Microchurch Minute
In Acts 2, Pentecost has come, the Holy Spirit now dwells within believers, and we get a glimpse of how the early church responded to this divine responsibility and authority. Imagine living in that moment, the generation that witnessed Jesus’ crucifixion, His defeat of death, and His ascension. The energy behind this new community of believers must have been incredible. They were hungry for more of the gospel and more of the truth. The apostles taught, and the believers listened eagerly to what they had been taught by Christ. Scripture uses the word devoted, this wasn’t casual conversation or occasional interest. It was a new way of life they were embracing. We can follow their example by continually learning, teaching, obeying, and living according to Scripture.
Notice, too, that the church described here is not simply a weekly gathering. The church is the community itself. They shared life together. In our age of individualism, it can be easy to miss the significance of this. We are surrounded by my house, my money, my resources, my space. Are we creating space to welcome others in?
The early believers even sold their possessions to meet one another’s needs. While this isn’t necessarily a command for every believer to sell everything they own, it reveals a posture of radical generosity.
God has given each of us resources –
wealth, time, abilities, homes, and opportunities. Do we primarily use them for ourselves, or are we willing to use what God has entrusted to us to serve others? The way we allocate our resources reveals what we value and, ultimately, what we worship.
Beyond sharing resources, they broke bread together. They shared meals, celebrated together, and opened their homes. What a simple and beautiful expression of fellowship. God could have designed nourishment to be purely functional, yet He gave us the gift of taste and the ability to enjoy food together. Sharing what He has provided can itself become an act of gratitude and worship.
And how do we truly develop this posture of worship, surrender, and vulnerability? Ultimately, by recognizing our dependence upon God. Does your prayer life reflect that dependence? Are you praying with your spiritual family and creating space for God to work within those relationships?
I love that Scripture doesn’t describe these people merely as a house-church group or spiritual friends. They were family. For those who have experienced hurt within their biological families, that word can carry a lot of weight. Yet through His grace, God gives us a glimpse of what He intended family to be through the spiritual brothers and sisters He has placed around us. We aren’t like family – we are family. That should change the way we show up, love, serve, forgive, and care for one another. Our fellowship is meant to be tangible. We don’t merely feel compassion; we act on it.
This is where the early church beautifully reflects the three rhythms we emphasize at Mission Community Church: worship, family and mission.
Worship: We were created to exalt our Heavenly Father and bring Him praise. If someone observed your life solely by your actions, what would they say is the central focus of your worship? Is it really God, or is it your phone, your career, your comfort, your entertainment, or something else? Our lives reveal what we worship.
Mission: God has given each of us a purpose in His Kingdom. I believe followers of Jesus are meant to be the hands and feet of our Savior in this fallen world. When outsiders look at your life, do they see someone who is living on mission for Jesus? Do your actions point people toward your Savior?
Acts 2 gives us a beautiful picture of a church that was devoted to truth, committed to family, dependent upon God, generous with what He had given them, joyful in worship, and faithful to His mission. May that be true of us as well.
God, as we move forward, help us learn from the example of the early church. May we exalt and glorify You, never tiring of pressing into Your Word and continually learning Your heart. Teach us to live sacrificially within our spiritual family, to embrace one another, serve one another, and care for one another. And give us clarity and courage in our mission. May we never back away from proclaiming the gospel and making disciples near, far, and to the ends of the earth. Amen.
Microchurch Minute
God knows me. Intimately. My thoughts, my actions, my tendencies. He knew them before I even did them. And he is that closely available to all who have come before, all current 8.3 billion people currently in the world, and all yet to come. There is nothing about us that God doesn’t already know. To be fully known and fully loved – what comfort. Perhaps you’ve had experiences with other imperfect humans, in which you revealed your personality to them and instead of being a safe place, they created judgement and even resentment towards you. Not so that way of our God. The mistakes you made, the impure thoughts you have, the rebellious tendencies you’ve demonstrated… He knows them all and He still loves you. It helps us see a little further into the goodness of God’s correction. When we feel conviction to change our ways or repent from our actions, it isn’t God discovering something hidden from Him, it is simply Him showing it to us so that He can transform us.
David points out that there is nowhere we can hide from God. We may choose to distance ourselves, we may choose not to reach out to Him, we can run physically as hard and fast and far as our might will take us. But as a parent guarding the steps of their small child just learning to walk on their own, God goes before us and comes in behind us to ensure protection is always available. When we’ve turned our back on God, remember that He has never walked away from you. Simply turn and fall back into His loving arms. He created us for relationship with Him. Though divine and rightfully exalted, He is accessible to us, and He values closeness with us.
When we shift our mindset to recognize God’s omnipotence, we get to sit in awe of His perfect knowledge and creative power. From the tiniest molecule inside the innermost workings of a single mundane garden weed to the vastness of the farthest reaches of the galaxy – God’s fingerprints are evident throughout it. His design, His presence, His workmanship. It is with that same precision and detail that He has formed each one of us.
He formed you in your mother’s womb.
He knitted together every part of your being.
He designed the details of your physical body and your soul.
He knew the person He created in you, flaws and all.
He placed every freckly on your face, set your eyes just so and perfected your smile.
He gave every spiritual gift you’ll need to complete His assignment for you.
God sees the vastness of the universe from beginning to eternity and He decided that it needed you in it.
You’re skillfully crafted, a masterpiece and God’s work of art. He gave you purpose. You’re here on purpose. You bear the fingerprints of a Creator that intentionally brought you into existence. And how should that make us feel? Well, in short, “GOOD!”
You can rest confidently in the fact that your value comes from the One who made you, not in your own accomplishments, failures and efforts. How do you treat yourself in light of this reality? We are to care for our bodies, guard our minds, speak to yourself with truth and grace while humbly recognizing your worth.
But if you’re that special to God, it is key to recognize this truth: so is the rest of His creation. Even the people that are difficult. Those that look different from us, disagree with us, make terrible mistakes and are overlooked by society. God still sees them, too. He still pursues them, too.
In a fallen world of darkness it is our honor to be His light. Where the enemy may be penetrating the lives and actions of others, it is our duty to reflect the love of their creator. It’s easy to be angered, human emotions are dangerous to toy with in that capacity. But as we learned from observing David, we are to trust God with divine justice and not take it upon ourselves to delve out vengeance based on our own vendettas. We can trust Him in His perfection.
Because God knows everything, we cannot surprise Him. We can trust Him. We can believe His prophecies. Because God is everywhere, we cannot out run Him. Because God is all-powerful, we cannot change His purposes, even in our mere human stupidity. And perhaps most importantly, because He created us intentionally, we never have to doubt whether our lives have value.
I pray this week that we may all be bold enough to humble ourselves before the Lord and ask Him to expose what is within us. Not for punishment or shame, but for the opportunity to lean more deeply into Him and surrender more fully to His will.
Microchurch Minute
Solomon gives us a very direct picture of the things the Lord hates: pride, lying, violence, a heart that devises evil, eagerness to run toward sin, false testimony, and the stirring up of division. These aren’t merely outward behaviors; they reveal what is happening inside the heart. This is where the connection to seeking truth becomes so important.
Wisdom is something we are told to seek, pursue, treasure, and hold onto. God’s Word gives us a standard outside of ourselves. Our feelings can deceive us. Culture can redefine what is right and wrong. Our own hearts can rationalize almost anything when we want something badly enough. But Scripture continually brings us back to truth. When we make this Truth our heart’s yearning, God’s Word becomes a guardrail for our lives.
The more we know truth, the more readily we can recognize deception. When we are digging into God’s Word, we become more familiar with His character, His standards, His voice, and His ways. Sin isn’t just something we’re “not supposed to do,” but something that pulls us away from the abundant life and purpose God has for us.
That’s why seeking God’s Word has to be intentional. Just like panning for gold in Alaska, we have to dig for the treasure that is wisdom from God. When Scripture exposes pride, dishonesty, lust, hatred, or division in us, it gives us an opportunity to surrender those things to God and make a different choice.
God’s Word can keep you from (insert your vice here)… well, every sin, really.
Not because possessing a Bible magically makes us righteous, but because truth changes the way we think, and transformed thinking changes the way we live.
Instead of pride, we can choose humility.
The lying tongue can be hushed in favor of truth.
Where evil sheds innocent blood, the follower of Christ can stand for and defend what is good and innocent.
The wicked heart devises wicked plans, while our hearts can pursue God’s plans.
Instead of running toward evil, we can turn and pursue righteousness.
We can shut down the influence of false witnesses by having the courage to speak truth.
And instead of causing chaos among the brethren, we can become a people who choose to make peace.
This also connects beautifully to purpose and calling. God has placed something specific on each of our hearts. There are people we are called to love, things we are called to accomplish, gifts we are called to steward, and opportunities God has placed in front of us. Sin distracts us from that calling. Wisdom helps us recognize what is trying to derail us so that we can keep moving toward what God has called us to.
We don’t dig into God’s Word simply so we can know more Bible verses. We dig because we want truth to take root in us. We seek wisdom because we want our lives to reflect the One who gave us our purpose in the first place.
Isn’t God magnificent in the way that He designed the triangle as such a strong shape? Like the trinity, three in one. The beautiful thing about a triangle is its stability. Three sides, connected and supporting one another, create a strong and enduring shape. What a beautiful picture of a life built upon the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Microchurch Minute
Thank you, Lord, for my suffering. Such a strange prayer to pray, isn’t it? No one actually enjoys the trials that life throws our way. Yet, when we know our Heavenly Father and recognize Him as the true and perfect source, we can confidently rest in the peace that surpasses all understanding. You see, when life is going “according to plan” we sometimes forget to praise Him. However what happens when we lose our job? Finances aren’t quite aligning? A sickness is announced that no one planned for? Our attention has a tendency to shift very quickly and it becomes a blame game. God, why did you let this happen to me? Why me? So self-centered, asking what God owes me. Imagine, for a moment, if God gathers our attention during unfavorable times and we choose to respond with “God, what do you want to teach me in this time?” asking what God is forming in me.
He doesn’t want us to wait until we’re in the thick of disaster to turn to Him. We should be fully reliant and expressive to God in all circumstances. Because here is the stark truth – our circumstances will continue to change. But who God is never does. He is perfect. He is good. He is just. He is eternal.
Illogical as it may sound, I believe that some of our most intimate experiences with God come as a result of going through trials when we finally reach the end of ourselves, accept that we have no further power to do anything and are left solely with the choice to only rely on Him. Not that we need to be broken to receive God, but it sure does become abundantly clear at that point. Even when it was painful, we can reflect back and see God in the details. Only a good and merciful God can take an affliction in the fallen world that was meant to harm us and still turn it around to use it for our good. It shifts our focus from what has happened to us to what we have gained from a deeper appreciation of God’s truth and who He is.
God does not always give us the explanation that we are looking for. But through trials and living on this side of Heaven, we see what God forms in us through the ups and downs of life. Further proof that wisdom is far more valuable than any earthly treasure.
Firstly, God is good. Following that, God does good. It’s not the other way around, we don’t get to judge God based on what He does and does not allow to happen to us. Resist the temptation to believe that you did this on your own. The education you got, the new car you bought, the house you carefully designed, the successful communication in your marriage… those are not things you did of your own power. Those are gifts that the Almighty has enabled, empowered and aligned for you. It really is good to lean full on Him and follow His lead. He has good plans!
Microchurch Minute
What if I told you there was a gift, but you had to go look for it? It’s like nothing you’ve seen before, so incredibly valuable and life-giving. Would you be motivated to seek out such a highly valued treasure?
That is what Solomon is instructing his sons to do in Proverbs 4. Keep looking for wisdom. Ask the Lord for it. Pursue it at all costs.
Wisdom isn’t something that simply happens to us. We have to pursue it. And that highlights our personal responsibility to know God and know His Word. You cannot sit in a secluded corner watching your trash TV, ignoring the biblical influences God has placed around you, and then get angry that God isn’t giving you wisdom.
He would love to give it to you! But Scripture calls us to ask for wisdom, seek it diligently, and then put safeguards in place to protect it.
It’s hard to see from our picture, but there is a very petite Teah in the corner behind some strong protectors. What chance do you think little brother had of getting to her through the giants surrounding her?
This is the type of protection we are called to place around our hearts, our souls, and our very knowledge of God.
Guarding your heart isn’t simply an afterthought. It is an essential spiritual practice. Proverbs 4:23 tells us, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”
Everything. What you speak. What your eyes are drawn to. The direction your feet wander. The choices you make. The things you begin to desire.
So get uncomfortable and ask yourself:
1. How am I going to pursue wisdom this week?
2. How can I guard my heart more effectively?
3. What distractions do I need to eliminate that are keeping me from doing what God has called me to do?
And please don’t misunderstand me, the act of guarding your heart isn’t simply about willpower. It is about actively choosing to fill it with something better.
If we are constantly pursuing God, filling our thoughts, minds, and souls with His Word and His presence, there is less room for everything else to take root.
That’s the end goal. More of You, Lord. Less of me.
So what are you watching? Is there something you’re consuming that might open up a guilty pleasure from your past? The Lord has already set you free. Don’t put even your toe back on the road that once led you toward destruction.
What messages are coming through in the music you hear? David understood the importance of music throughout Scripture. We see God’s power on display when music is used as an act of worship. There is power in melody. It can be used for His glory, or it can be used to advance the enemy’s kingdom. Pay attention to what is speaking into you.
Look at what, and who, you are in proximity to. Who have you married? Where do you work? Who are your closest friends? What are you allowing into your soul through that little piece of technology in your hand? I encourage you to surround yourself with a body of believers.
The voices you allow into your life eventually influence the choices you make.
God gave us the gift of community so that we can encourage one another, share the truth of His Word, sharpen one another, and continually point each other back to Him.
Because ultimately, He is the only true source of wisdom worth pursuing, and the treasure we find in Him is worth guarding at all costs.
Microchurch Minute
What does wisdom mean to you? According to our character friend, Hal (he’s wicked smart), it allows us to not have one focus but a breadth of sight. Wisdom is of utmost importance, more valuable than any earthly possession. Our true riches aren’t found here, but in attaining peace and confidence as our lives align with the One who created us.
I’m not just referring to earthly wisdom, but to the wisdom that is God-breathed and rooted in the truth that laid the foundation of the world. Pause and consider the depth of that reality. God is perfect in all His ways, flawless in every decision, and just in every judgment. Nothing escapes His notice, and nothing is beyond His understanding. Because He is infinite and I am not, I can gladly yield to Him, trusting that His wisdom is always greater than my own.
Proverbs 3 walks us through the most holistic of living instructions for our lives here on earth. We are to walk with God in our day to day lives. Intelligence is simply the act of gathering information, wisdom knows how to live in light of God’s truth. True wisdom starts with remembering God’s word. This is why Scripture memorization is such an important spiritual discipline. As we engrave His truth in our hearts, it begins to shape our minds so that we walk in obedience and have the opportunity to experience His peace and steadfast love. Obedience becomes less about following rules and more about reflecting the character of Christ.
In recognition of God’s omniscience, we can fully trust in Him. It’s pretty cool when this happens. God will open doors and lead us down paths that don’t even begin to make sense. That is what trust allows us to do, step confidently into the unknown without fear or hesitation. We don’t have to know His plan when we know Who holds all of our tomorrows!
This depth of wisdom requires great humility on our part. It is our pride that often gets in the way, telling us that we already know enough, or our foundation of past experiences disproves something that only a miraculous God can do. Humility keeps us teachable, God loves when we press into Him and seek His direction.
Humility is the base for Christians to accept God’s discipline as a good thing. His correction is proof that we belong to God, He is committed to our growth. Our Heavenly Father shapes us through trials so we will grow in wisdom and maturity. Even in your darkest valley, He creates an opportunity for you to know Him more deeply.
This chapter closes out reminding us of the importance of wise living. A life of wisdom is revealed in the way we love others, extend grace, pursue peace, and generously care for those around us. It reveals something much greater than self-reliance.
Are you living God’s wisdom the reverence it deserves? Take a moment to search your heart. How often do you seek His wisdom before relying on your own understanding? My prayer is that the Lord continues to shape my heart so that my words, decisions, and actions reflect His wisdom, bringing glory to Him in every area of my life.
