Acts 2:42-47 (NIV)

42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

This is a beautiful passage in Acts that occurs after the great events of Jesus’ ascension, the manifestation of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, and the addition of 3,000 followers of Jesus. N. T. Wright says that after the action-packed opening of Acts, Dr. Luke takes a moment to “pause for breath, look around, and see where we’ve got to” (Acts for Everyone). Here we find the early church living together as a familia of faith, teaching, fellowshipping, breaking bread, and praying.

The apostle’s teaching centered on the Good News that Jesus Christ, the resurrected Messiah, is Lord over all (Acts 2:36). When Peter preached this word to the crowd at Pentecost, they were “cut to the heart.” Over time, the apostle’s teachings were written down and collected into what is now our New Testament, but those early believers were not able to study written scriptures the way we do.

They didn’t have Bibles in the form of books, Bibles on their phones, or Right Now Media full of teachings on the Bible. Even access to the Old Testament scriptures were limited. Still, they devoted themselves to the apostle’s teaching by meeting daily in the temple courts and breaking bread in their homes.

What does devoting yourself to the apostle’s teaching look like for you? As we approach this fall, I hope you will consider devoting yourselves to the apostle’s teaching through daily Bible study, devotional readings like these, and prayer. But also consider fellowshipping in one of our many Bible studies and ministries being re-launched Wednesday, September 8, at 6:15 pm. Come to our Family Ministry Fair this Wednesday, September 1, from 6:15 pm - 7:30 pm in the FLC to find out more!

Dear God,

May the study of Your word cut me to the heart and help me make a difference for your Kingdom. May our devotion to teaching in our Familia of Faith lead us to transformational worship, practical discipleship, compassionate service and loving fellowships that have an impact in our community. May You add to our number as we seek to follow Jesus and devote ourselves to the apostle’s teaching.

Amen