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Devoted: Life Together

Acts: 2:44 “And all who believed were together and had all things in common.” 
 
Have you noticed that it’s increasingly difficult to find “common ground” with others? The world today seems more fragmented than ever and more and more we have become focused on our differences. However, when one is changed by Jesus they have a core commonality with every other follower of Jesus in the world! 
 
In Acts 2 this bond was so strong that the early followers of Jesus began to call each other “brother” or “si
Tags:  Acts, Devoted, Devoted For Life, Brother, Brother In Christ

Devoted

Acts 2:42 “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.”
 
I heard the incredible story this week of Robert McQuilken. Robert was the president of Columbia International University and under his leadership the school doubled its enrollment. While he was beginning to enjoy the fruits of his success, tragically his wife was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. As it progressed, she was terrified to be without Robert.
Tags:  Devoted, Acts

Devoted

Acts 2:42 “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.”
 
I heard the incredible story this week of Robert McQuilken. Robert was the president of Columbia International University and under his leadership the school doubled its enrollment. While he was beginning to enjoy the fruits of his success, tragically his wife was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. As it progressed, she was terrified to be without Robert.
Tags:  Devoted, Acts

Boxes

Matthew 12:11 “If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out?”
 
I was driving by a store the other day that specializes in selling boxes. All they do is sell different size containers to help organize the stuff that we have. This is fascinating to me because I like boxes. I like to keep my stuff organized and in places where things can easily be found when I need them. There is a form of comfort that comes when you have your life organized in boxes. It feel like thing
Tags:  Boxes, Matthew, Boxing in God

Encounter Jesus

Mark 2:9-12 “Which is easier: to say to this paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk’? But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the man, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all.”
 
You never know how a simple encounter can change your life. Looking back on my life some of my deepest relationships have started with the most unexpected encounters. The same can be said
Tags:  Encounter Jesus, Mark, Paralyzed Man

An Unexplainable God

Acts 2:46-47  “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, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people.  And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” 

Tags:  Unexplainable God, Acts, the Church

Finding the Heartbeat of God

Jonah 4:2-3 He prayed to the Lord, “Isn’t this what I said, Lord, when I was still at home? This is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. Now, Lord, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live.”
 
A couple of months ago I was working out with a friend and had a frightening moment. We were working hard through a sprint section of a workout when my heart started to race. I was wearing a heart rat
Tags:  Heartbeat of God, Jonah

When Options Narrow

Jonah 2:1 From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the Lord his God. He said: “In my distress I called to the Lord, and he answered me.”
 
I like to have options. You probably do too! When I purchase a new car, for example, the more options the better! But there are times in life when it is better to have focus than options. It is in these seasons of life that God reduces our options to get our attention. 
 
In Jonah 2 God narrows Jonah’s options even further when he ran from God. When God first called Jonah to go preach to t
Tags:  Options, Jonah, Choose, Choices, Running

Jonah and Me

Jonah 1:2-4  “Arise, go to Nineveh the great city and cry against it, for their wickedness has come up before Me.”  But Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.”  

Have you ever felt like you’re spinning your wheels?  There are times in life when we can feel like life is standing still.  Sure we are busy with activity but it just doesn’t feel like we are getting anywhere.  It is often in these moments that God is working on our character and trying to get us to move in another direction.    

Tags:  Jonah, Running

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