Scripture to Read: Acts 2:42
The last set of devotions was incredibly encouraging as we saw God use Peter and the other disciples who had been filled with His Holy Spirit to share Christ with all those in Jerusalem and see over 3,000 souls surrender to Christ as Lord. So, we’ll examine what the people did as the church of our Lord Jesus Christ began. We read in Acts 2:42 that they continually devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, the breaking of bread, and prayer. The new believers were hungry for spiritual nourishment, so they immediately devoted themselves to the teaching the apostles offered. As we grow in our walk with our Lord, if we’re not careful, we can become easily distracted by the things of this world. When we focus on what this world offers us, we can easily lose our hunger and thirst for God and His Word. God reminds us in 1 Peter 2:2 that we must choose to long for His Word just like a newborn baby longs for the pure milk of its mother. When we daily feed on God’s Word and have deep fellowship with our Lord through prayer, we grow in our salvation and understanding of who God is and who we are in Christ. The new believers also were devoted to a strong community with each other. What a great reminder of how important community is for all believers. A Christian community (known as the local church) is a body of believers who pray together, disciple each other, and encourage, because every believer needs it all.
Challenge & Application
• What aspects of the early church do you still participate in today, and if you’re missing any, why are you missing out?
• How can you be more involved in your community group and invest deeper in the people in your group?
Don’t forget to pray using the A.C.T.S. (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) method!