10/11/2026
Paul says one of the hardest goodbyes of his ministry in our church's reading this week (Acts 20:13-38), meeting with the Ephesian elders one last time before heading toward whatever awaits him in Jerusalem.
"I have been a constant example of how you can help those in need by working hard. You should remember the words of the Lord Jesus: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'" — Acts 20:35 (NLT)
Paul knows he's heading into real danger. The Holy Spirit has told him that jail and suffering are waiting in city after city, and yet he keeps moving toward Jerusalem anyway, because finishing the work matters more to him than his own safety. Before he goes, he calls the Ephesian elders together for one final conversation, and it reads less like a farewell speech and more like a father making sure his kids know how to carry on without him.
He reminds them of how he served among them: humbly, in tears, never holding anything back even when it was uncomfortable to say. He warns them that hard days are still coming, that false teachers will try to pull people away, and he charges them to guard and shepherd the church well. Then he says something easy to miss in the middle of all that seriousness. He reminds them that his own hands did the work to support himself and others, and that Jesus said it's more blessed to give than to receive.
That's really the heart of the whole passage. Paul isn't just handing off a job. He's handing off a way of living, one marked by sacrifice, honesty, and hard work done for the sake of other people rather than personal gain. It's no wonder the elders weep and can't let him go without embracing him first.
This week, think about what it would look like to lead or serve the way Paul describes here, not for recognition, but because giving of yourself for others is where real blessing is found.
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