Day 08 - Western Coast: Miletus, Didyma, Priene

Ruins, Reflections & the Joy of the Lord

We started the day with a simple truth:
We are the household of the living God—called to be pillars holding up His true story in a world full of false ones. What a privilege.

A Sweet Start and a Sobering Word

First stop, of course, a Turkish delight shop.

From there, we traveled to Miletus, where we sat in the ancient theatre as Ty walked us through Acts 20:13–18. This is where Paul gives his farewell to the elders of the Ephesian church. Ty reminded us: We are different people, called differently, to live differently. Paul gives these final words full of urgency: be watchful for those who twist God’s Word, lead with the heart of a shepherd, and be generous. They wept together, showing how much they cared about each other and the work they were taking part in with the Lord.

We also reflected on Ephesians 4:17–24—a clear challenge to leave behind the old life. Paul urges us to take off the old clothes of sin and step into something new. The world was easily sucked into immorality, and the Church can fall into this too. But we’ve been called uniquely, we are to walk uniquely, and we must prepare ourselves for what is ahead.
Later, we read Revelation 2, where Jesus addresses the church in Ephesus. They were doctrinally sound. Morally upright. But they had lost their passion for the Word and for the gospel. Ty challenged us: Don’t let these powerful moments in ancient places make your head bigger than your heart. Don’t leave here smarter—leave here softer, more faithful, more in love with Jesus.

Didyma: No More Temple Games

After lunch, we visited the Temple of Apollo in Didyma—once the fourth largest sanctuary in the Greek world. People traveled far for oracles and fortune-telling. Standing in those ruins, Ty reminded us to praise God that we don’t have to jump through rituals or temple systems to access Him.

We have full access to the Lord.
We can focus on praise in our prayers—especially through praying the Psalms.

What a contrast: a massive temple built to hear from a false god, and us—invited into daily, personal connection with the living God.

Priene: Perched Above, Focused Within

Next, we climbed the hill to Priene, where we saw another theatre, a small Christian church, and the Temple of Athena, dramatically overlooking the Meander River Valley. Here, sacred space met strategic location. But for us, it became a place of worship and reflection.

Together, we paused for some reflection time, asking these questions: Who are you going to tell? What story will you share? What have you learned?

We then got to sing a few songs together.

A Joyful God and a Victorious Savior

Ty closed our time with a word on joy.

True joy doesn’t come from our performance. It doesn’t come from our surroundings.
It comes from the person of God: A joyful, all-knowing, all-powerful, sovereign God.

That’s what gave the early church their courage.
They knew the end of the story.

Jesus wins.

And that’s why we’re here now.
Because they stayed faithful, and their legacy lives on.