Microchurch Minute
We enjoyed reading through Acts 7 together on Sunday morning. During our brief overview of the Genesis-Deuteronomy, we were able to also read through the apostle, Stephen’s final trial. His death did not come swiftly, but by the process of being stoned. Throughout his trial, Stephen was given ample opportunity to recount his statements, in what would have been an attempt to save his earthly body. We see a bold and Godly example here, of a a man who spoke the truth of Christ, no matter the cost. Do you allow God to speak through you? Do you speak with the confidence of the creator of the universe as your backbone? We must be in tune with the Lord’s message and in a position willing to share with who God is calling us to. See, God doesn’t need us to spread His good news to the ends of the earth, He allows us to be a part of it! Continue to be bold in sharing the good news. Remembering that at times, this will put you in the uncomfortable position of having to forgive those who speak against you, in your full surrender to God.
Microchurch Minute
Miracles, signs & wonders. What a time to be alive. I’m not just talking about the days of Philip’s ministry in Samaria either. I believe that God has blessed brilliant minds of the present day with gifts that they are able to train and utilize for His glory. We place a stagnant comfort in the idea that we can just go to the doctor for healing when we’re sick. But, the reality of this fact is that God provided the healing to us through the hands of the gifted medical staff we got to encounter. Do you choose to see the Holy Spirit in your everyday life? I challenge you to do so, by way of constant realignment of your heart and mind with His calling. I believe it is in the moments of our deepest dependency upon the Lord, that He allows us to see Him move in mighty ways. After Philip baptized the eunich, he was immediately taken away and the eunich went on rejoicing! While we are called to share the good news of Jesus Christ, we must remember to keep the focus on him and not ourselves. When the Lord calls you to move in someone’s life, be sure to listen prayerfully as He allows you to plant the mustard seed and then get out of His way to allow all honor and glory to be attributed to the only One worthy of it all.
Microchurch Minute
Good evening, church family. We gathered Sunday morning to discuss Acts 10. What wonderful news to see that Jesus’ sacrifice singlehandedly broke the barriers of race, culture and prosperity. All the gentiles are now equal with the Jews, because God does not show favoritism! None of us will ever be able to “do enough good” or earn our salvation (what a relief). But, God freely gives us His redemptive grace through His Son’s sacrifice on the cross. What a wild concept to have been introduced to back then even now. Cornelius stepped out and did the unthinkable, inviting a Jew to his home. Simon Peter listened and obeyed when the Lord called him to willingly leave with the gentiles that came to request his presence. Obedience in true submission to God can look scary for us, as well. To truly follow Him we have to be ready to be uncomfortable, to look different and to trust that He has already gone before us to pave the way. Imagine the historical breakthroughs that have happened because a believer allowed God to challenge his assumptions about others and be included in the Almighty’s plan for mankind.
Shameless plug: I am challenging our church to take personal accountability in developing and maintaining a relationship with a connection we have made (or will make) through APN. Sounds like a chance to put the lessons we learned from Acts 10 into action, doesn’t it? If that idea seems intimidating to you, pray on it. Godly obedience usually is. But remember, He’s already paved the way.
Microchurch Minute
Just like you wouldn’t expect your foot to chew gum or your thumb to grow a tooth, we recognize that each believer has different roles to play for the kingdom of Heaven. For the church as a whole to effectively fulfill God’s plans for us on earth, we need to support these different roles and pray over each other as they develop and are utilized. Pray for God to reveal your role to you and then dare to gladly accept it! The good news is, we don’t have to fulfill all the roles on our own, but we are called to obediently fulfill the task(s) appointed over our lives. This can require a great deal of intentionality. We saw that Paul was bold in his spreading the gospel and also calling out sin. He also knew his audiences and was able to present to each with the same message in unique ways that spoke directly to them. That type of communication doesn’t happen by accident. It is ok to accept that the gospel of Christ will always be controversial. In the face of adversity, His truth must still be told. We need to pray for boldness in our communication of the gospel, because we can all be assured that will have opposition eventually. Don’t let it slow you down though. Even the disciples were joyful after some negative response. Think of it this way: if we weren’t making strides in the name of Christ, the enemy wouldn’t be fighting it so intensely.
Microchurch Minute
We gathered Sunday to discuss Acts 14. We follow Paul and Barnabas as their ministry grew. Through their faith in God, they were granted abilities to perform signs and wonders. They continued to share their faith, even in the face of opposition. That isn’t something they did under their own human willpower, that is divine encouragement from God! Some people that witnessed them began thinking of them and treating them as “gods”. I can imagine it would have been tempting to accept the praise and use it to their advantage. Isn’t it human nature to seek glorification? Recognition of what you are so good at? They rejected the praise and pointed everyone who marveled at their acts to their true source of power, God. How beautiful it must be to be so in tune with your Creator.
It is believed that if the average Christian reads scripture 4+ times a week, they are substantially more likely to share the Good News with people that God has placed in their circle of influence. When is the last time you shared your faith with someone in your circle (or even more uncomfortably, out of your circle)? Even more than that, do you feel encouraged and supported in spending time in the Word? If we truly are for God and one another, it is our duty to hold each other accountable in our relationships with Jesus. We hear God by reading His word. He hears us through our prayers and praise. Being a Christian isn’t just accepting that Jesus died for your sins, it is about having a real, conversational relationship with God.
