Mission Sunday 4/25
Memory Verse:
'The last enemy to be destroyed is death. '
1 Corinthians 15:26
'The last enemy to be destroyed is death. '
1 Corinthians 15:26
Day 1
Read Acts 1
Easter is over. We got ourselves pumped up for it and pulled out the best we could to invite visitors and make it a great day. And it was. But now what? It is just a normal week and we seem to have nothing on the horizon too close. So what do we do? That is why I have decided to take this week’s devotions and go through the first few chapters of Acts. It is the sequel to Luke. Written by the same guy for the same purpose. It is just meant to tell the story the way it happened. After Jesus rose from the dead, the book of Luke ends. Then Acts starts from there. This chapter is telling us about those moments that they were just meeting together and figuring out what was next. They first had to fill the empty position of the apostleship[ that Judas held. So they start with making sure they get that taken care of.
The criteria for this position was someone that had been with Jesus since His baptism until the ascension after the resurrection. They were able to come up with at least two names listed here. Did you expect there were other disciples that had been around that long but were not named among the 12?
What do you think of the idea of casting lots for this decision? They did not cast lots for random names, but between two people that met the qualifications. But how do you process the idea that this was the final decision?
How does this become part of your prayer today?
Easter is over. We got ourselves pumped up for it and pulled out the best we could to invite visitors and make it a great day. And it was. But now what? It is just a normal week and we seem to have nothing on the horizon too close. So what do we do? That is why I have decided to take this week’s devotions and go through the first few chapters of Acts. It is the sequel to Luke. Written by the same guy for the same purpose. It is just meant to tell the story the way it happened. After Jesus rose from the dead, the book of Luke ends. Then Acts starts from there. This chapter is telling us about those moments that they were just meeting together and figuring out what was next. They first had to fill the empty position of the apostleship[ that Judas held. So they start with making sure they get that taken care of.
The criteria for this position was someone that had been with Jesus since His baptism until the ascension after the resurrection. They were able to come up with at least two names listed here. Did you expect there were other disciples that had been around that long but were not named among the 12?
What do you think of the idea of casting lots for this decision? They did not cast lots for random names, but between two people that met the qualifications. But how do you process the idea that this was the final decision?
How does this become part of your prayer today?
Day 2
Read Acts 2
The next big thing that happens is the Day of Pentecost. That does not refer to the events that happened, because Pentecost was already a time of celebration for generations before this. The events that happened here just so happened on that day. Which is why you see the great crowds and the different cultures. The city was packed for the event. This is when the disciples were all filled with the Holy Spirit, something we experience at the time of salvation. But they did not have that same experience. They knew what it was like to live without being filled with the Holy Spirit and now, with. What is the main difference? You should take some time today to study that out and find what that looks like, but I would offer up Peter’s sermon as an example of the difference. He was denying he knew Jesus and went back to fishing just a short time ago. Now all of the sudden, look at the boldness he is preaching and the response to what he is saying! It is a pretty dramatic change that Peter goes through.
What do you think the differences that were experienced before they were filled with the Holy Spirit and after? How do you think life was different before?
In the last few verses of this chapter, what do you notice that you have not observed in a church and why? Should it be there?
How does this become part of your prayer today?
The next big thing that happens is the Day of Pentecost. That does not refer to the events that happened, because Pentecost was already a time of celebration for generations before this. The events that happened here just so happened on that day. Which is why you see the great crowds and the different cultures. The city was packed for the event. This is when the disciples were all filled with the Holy Spirit, something we experience at the time of salvation. But they did not have that same experience. They knew what it was like to live without being filled with the Holy Spirit and now, with. What is the main difference? You should take some time today to study that out and find what that looks like, but I would offer up Peter’s sermon as an example of the difference. He was denying he knew Jesus and went back to fishing just a short time ago. Now all of the sudden, look at the boldness he is preaching and the response to what he is saying! It is a pretty dramatic change that Peter goes through.
What do you think the differences that were experienced before they were filled with the Holy Spirit and after? How do you think life was different before?
In the last few verses of this chapter, what do you notice that you have not observed in a church and why? Should it be there?
How does this become part of your prayer today?
Day 3
Read Acts 3
We are still going in our week of reading the first parts of Acts. After telling us about the gathering and choosing a new apostle and the coming of the Holy Spirit, Luke begins to tell us about the work outside in the city and what starts happening. The same things that Jesus was doing, the apostles are doing in public now. Their ministry had not always been overly public and they were not really the focus of what was happening, but now it is all riding on their shoulders and they are preaching and healing and sharing Jesus everywhere they can. That is the natural work of the church. There are the business-like sides of deciding the leadership and all of that, there is the private worship as the believers gather and live together in community, but there is also the public sharing of Jesus in all places. Notice how Peter and John take this normal situation and someone looking for help, and makes it into a sermon that tells everyone around them about Jesus. Granted, the miracle of the lame man walking probably had a big part of that, but it is still neat to see how he does this.
Preaching and teaching can be two totally different things, as kind of shown here. Peter is preaching, or proclaiming the word of God. The teaching, like we saw in the last chapter, was happening in the gathering of the disciples. Notice that the church was started on preaching and it was used regularly. What do you learn from that idea and why is it important?
What else sticks out to you in this passage?
How does this become part of your prayer today?
We are still going in our week of reading the first parts of Acts. After telling us about the gathering and choosing a new apostle and the coming of the Holy Spirit, Luke begins to tell us about the work outside in the city and what starts happening. The same things that Jesus was doing, the apostles are doing in public now. Their ministry had not always been overly public and they were not really the focus of what was happening, but now it is all riding on their shoulders and they are preaching and healing and sharing Jesus everywhere they can. That is the natural work of the church. There are the business-like sides of deciding the leadership and all of that, there is the private worship as the believers gather and live together in community, but there is also the public sharing of Jesus in all places. Notice how Peter and John take this normal situation and someone looking for help, and makes it into a sermon that tells everyone around them about Jesus. Granted, the miracle of the lame man walking probably had a big part of that, but it is still neat to see how he does this.
Preaching and teaching can be two totally different things, as kind of shown here. Peter is preaching, or proclaiming the word of God. The teaching, like we saw in the last chapter, was happening in the gathering of the disciples. Notice that the church was started on preaching and it was used regularly. What do you learn from that idea and why is it important?
What else sticks out to you in this passage?
How does this become part of your prayer today?
Day 4
Read Acts 4
Peter is the exact opposite of who he was with Jesus! If there was a disciple that you could look at and really declare that he had changed, it would have to be Peter. The guy just seemed to come alive starting on the day of Pentecost and here we see him in front of the rulers, not just the people, declaring that they had killed Jesus. This was surely not the safest strategy that he could have had, but it seems to be working as Luke reminds us that he is filled with the Holy Spirit. Also, notice that his boldness is the thing that catches the leaders off guard. If you were to think of who could and was able to be bold in this story, it would be the religious leaders and officials, but they are the ones that declare how obvious it is that Peter has experienced some sort of something that he truly believes in.
When were you the most bold in your walk with Jesus? What made the difference?
How and why have things changed from that moment?
Do you need to return to some of that boldness and how do you do that?
How does this become part of your prayer today?
Peter is the exact opposite of who he was with Jesus! If there was a disciple that you could look at and really declare that he had changed, it would have to be Peter. The guy just seemed to come alive starting on the day of Pentecost and here we see him in front of the rulers, not just the people, declaring that they had killed Jesus. This was surely not the safest strategy that he could have had, but it seems to be working as Luke reminds us that he is filled with the Holy Spirit. Also, notice that his boldness is the thing that catches the leaders off guard. If you were to think of who could and was able to be bold in this story, it would be the religious leaders and officials, but they are the ones that declare how obvious it is that Peter has experienced some sort of something that he truly believes in.
When were you the most bold in your walk with Jesus? What made the difference?
How and why have things changed from that moment?
Do you need to return to some of that boldness and how do you do that?
How does this become part of your prayer today?
Day 5
Read Acts 5
The theme is momentum. Right? Acts is the book of actions and it is the sequel to the book of Luke. So Luke is writing about how the church launched and the discussions have been about all of the incredible adventures and great happenings in the church. Until you get to Acts 5, and this wet-blanket of a story is thrown in. For one thing, it puts us back to dealing with that whole Old Testament-style God idea that most of us come at the Bible with. These chapters have all been confirmation showing the proof that God is at work through this “new religion” of following Jesus. With all of the controversy and struggles around the whole Jesus story, these things like the Day of Pentecost miracle, the healings, and the extreme growth in the church, along with the attitude changes that happened in the group following Jesus, were necessary to confirm that this was real. Then you have these two that show up one day and are out to ride the wave of excitement. So they lie. They sell a piece of property and announce they are going to give the money to the church. There is nothing wrong there. The problem only comes when they give only a portion of the money after announcing they are giving it all. Why does that matter? God has money if he needs money. The problem was that they were seeking attention for themselves through deception. This was the real problem with Ananias and Sapphira.
If the deception is the problem, what other things can you see being as dangerous and out of bounds that you have seen in churches today?
What do you think this did for the church at this time, created more of an increase in faith, or made more people struggle and bail out? Why do you think that?
What is the takeaway for you in this story?
How does this become part of your prayer today?
The theme is momentum. Right? Acts is the book of actions and it is the sequel to the book of Luke. So Luke is writing about how the church launched and the discussions have been about all of the incredible adventures and great happenings in the church. Until you get to Acts 5, and this wet-blanket of a story is thrown in. For one thing, it puts us back to dealing with that whole Old Testament-style God idea that most of us come at the Bible with. These chapters have all been confirmation showing the proof that God is at work through this “new religion” of following Jesus. With all of the controversy and struggles around the whole Jesus story, these things like the Day of Pentecost miracle, the healings, and the extreme growth in the church, along with the attitude changes that happened in the group following Jesus, were necessary to confirm that this was real. Then you have these two that show up one day and are out to ride the wave of excitement. So they lie. They sell a piece of property and announce they are going to give the money to the church. There is nothing wrong there. The problem only comes when they give only a portion of the money after announcing they are giving it all. Why does that matter? God has money if he needs money. The problem was that they were seeking attention for themselves through deception. This was the real problem with Ananias and Sapphira.
If the deception is the problem, what other things can you see being as dangerous and out of bounds that you have seen in churches today?
What do you think this did for the church at this time, created more of an increase in faith, or made more people struggle and bail out? Why do you think that?
What is the takeaway for you in this story?
How does this become part of your prayer today?
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