Expounding the Word - Unusual Kindness Part 2

March 27, 2026·26 min·2 clips

Pastor Chris promises that if you serve Christ, you will get bit—so why should you still step into the game?

This episode features Pastor Chris Wimberly of Saylor Hills Church continuing his sermon series "Unusual Kindness" by examining Acts chapter 28. He uses the Apostle Paul's experiences to discuss the realities of Christian service. The central narrative involves Paul being shipwrecked on Malta, where he is bitten by a viper while gathering sticks for a fire. Pastor Chris presents this snakebite as a metaphor for the inevitable difficulties encountered when serving others. He explains that the islanders initially believed Paul was a murderer being judged by the goddess Dike, but they changed their minds after he shook off the bite unharmed. The sermon details how Paul then showed unusual kindness by healing Publius's father and many other sick islanders during a three-month stay. Pastor Chris distinguishes between the instantaneous miracle for Publius's father and the therapeutic healing, or *therapeuo*, offered to others over time. The episode concludes with Paul's journey to Puteoli and Rome, where fellow believers traveled to meet him, an act that gave Paul courage. A key insight is that serving others actively, or "gathering sticks," invites spiritual opposition symbolized by the viper. Pastor Chris argues that such "bites"—like misunderstanding or persecution—are allowed by God to foster growth in virtues like patience. He emphasizes the choice to "shake off" hurt rather than become bitter, citing Jesus's instruction to his disciples to shake dust from their feet. The episode notes that observers, like the Maltese islanders or one's own family, are watching how Christians respond to difficulty. Pastor Chris connects the kindness shown to Paul by strangers and believers to the power of proactive, encouraging actions, especially during the Christmas season. The tone is pastoral, instructional, and motivational, blending scriptural exegesis with practical life application. Listeners seeking biblical teaching on perseverance, service, and practical faith will find this episode encouraging. Those preferring theological debate or non-religious content would likely skip it.

As heard by us

A sermon about kindness under pressure, grounded in the realities of Christian life.

Pastor Chris Wimberly's Acts 28 message focuses on what it costs to serve other people when faith gets messy in ordinary life. The main point stays plain: patience, self-control, and kindness are not extras, but part of what belief looks like when people disagree, temptation…

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Why you'd press play

You want a sermon that names the friction of Christian life without softening the call.

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