Apollos: The Gift of Accepting Help
Bible Readings
Take a few minutes to read the Bible verses listed and ask the Holy Spirit to lead you in how this verse applies to you this week.
24 A Jewish man named Apollos came to Ephesus. Apollos had been born in the city of Alexandria. He was a very good speaker and knew a lot about the Scriptures. 25 He also knew much about the Lord's Way, and he spoke about it with great excitement. What he taught about Jesus was right, but all he knew was John's message about baptism. 26 Apollos started speaking bravely in the synagogue. But when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him to their home and helped him understand God's Way even better.
Acts 18:24-26
Memory Verse
Acts 18:26
26 Apollos started speaking bravely in the synagogue. But when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him to their home and helped him understand God's Way even better.
Sometimes we don’t want to ask for help. It can make us feel like we’re not good enough. We want to prove we can do things alone. But God created us to depend on and learn from one another.
In the early church, Paul traveled the ancient world teaching new followers of Christ how to share stories of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. But not everyone knew enough about Jesus to do that well.
A man named Apollos knew a lot about public speaking. He knew a lot about his Jewish faith. But he did not know a lot about Jesus’ life. This smart, capable man had something to learn from two local tent makers.
Priscilla and Aquila did not have Apollos's training, but Paul had taught them a lot about Jesus. When they heard Apollos speak in the synagogue, a place where Jews often gathered to worship, they wanted to help him.
Apollos could have sent these two tent makers away. After all, he had more education than they did. Did he really need their help? Instead, Apollos welcomed their invitation. Learning from Priscilla and Aquila strengthened Apollos’ ability to teach others about following Jesus.
It’s good to be independent and know how to do things on our own. But it’s also good to accept help. Think about someone who could give you a hand or share their knowledge—perhaps someone older with more experience, such as a teacher or grandparent. Or maybe another kid just like you—a friend or even a younger sibling. Who can you learn from today?
Prayer
Lord, thank you for the strengths and gifts you give each of us. Help us to use our gifts when we can to help others. Please also guide us to graciously accept help when we need it so that we can learn from one another and grow in love. Amen.Related Resources
Sara Korber-DeWeerd
Sara Korber-DeWeerd is a freelance writer, teacher, and Down syndrome advocate. She lives in Massachusetts with her husband Mark and their three children, plus one dog and seven chickens. When not teaching or writing, Sara enjoys exploring the mountains, lakes, and rocky coastlines of New England with her active family (though they usually leave the chickens at home).Â