November 7: Acts 5

Here is what God is saying to me through this chapter:
Ananias and Sapphira? Now here's a scriptural account that has always puzzled me. While there are lots of questions raised in my mind after this reading, one thing that strikes me is that Ananias and Sapphira wanted to be recognized as being sacrificially generous, wanted to be part of the mission and the movement of the church, without actually paying the price. Their story stands in contrast to the stories of others in the early church who did pay the price--for example, those believers who shared all their possessions, and the apostles who were arrested and imprisoned yet still continued to speak boldly about Christ. Oddly enough, Ananias and Sapphira tried what they thought was a less difficult way, and ended up losing their lives. God is saying to me, there is no shortcut. To follow Christ, I must follow Him in the way of sacrifice, not with a half-hearted commitment, but with my all.

Here is what I will do today because of what God is saying to me:
I think the issue of needy, hungry people around the world demands my sacrificial commitment, not my half-hearted commitment. I can no longer pretend that giving out of my abundance makes me a generous person. While I have plenty and others starve, I should not be content. That is a shortcut I can no longer afford to try to take if I am to be part of God's mission. Today, I am going to examine how I spend my money and reconsider the amount of my contribution to the Dollar Per Day Drive at SWC. I am going to pray that God would continue to challenge me in this area and make me a truly generous person.
(Posted by Lynda Keefer, Prayer & Care Pastor)

November 6: Acts 4

Here is what God is saying to me through this chapter: Peter’s boldness in the beginning of the chapter is pretty amazing. Don’t forget that this is the same Peter who, in the gospels, denied that he even knew Christ three times because he feared what people would think of him and do to him if he pledged allegiance to Jesus. But after seeing Jesus rise from the dead Peter was transformed from a coward to a man of great courage. Standing before the Jewish rulers, many of whom didn’t even believe in the possibility of resurrection, Peter confidently asserted that God raised Jesus from the dead (v.10) and said “there is no other name (Jesus) under heaven by which we must be saved” (v.12). Peter was not cryptic but quite clear and confident in sharing his faith in Christ.

Here is what I will do today because of what God is saying to me: Although I believe that our actions must be the “lead card” in our witness for Christ to the world, at some point we must be willing to make clear that Jesus is the only name “under heaven by which we must be saved” (v.12). At some point and in our own words our conviction that only Jesus, and not our spirituality, goodness, or religiosity, must be explicitly shared with love among those to whom we are seeking to bring good news. Today I will look for a chance to share Peter’s claim with someone in a manner that is lovingly explicit but not arrogant.

November 5: Acts 3

Here is what God is saying to me through this chapter: I was struck by verses 3-6 this morning. The man crippled from birth saw Peter and John and asked them for money. Obviously the man needed money in order to eat and survive. But what struck me is that although he was asking for something important, it was far less significant than what Peter and John were willing to give him. The crippled man wanted money but God wanted to heal him. Perhaps the man had given up hope in something as extraordinary as healing and instead sought the lesser gift of money. It seemed that hopelessness caused him to settle for less than God’s best for him.

Here is what I will do today because of what God is saying to me: I can be like the crippled man in so many ways. So often I become impatient and then hopelessness follows close on the heels of my impatience. God is challenging me today to pray for the plan A (healing) and not just the plan B (money), to pray for the surgery (healing) and not just the band-aid (money). Today I will try my best to pray not just for the surface needs in my life or in the lives of those I love and lead; instead I will pray for the deeper, bigger, more significant needs that only God can meet. Today I’m not going to ask for something less than what God wants to do in me, through me, and perhaps even for me.

November 4: Acts 2

Here is what God is saying to me through this chapter: In verse 43 we read about those first followers of Christ, “everyone was filled with awe and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles.” So many churches can lose this sense of “awe” in the power and love of God. Once we lose this, we begin to gravitate toward lifeless living. We begin to think that everything depends upon us because we forget that God can do anything. The primary reason why so many people were converting to Christ back then is, I believe, because His followers maintained a deep sense of awe in the God they worshiped and served.

Here is what I will do today because of what God is saying to me: I will maintain my sense of awe in the power of God. If I’m on the lookout, I will see the wonderful power and love of God in the meetings I have today, in the tasks I do, in the beauty of nature, in the friends and family members I’ll interact with, and in events throughout the world. I will not only look for God’s majesty, I will praise him when I see it through prayer and song (if I’m alone, since I don’t really want to frighten anyone). I will also share with others how God has “awed” me today!

November 3: Acts 1

Here is what God is saying to me through this chapter: Two times in this chapter the word “witness” is used. Jesus said to his followers “you will be my witnesses” (v.8) and then later in the chapter the disciples talk about the importance of replacing Judas with someone who can “become a witness…of His resurrection” (v.22). The Greek word for “witness” is “martyr.” We are to give our lives by dying to self (martyr) and living in such a way that we become a proof that Jesus Christ is alive and limitless.


Here is what I will do today because of what God is saying to me: Although I can’t be a literal, eye-witness to the resurrection of Christ, I can still be a witness that he lives today. I can do this through my life and through my words. Today, I will look for opportunities to love and care for people extravagantly, selflessly. This kind of love goes a long way in proving that Jesus is still alive because he has changed my heart. If I have a chance to use my words as a witness to the reality that Christ is alive, I will make the most of it.

Mission Impossible?

In yesterday's service we focused on Jesus' saying "with men this is impossible but with God all things are possible" from Matthew 19:26. I stated as stronly as I could that although God sometimes changes impossible circumstances by healing an illness or providing money out of nowhere to help us make ends meet, the most impossible, and important, thing he always does is change us when we are "with Him." If He can change our hearts than our circumstances don't matter all that much. When we are "with God" that's when "all things become possible." "With men" even the possibilities of life seem impossible at times.

Here is what I want you to share. Click on the "comment" icon below and share with us how God has done something impossible in you. I'm sure you can recount times when God did something impossible for you (changing circumstances) or through you (to impact others), but stick with sharing about the impossible things God has done in you (character transformation).

True Love

Although the Bible was written to guide humanity’s relationship with God, so much of it actually addresses how we relate to each other. Why? Because God says to us through the Bible that “if you cannot love your brother whom you have seen, how can you love God whom you have not seen” (1 John 4:20). In other words, true love for God will be evidenced by our love for each other. Those who boast about their grand love for God and yet couldn’t care less about other people, deny their love for God.

The Corinthian Church, which Apostle Paul writes to, had this tendency. They tended to boast about their love for God and their spiritual gifts, even though they took each other to court and had many factions and fights within their congregation. So, Paul takes out his pen and papyrus and writes to them in order to define what true love looks like for Christians wanting to love God.

As you read Paul’s definition below, please reflect upon two questions and feel free to comment on these two questions: First, which part of the definition below represents the area in which you have experienced the most growth over the past few months or years? Second, which one of the components of the definition below represents the greatest challenge to your love for others? Simply put, which word/phrase describes your strength and which describes your weakness when it comes to loving others.

1 Corinthians 13:4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8 Love never fails.

I encourage you to spend some time in prayer, thanking God for the area in which he has helped you love others better and asking Him for help in that area of love that continues to challenge and sometimes get the best of you.