Today we begin our summer series which will cover the months of July, August, and September.
Our series deals with the life and missionary trips of the Apostle Paul. We will use a lot from the book of Acts and from a number of Paul's New Testament writings. The nature of the series is such that we will cover 3 months each summer for the next 3 years.
Odyssey: a long and eventful or adventurous journey or experience.

This isn't a study of the whole book of Acts but will focus on 3 main missionary trips that established the Christian faith. Here are some reasons for this:
1. To learn about Paul. Outside of Jesus, he is the most important single individual in church history.
2. We'll get a sense of history as to how Christianity spread throughout the Roman world following the resurrection of Jesus.
3. To challenge us to really examine our lives. Paul wrote about this in 2 Corinthians 13:5.
4. So that we can dream dreams worthy of God's blessings and actions. Grace Church is a product of a vison the Lord gave 3 decades ago.
You can find the "I See" weblink below which is what God allowed Pastor Don to see when He (God) birthed the vision of this church.

One dictionary defines the word, "prequel" this way: "a story or movie containing events that precede those of an existing work."
We are familiar with this concept in literature, movies, and TV. Think of the Star Wars and Indiana Jones series'.

Many of us have heard of the Bible character named Paul. He was a planter of churches and a promoter of the Christian faith. But way before this, he was known as Saul, pharisee, persecutor, and punisher of the Christian faith.
Today's message serves as a prequel...the story before the story.

The setting is near Jerusalem, perhaps within a year of Jesus’ death and resurrection. Stephen, a prominent Christian in Jerusalem has been falsely accused of speaking against God, is arrested, tried and found guilty by the Jewish ruling council, the Sanhedrin, and then is sentenced to be stoned to death.
Acts 7:54-8:3

To understand the foundation and spread of Christianity, you have to know the story of Saul, or Paul, as we know him today. The name Saul means "asked for or prayed for” This was also the name of the first king of Israel. If you remember, the people asked for a king … someone who could lead them; implies that his parents wanted a child who would be a leader.
Contrary to what many of us have heard, God did not change his name at the point of conversion, nor did Saul change it himself.
It was common to have both a Jewish name and a name by which those in the secular Roman world would know him by. The change in Scripture is seen in Acts 13:9-13 where Luke refers to him as Paul and continues to do so in his writings.

In terms of background, we learn a number of interesting facts about Saul/Paul in Acts 22:1-3.
This was the man that we know as Saul:
1. He was a great communicator, a prolific writer, and very thoughtful, technical, and an exceptional debater.
2. He could speak multiple languages. Aramaic is mentioned but also Hebrew, Latin, and Koine Greek.
3. He was a Jew (tribe of Benjamin). They were the smallest of Jewish tribes but were associated with military prowess and aggression. King Saul, Queen Esther, Ehud the Judge, and Saul are Benjaminites.
4. He was born in Tarsus of Cilcia (sa·lee·seah). This was an incredibly fertile plain fed by three rivers, intersected by major highways, and was the proverbial “hot potato” between various world powers for 1,000 years.
5. He was educated in Jerusalem as it was the Jewish center of religion.
6. He was mentored by one of the greatest most respected rabbis, Gamaliel who was a high-ranking member of the Jewish Sanhedrin.
7. He was a perfectionist in terms of the Jewish faith.
8. He was incredibly passionate about what he believed and was a natural leader.
9. He was descended from a long line of Pharisees. Acts 23:6
10. He had a sister and nephew who lived in Jerusalem. Acts 23:16

We can read how Paul describes himself in Philippians 3:4-6 [NLT].
But then something changes and his story takes a turn as we continue to read in Philippians 3:7-11 [NLT]

This is the prequel to Saul becoming one of the greatest difference makers that has lived upon planet earth. His story before the story of how Jesus saved and used him.
What would be written about your life story?
Who were you before you met Jesus?
Has Jesus changed your life; and if so, how?