jesus is the Light of the world, and that He came so we would not remain in darkness. Save our children. Give this family a real love for the brothers and sisters You have given us. Open any eyes hatred has shut, and keep us from managing contempt. In Jesus' name, Amen. One faith talk this week is a win.

Anton Brown

Senior Pastor

August 22, 2026 • 6 Minute Read
The Kingdom Road: Family Devotional
Dear Mayflower family, Here is this week's Family Devotional, ready for your table. If this is your first time opening one, welcome. It is a single page that takes the sermon we just heard on Sunday and brings it home, so the Word preached in the pew and the Word talked over at dinner are the same Word. You do not need to be a teacher or know your Bible cold to lead it. You can do the whole page in about ten minutes in one sitting, or take one small step a night, Monday through Friday. There is no wrong way. One unhurried faith talk this week is a win. This week the page grows out of "The Kingdom Road," from Acts 14:19-23. The heart of it is this: the road into God's kingdom goes through hard things, not around them, and Jesus walked that road first and keeps His people on it all the way home. Paul was stoned and left for dead, and then he got up and walked right back into the city, because the God who saves us also holds on to us. That is the picture your table will be sitting with this week. Read together, talk together, pray together, sing together. Here is this week's page. Pastor Anton This week's Big Idea: The road into God's kingdom goes through hard things, not around them. But Jesus walked that road first, and He holds on to His people the whole way home. Memory verse for the week: "Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God." (Acts 14:22) Say it together at the start of each time you gather. By Friday, see who can say it without looking. 1. READ (start here every time) This week's passage: Acts 14:19-23 (ESV). Read it out loud together. With young children, read it once slowly. With older children and teens, read it and then ask what stood out. If you are taking one step a night, read a short slice each evening: Monday, Acts 14:19, a mob stones Paul and drags him out of the city; Tuesday, Acts 14:20, the believers gather around him and he gets up and walks back in; Wednesday, Acts 14:21-22, Paul goes back to tell the new Christians the way into God's kingdom goes through hard things; Thursday, Acts 14:22, we go through many troubles to enter God's kingdom, and Jesus went that way first; Friday, Acts 14:23, Paul hands the churches to God to keep them safe. 2. THINK (a thought a parent can read out loud, cold) Following God can be hard, and Acts 14 shows us it is true. Paul was hurt badly for telling people about Jesus. But he got up and kept going, and he told the new Christians something surprising: the way into God's kingdom goes through hard things, not around them. Here is the best part. Jesus walked that very same road first. He suffered, and then He rose and went to glory. So when life is hard for someone who loves Jesus, it does not mean God has left. It means they are on Jesus' own road, walking right behind Him, and Jesus never lets go of the people who are His. 3. TALK (pick the questions that fit your table; you do not need to ask them all) For young children: When you fall down and get hurt, who helps you get back up? The Bible says God's people helped Paul get up after he was hurt. How does it feel to know God gives us people to help us up? For school-age children: Paul said the way into God's kingdom goes through hard things, not around them. Why is it good news that Jesus walked that same hard road before us? For teens: A lot of people quietly believe that if God really loved them, life would get easier. Acts 14 says the opposite: the hard road can be the true road. Where have you felt that tension, and what would it change to believe Jesus is on the road ahead of you, not disappointed with you? For the whole table: Verse 23 says Paul handed the new Christians to God to keep them safe. What would change in our family if we really believed God is holding on to us, even when things are hard? 4. DO (one small thing to carry the truth into the week) Do this: This week, find one person who is going through something hard, a friend, a neighbor, someone at church, and do one small thing to help them carry it. Bring them a treat, write them a note, or just sit with them. Decide together tonight who it will be, then do it before Friday. Another way to do this: Make a card together as a family with the words of our memory verse on it, and give it to someone who is tired or sad, so they know God is holding them and our family is with them too. If you would rather, you can say the memory verse out loud to that person instead of giving a card. Pick the one you can do. 5. PRAY (a parent leads; pray it as written or in your own words) Father, thank You that the way into Your kingdom goes through hard things, and that Jesus walked it first, from suffering into glory. Thank You that You never let go of the people who are Yours. We ask You to give each of our children a heart that truly trusts Jesus, so they would follow Him all the way home. And help our family walk with people who are having a hard time. In Jesus' name, amen. 6. SING (close by singing one together) This week's song: "He Will Hold Me Fast" (it says exactly what this passage teaches, that we are kept safe not by how tightly we hold on to God but by how tightly He holds on to us). Sing one verse, or the whole thing. If your family does not know it, read the first verse out loud together instead. One faith talk this week is a win. If your family can do this most nights, even better. Keep it short, keep it warm, keep coming back to it.

Anton Brown

Senior Pastor