'D' is for dare this Mother's Day and, with it, we'll be talking about three people who are daring in their ability to have God move their steps—and one of the three may surprise you. The first in the trio is the head of her household, and, appropriate for Mother's Day, we'll talk about Lydia. Second is Paul and his companions, and the third who can be daring to have God move their feet is someone you know quite well, it's you yourself. We'll conclude our second sermon in this five-part 'D' series with this: dare to make a difference in your spiritual life, and in the spiritual life of someone else.  Dare to let God lead you, and yes, in turn, God will lead you to someone else.

First, moms, meet or remember Lydia, who, like you, is also the head of her household. This successful Macedonian entrepreneur likely held a high socio-economic status because anyone who deals in purple cloth must have born into or gained influence and wealth.

Now ladies, this woman's age unknown, but what is known is this: regardless of your age, you have something in common with this merchant of fine purple cloth. What is it? You also worship God. In your life, with your schedules and your demands, you also find time to spend time with your Lord. Like Lydia, you also stress upon, pull and maybe even prod your family to come to church as she came to her worship place.

The bible tells us that Lydia is a spiritual searcher. We find her among the Gentile women who gather outside Philippi each Sabbath to pray to God just as you gather each Sunday to pray to God. She, like all of us, women, children and men, meets others each Sabbath to be with God. She's there in her worship space as you are in yours: to let the Lord guide, comfort and companion you. She came to God as you come to God, and you come to God to be stirred, inspired, nurtured, touched, loved and moved.

Lydia's attendance at the prayer gathering demonstrates her willingness to respond to God, and she responds to God as you respond to God. She opened her heart and her home not to strangers, though she'd never met Paul and the others before; she opened her heart and her home to those in the faith.

See, when Lydia heard the good news about Christ Jesus, she received a gift. The gift she received called her to action, and that's why she invited Paul, Silas and Luke, the author of our story here, to her home.

Now this is a day for gifts for moms, of course, and these expressions of love are important, but all of us, when it comes to the Christian gift, do we even open it? And, just a bad, do we share it?

Let me share a story about gifts not opened. Years ago, there was a ten year-old boy who had never seen a circus. Imagine his excitement when one day a poster went up announcing that on the next Saturday a traveling circus was coming to the nearby town.

He ran home and asked his dad for permission and the money to go. His family was poor but his dad could tell how badly he wanted this, so he told him if he did all his chores all week then he could attend the circus.

Well, the boy did do the chores all week and that Saturday morning he ran to the breakfast table in his Sunday best to receive a dollar bill from his dad. That was the most money the little boy had ever possessed at one time in his life.

The boy was so excited. As he neared the village, he noticed people lining the streets. He worked his way through the crowd until he could see what was happening.  Low and behold, it was the approaching spectacle of a circus parade!

The parade was the grandest thing he had ever seen. Exotic animals he'd only read about passed by. Colorful costumes and a band with loud drums and shiny horns filled the street. The acrobats astonished the crowd while flags and ribbons swirled overhead.

Finally, after everything had passed where he was standing, the traditional circus clown with floppy shoes, baggy pants, and a brightly painted face, signaled the end of the parade. As the clown passed by, the little boy reached into his pocket and took out that precious dollar bill. Handing the money to the clown, the boy turned around and went home. The boy thought he had seen the circus, but he had only seen the parade!

When it comes to church, Christ and the Spirit that can move us, we give in too soon. We, too, turn in our money and leave. We don't open the gift, and certainly we don't share the gift —or share it like we should.

But Paul did. Paul opened the gift and shared. And remember, Paul's the second one we'll talk about this morning. Along with others filled with the Spirit and the presence of God, Paul followed the route God gave him, and on that route or road, Paul met what I think Matt Gorkos, who preached here two Sundays ago, would say were people different than he was. Last Sunday, if you remember, I told you we'd talk about Matt's message again. We will not let his words of challenge and encourage to reach the twenty-something year old generation fall because, truly. as Paul not only spread but also lived the word of God to foreigners, we can spread and live the word of God to our twenty-something-year olds.

Let's name the problem we have, even if it's a problem you haven't considered or put words to, and it's this: we want them to be like us. Specifically, you want them to be like you. You want them to value what you value, hear what you hear, spend their hard-earned income like you spend your hard-earned income. But it doesn't work that way. It won't work that way.

Instead, embrace our second sermon point this morning. Meet people—all people—where they are. Listen to them. Again, meet people where they are; not where you'd like them to be. Meet people where they are; not where you think they should be.

And listen to them. Paul and Lydia held different value systems. First, men and women then were treated even more differently than they are today—and there are still notable differences. Plus, Paul and Lydia came from different countries. They had different values, different perspectives, different ways of looking at the same problems, and yet what one power united them? What one force brought them together? What one, peaceful, loving presence enabled them—each so different from the other—as our generations are different from each other—to be together in one Spirit? That one power, that one force, the one peaceful, loving presence is God.

Dare to open your gift, folks. Don't turn and run from it. Dare to open your gift, which is God, and in opening your gift, share it.

I just appropriated more from the talk I heard from Gil Rendel at the Penn Northeast Conference held on April 24^th, and Gil's lectures, as I've shared, are the basis for these five inter-related sermons. And Gil shared generational issues when he presented his speeches, and the bottom line from his words are what we find here in scripture today: there are going to be differences. There are going to be gaps. There are going to be awkward moments, but that is growth, and Christian growth, as I see it, is our responsibility. We say churches fail, but I think people fail when they don't let God into their heart enough to not only hear but also embrace generational, cultural, or even financial differences.

We seek our own kind. It's totally true. We hang with our own peers. That's what we do, or what we do too often.

Catch yourself when that happens. Catch yourself, and correct yourself. Infer, if you haven't already, that I speak highly of Gil Rendel, but there's something else you should know. When I first saw him, when I first caught a glimpse of him heading to the microphone for the first time, my shoulders drooped. Here I was, on some unconscious level, looking for someone my age, and here I saw this old dude. What could he do? How could he understand me? How could he reach me?

We all have age biases. Drop them. We all have cultural barriers. Drop them. That seemingly 'old guy' reached me. And he didn't do it alone. No, he had God.

Like Lydia, like Paul, let God use you. Whether you're six or ninety-six, let God enable you to reach out of your comfort zone. Tap into God's love so that you can meet people where they are; not where you'd like them—and listen to them. Paul and Lydia had a conversation. Do the same with those people who are not here in this church today.

Ah, yes, you remember the third person I promised we'd talk about today. Yes, we've talked about Lydia. We've talked about Paul. And you know who is next. You are.

And we are going to begin to close our time together with our third point, which is this. Within the next forty-eight to seventy-two hours, if you look for it, you will have the ability to find where God is in someone else's life. Be intentional about sharing where God is for them. Within the next forty-eight hours, you have the ability to find where God is in someone else's life. Be intentional about sharing where God is for them.

Listen. Finding God in someone else's life isn't you putting your religious or God-driven moments onto someone else; no, don't pound your experience into someone else or expect that individual to have the same experience. Instead, through the Spirit, use your experience to shoulder, companion and enable the God that person knows to be even more present to them.

Look at who we are. We are about love to our God and service to others.  We are about devotion to our Creator. We are about pointing others to God. And we're getting better at it; we are getting bolder at it.

Last week I asked you to decide. Decide if you'll be empowered, liberated and inspired. Decide if you want to stay still, looking at something broken like that drinking fountain we talked about, or decide to revitalize and, in so doing, realize that the new heaven and the new earth starts with you.

We conclude our second sermon in this five-part 'D' series with this: dare to make a difference in your spiritual life, and in the spiritual life of someone else.  Dare to let God lead you as God lead Paul and God led Lydia. Dare to let God lead you, and yes, in turn, God will lead you to someone else.