Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.  Acts 2:46-47 NASB

The early apostles gave to all who had need; they tithed time, money, action…..they were kind, generous, humble, and servant-hearted. They made the Gospel attractive to the watching world, “and the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” 

I pray we’ll be able to closely emulate this community of the early believers, as we, too, strive to live in a community for God’s glory, whether rooted where planted or travelling His roads on another continent!

We all have had a super-bad, ugly, discouraging day. I’ve had a few of those days. And sometimes it’s not the big problems in life that get us down, it’s the little things—the vacuum cord tangles (again), our dog has an accident on the carpet (inches away from the tile), and we are just plain tired from the regular work week, not feeling much like socializing - and being around lots of people is the last thing on our mind. 

But, if it’s a Sunday, we get to dust off and head to church bringing these little frustrations along and by God’s joyful grace, once we step foot on the church property all those little things fade to the furthest recesses of the mind. We see greeters with big smiles, friends come into focus, new faces remind us of the grace God poured into us a few hours earlier and discouragement on every level is bested by the fellowship of the saints.

Meet church. Your church. Our church. The Church. It’s the gathering the Lord established at Pentecost—it isn’t a place, but a people. 

Trees that stand together bear greater fruit; isolated trees don’t fare as well. 

Friends, while the Church is composed of people, we do better when we stand together, when we are learning to live undivided! 

Apostle Paul wrote to “consider one another . . . stir up love and good works . . . exhorting one another and so much more.” 

Yes, going to church means to expect to hear from the Lord, but we also get go with the expectation of giving back to the Lord by giving to others. God has given us extraordinary spiritual gifts for a reason—to share them.