Kingdom People - the Early ChurchSample

Barnabas was a Jewish man from the island of Cyprus. His real name was Joseph, but the apostles called him Barnabas - which means son of encouragement. After Jesus went back to heaven and the church was just getting started, all the believers met together every day. They shared all they had with one another and cared for those in need. Barnabas owned a field and sold it to give all the money to support this early church.

When Saul, later known as Paul, met Jesus on the road to Damascus, Barnabas brought him to the apostles and stood up for him. Soon, Barnabas took Saul under his wing, and they worked together to build the church. They travelled together, spoke boldly about Jesus, and many people became Christians. Not everyone was happy with them; once, they were thrown out of the city, but they didn’t give up speaking; they just shook the dust off their feet and kept going!

Barnabas was a man who was full of faith and the Holy Spirit. Just like his name, he was an encourager. Barnabas was a kingdom person who built the church through being generous and leading others to Jesus. The Bible is full of ‘Kingdom People,’ the kind of people who devoted their lives to building what was most important to Jesus, God’s Kingdom. We can be kingdom people, too!