Daily Read

Acts 7:1-8 (NIV)

If you had to tell the story of Jesus, where would you begin?

Have you ever had the experience, when someone asks you about something and you have to stop and think, where do I begin? This kind of thing happens to me when someone asks about how my wife and I met and why we’re in Alabama. I mean I could briefly say, well we met through work and our job brought us here. And while that would be true, it would not be complete. There is so much more to the story that invests our life together in this place with meaning.

Over the next few episodes, we’ll listen to Stephen’s rendition of the Big Story. When the Priests in the Sanhedrin ask him about his claims, he takes it back to Abraham, and frames for them the story that he sees himself living in. A unified story that leads to Jesus.

----------REFLECT----------

1. What part of this passage stuck out to you?

2. As you reflect on your understanding of the Story of Jesus, are these features of the story     that typically come to mind?

3. Take a moment to consider the reality that the faith that you have or are considering, is ancient. Through all of the joy and pain of Human history this story has remained, and been affirmed and confirmed by countless witnesses. You are a part of that story… What does that bring up in you?

As we will pray through these next few episodes, Lord help us to discover your Story in deeper ways and find our place in it.

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Acts 6:8-15 (NIV)

How do you react when someone brings a false or exaggerated accusation against you?

Today on Daily Read, the story of what Jesus is doing through the Spirit who is empowering his followers brings us to Stephen.  Now Stephen was one of the seven Hellenistic Jews appointed as deacons in our passage yesterday. He was a Jewish man from the diaspora of Jews across the Mediterranean and Palestine who was full of the Spirit and wisdom.

So now you’ve got the Apostles who are all from Judea still doing their thing, and then this Greek-speaking deacon who in today’s passage is performing great wonders and signs too. This stirs up trouble with a new crowd that’s in town, the Synagogue of the Freedmen. They were Jews from the Diaspora who obviously are not interested in this Jesus person. They react pretty strongly against Stephen for this and it brings into focus the cost of bearing faithful witness to Jesus and also the power the Spirit will give us to do so.

----------REFLECT----------

1. What part of this passage stood out to you?

2. These synagogue leaders manufacture a story about Stephen in order to bring him before the Jewish officials. Have you ever had a lie told about you? Have you ever had something like that happen when you were trying to do right and stand up for truth? What was that like?

3. The Spirit gave him wisdom to withstand the opposition, and then when he was seized his face became "like that of an angel." It was as if he was experiencing this overlapping of Heaven and Earth in his own body and actions. Ask the Spirit for what you need to withstand division and opposition in your community or fellowship as you stand and act for truth.

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Acts 6:1-7 (NIV)

Who among your community of faith is the first to be overlooked, and how does your community tend to respond?

As you listen, notice how the leaders respond. They did not shift the center of focus from one thing to another, nor did they try to hold on to their control. Rather they expanded what the center included and made it a part of the whole, and they made space to share power and influence, trusting that with the Holy Spirit there is plenty of power to go around.

----------REFLECT----------

1. What choices and decisions in this passage stood out to you?

2. When you think about a community you’re in, is there a group that is or tends to be overlooked? Maybe folks with a particular relationship or marital status, maybe it's folks from a certain  gender or enthic group? What about people with disabilities or hold one economic status or another? Whoever it is, consider a first step in helping them not be overlooked.

3.  How could you and your community act to expand the sense of what you see as the whole, and what would it take for your community to make space for more leadership trusting that in the Spirit there is plenty of power to go around?

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Acts 5:27-42 (NIV)

What  is it that keeps us from repentance and the forgiveness and restoration of Jesus?

Today we continue in what some have called “The Tale of Two Temples.” The old temple is now bereft of God’s Spirit... The line of priests and religious leaders who were supposed to be the agents of healing, justice and generosity has failed, and the LORD is doing a new thing. The Spirit of God, the Spirit of the Risen Jesus is moving now in His followers. He is filing them and through them working miracles of healing and restoration across Jerusalem. He is creating a new community of generosity and shalom… a new temple that cannot be bound by bricks and mortar, or even by prison bars.

But today’s passage also reminds us of God’s constant desire that all should turn towards him for forgiveness and restoration. In the midst of the fear and jealousy of the religious leaders, as their anger starts to turn into violence, there are voices of truth, from within and from without, warning them to wait, watch and listen, to see, turn and repent, lest they end up fighting against God himself.

As you listen the first time, place yourself in the scene amongst the religious leaders. What were they thinking? What were they feeling?

----------REFLECT----------

1. What stood out to you in the passage?

2. Who in your life have you written off? Maybe a family member or coworker? Or maybe a religious leader who has failed you or their community? In what ways can you join with God in longing for their repentance and restoration? Take a minute to pray for them now.

3. What about you? Is there an area of your life where pride, fear or jealousy have kept you from asking for forgiveness or seeking the restoration of relationship you need? Bring that to the LORD today and ask for the Spirit to help you walk in humility and repentance.

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Acts 5:12-26 (NIV)

What do you do when you are filled with jealousy or fear?

In today’s passage, we find the believers growing in number and influence across Jerusalem and the surrounding towns. It’s happening right? They are Jesus’ witnesses in Jerusalem and now going out into Judea. The healings that are happening are so many that the streets are being filled with folks in need of healing lying on mats. It’s a bit of a ruckus, and this ends up threatening those who are in power.

This impulse is driven by jealousy and fear, two words that drive the actions of these leaders. They fail to be concerned with the truth, wherever it might lead them, and more with their own power and their ability to keep it.

As you listen to this passage pay attention to the insecurities of these leaders.

----------REFLECT----------

1. What moment in this passage stood out to you the most?

2. Has the way that you’ve viewed something ever come to be challenged? Has there ever been a time when people around you started to coalesce around a new set of ideas or a way of behaving… What was your reaction? Did you wait and watch and listen? Or did you exercise control?

3. Perhaps you’ve been on the receiving end of this kind of reaction? Of another’s jealousy or fear? Was it because of Jesus or something else? If it was because of Jesus, how did you respond to their reactions?

As you follow Jesus today, commit to seeking his truth wherever it may lead you, and commit to speaking truth, no matter the reactions you may face.

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Acts 5:1-11 (NIV)

Yesterday we looked at the earliest community of Jesus followers and what they were like. They were unified, they shared all they had, and they were bold in telling others about the work of God in Jesus… And they were all of these things because they were filled with the Holy Spirit. The   implication of this filling isn’t as obvious to us in our culture, but the early church would have understood that being filled with God’s Spirit meant that now they, rather than the temple, were the place where God was choosing to dwell—the place where heaven and earth were coming together. Jesus had referred to his own body as the temple (John 2:19), and now it was his followers who were being filled with the Spirit… They were the new temple.

In light of this perspective, today’s passage will make more sense. It’s one of these stories in the Bible that is either overlooked and ignored because it’s kind of scary, or sometimes it’s been taken out of context and used to scare people into giving to the church. But as you listen, try to set aside any preconceived ideas and hear it with fresh ears, in the context of what we’ve heard so far in Acts. It’s a continuation of yesterday’s story. Remember, we learned that this new Jesus community, in their unrestrained generosity, were in the habit of selling houses or land that they owned and bringing the money from the sale to be given to those who had need. The end of yesterday’s passage provides an example in Barnabas. But today we get another example—and one that calls attention to an important reality of being the dwelling place of God’s Spirit—his holiness. It shouldn’t be surprising to us, but when the LORD dwells in the hearts of people, he is still as holy as he has ever been. And he is still as unwilling as he ever was to share his home with sin.

----------REFLECT----------

1. What surprised you in this passage?

2. Have you ever lied or held back part of the truth to make yourself look good in front of others? How did that make you feel inside?

3. Honesty has been an issue from the day that Adam and Eve ate the fruit. When we lie, when we hide things and pretend to be someone we are not, not only do we break trust with others that is often irreparable, we’re also rejecting the Holy Spirit. We’re choosing not to allow God to dwell with us, and saying that we want to define good and evil for ourselves. We are no different than our first parents. Is there something in your life that you need to confess? Is there something you’re holding onto that is keeping the LORD from making his home in your life?

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Acts 4:32-37 (NIV)

What would it look like if the community that you belong to was filled with the Holy Spirit?

For many of us, what comes to mind when we think about the Holy Spirit, what comes to mind is speaking in tongues, prophetic words, visions and dreams, or healing miracles. Those things are definitely a part of the way that the Holy Spirit shows up in power in the world today, but there are things the Holy Spirit does in our midst that we often don’t attribute to the Him.

Today’s passage gives us a picture into the early community of Jesus followers who were empowered by the Holy Spirit. Even though it’s a short passage, we could spend a lifetime looking for and emulating this kind of community. As we prepare to listen to today's passage, we understand that each of us is coming from a different place in terms of our sense of connection to a community of Jesus’ people. Some of us might find ourselves really grateful for our community, some of us might be pretty discontent right now. Some of you might have been in your community for many years, and some of you might not be connected to a community.

Wherever you are, allow this passage to inform your longing and your prayers for living life in a community of folks who are empowered by God and coming together to create space for God to dwell in their midst.

----------REFLECT----------

1. What part of this passage stood out to you as the most appealing?

2. This early Jesus-shaped community was unified, they shared, they were honest with each other, and they continued on in the work they were called to. These first followers teach us that the Spirit's work in a community ought to produce Reconciliation, Justice, and Hospitality. In what way have you experienced this fruit of the Spirit in your community?

3. Many of us have experienced disappointment at the hands of our Christian communities. We’ve not seen reconciliation, justice, and hospitality. Rather we’ve seen and experienced brokenness, abuse of authority, and exclusivity. It’s okay to be disappointed, bring that to the LORD honestly today.

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Acts 4:23-31 (NIV)

In today’s passage we go with Peter and John from their encounter with the Sanhedrin back to their community of Jesus followers. They talk about what happened, they pray, and they are filled with the Holy Spirit. They ask for the LORD to see the threats against them and to empower them with boldness. But they don’t ask for the persecution to stop... or for the opposition to be punished… because they see and understand what’s happening. In their minds there is a thread that connects the dots—a perspective that informs the past, present and future and helps them see their place in God’s story… They are looking at it all with a belief in the sovereignty of God. He is LORD over creation, over kings and nations, and even over the plans and schemes of those who oppose him. They trust God. They believe that there is no situation, no part of the human experience that he is not interested in, able to heal, or able to help them walk through. As you listen to the passage, particularly the prayer of this community, consider how you typically pray... and how your view of God informs the requests you lay at his feet.

----------REFLECT----------

1. What stood out to you in the passage?

2. When you come to the LORD in prayer, do you usually do that alone? Or with others who are following Jesus?

3. In this passage, the LORD answers their prayers by filling them with his Holy Spirit to speak the word of God boldly. This doesn’t mean arrogance or insensitivity. It just means they were able to speak without fear, with confidence and courage. Is there a situation in your life where you need the Holy Spirit to fill you so that you can be bold? To speak or act in courage as you follow Jesus? Ask for that from the sovereign LORD today.

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Acts 4:1-22 (NIV)

Have you ever been preparing for a trip and reading all the guidebooks or websites to learn about the place you’re going? Then, you get there, and, while some of the information is helpful, you really figure out the place by just experiencing it. In today’s passage Peter and John defend themselves before the Jewish religious leaders after the healing of the lame man outside the temple gate. And although Peter and John were “unschooled, ordinary men,” the religious leaders could see that they “had been with Jesus.” They carried around with them the authority that Jesus had carried. They were acting with Jesus’ power, doing things that the temple priests could not do… It seemed that their efforts to squash this Jesus movement by crucifying its leader had utterly failed. The power they were so afraid of, the “King of the Jews” whose authority had so threatened their own and everything they stood for was still at work. They had read all the right books, taken all the right classes, but their knowledge, it seemed, wasn’t enough. Their fear of losing power had blinded them to experiencing the good news of the Messiah.

----------REFLECT----------

1. What words or phrases stood out to you in the passage?

2. Have you ever seen a situation where someone in authority is blind to a better way because it would mean a loss of power for them? What was that like?

3. The source of the power Peter and John were wielding was that of the risen Christ, his Holy Spirit working in and through them to do the work of bringing tastes of New Creation into the broken world. And everyone could tell that they had been with Jesus. What about your life would make it clear to those around you that you have been with Jesus?

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Acts 3:11-26 (NIV)

If you were inside the story at this point in the book of acts you’d be standing just outside the gate of the temple called Beautiful. Maybe you’d be among the crowd gathering around Peter, John, and this man in tattered clothes who reminds you of the man who is normally laying on this mat, paralyzed, begging at this gate. But now he’s standing there, tears are running down his face, he’s laughing, and praising Yahweh.

Until now the story of Acts has been located in Jerusalem but not specifically at or around the Temple. And the kind of powerful restorative that you might expect to be happening inside the temple is happening outside the gate. God is on the move. By the power of God’s Spirit he’s not confined within the power structure of an institution. Luke’s Gospel begins and ends within the Temple, but in Acts his breaking that pattern helps us see the ways that the good news of Jesus is beginning the first steps of that expansive vision that Jesus cast telling the disciples that they would be his witnesses in Jerusalem Judea and the ends of the earth.

In today’s passage, Peter finds himself in this natural moment to bear witness to this story that he finds himself in. And it offers us a chance to reflect on whether or not this is similar to the story that we would tell if we found ourselves with such an opportunity or not? Is this even similar to the story that we’ve heard?

----------REFLECT----------

1. What part of Peter’s proclamation struck you as new or in a fresh way?

2. Repentance and Refreshment. I would bet that depending on where we come from we have heard one or the other these things maybe at the expense of the other. And maybe because of habit or circumstance if you tried to communicate the story, you might emphasize one over the other. Reflect on which you are most familiar or comfortable with.

3. When in your life do you need to repent, and where in your life do you need refreshment. It’s not really about whether one comes before the other theologically, rather its that both things are good for us! What’s one area of your life where you need to repent and turn to follow Jesus. And what’s one    area where you long for a time of refreshment in your life.

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