“Choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them.”

— Acts 6:3

We don’t often enjoy tension. Whether it’s in an organization, a business, a family, a friendship, or even a church, tension can really mess with things. But what if we can refocus the tension and see if it creates a new opportunity?

Things were getting a bit tense in the fast-growing group of Jesus’ followers. Feelings were hurt, some people were left out, and some of them began to complain. Another word for this is “grumbling.” If you have heard the story of God’s people wandering in the desert after being freed from Egypt, you know that it did not take long for them to start grumbling (Exodus 16).

What unfolds in this moment in Acts is an opportunity to decentralize the responsibilities of serving. The community has grown so large that it’s time to appoint leaders who can help take care of some needs that aren’t being met.

When we take time to sit in the tension, we are able to see new opportunities. It’s easy to grumble. It’s also easy to find some people to grumble with. But if we step back and look at things from another angle, we might see an opportunity to start something beautiful.

Too often in my life I have let the grumbling get in the way of what God may want to teach or reveal to me. How can we reframe what we are going through? What new thing might arise from the tension?

God, please help us break free from complaining, and let us see what new things you are trying to teach us. Amen.

The apostles performed many signs and wonders among the people. . . . More and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number.

— Acts 5:12-14

When God begins to do a new thing, nothing can stop him. Forces of this world may try, but nothing can ultimately stop the momentum God creates.

The reporting of signs and wonders can make some of us uncomfortable. I know it does that for me because I wasn’t brought up in that type of environment. However, God used signs and wonders to give evidence of his kingdom coming into reality.

Though we might struggle a bit with these events, they can help us grasp the miracle of a changed life through the power of the resurrected Lord. When your life, or mine, is deeply transformed by the reality of God’s kingdom, we want others to experience it too.

Read verse 14 again and reflect on it.

Multitudes of people were being reached. This movement of Jesus was gaining momentum that would keep on going to the present day and beyond. In those early days, signs and wonders helped to reinforce the powerful new reality God was bringing into this world.

As you take some time to reflect on all this, ask God to deepen your awareness of his power. Think about where and how you have seen God work in the past. Consider being stretched by asking God to give you his power today.

Jesus, you did many miraculous things among the people you met and taught. Help me to see the miracles you are doing today. Amen.

God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all that there were no needy persons among them.

— Acts 4:33-34

As people were gripped by the reality of new life in Jesus, something significant was happening among them: no one was left out. “There were no needy persons among them.” Can you imagine what that was like?

Think about being on the receiving end. As hard as it can be to ask for help, I’m sure that people felt relief, knowing their needs would be supplied.

And what about the people who were giving? The ability to help meet the needs of people without expectations must have been contagious. People literally sold their property to help meet the needs of others. Talk about being devoted to one another.

In our Western culture today, we tend to struggle with this concept of social living. If we help someone out, will they take advantage and expect us to keep on giving? How will we be able to say no at some point?

Or could it be that God’s kingdom doesn’t work that way?

Maybe we are called to show God’s heart by caring for and meeting each other’s needs, and maybe in doing so we will reflect the light of Jesus.

Imagine what would happen if we, the church, lived each day with this kind of generosity. I’m sure that people outside the church would take notice and become curious.

Holy Spirit, make me sensitive to the needs of the people around me. Give me the courage not to wait until someone asks for help but to step in when you nudge me to do so. Amen.

“In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.”

— Acts 3:6

Sometimes when we read the Bible, we can miss little phrases that make a transition. The beginning of our reading today provides a transition that leads into a new experience of God’s kingdom. It says, “One day Peter and John . . .” This will take us into a deeper sense of awe as we see God working and moving to bring more and more people to himself. Let’s savor each moment as it brings wonder, inspiration, and joy.

It was a regular day as Peter and John headed to the temple to pray, and then things became really irregular. A lame man asked for money, and Peter offered him something completely different. He ­offered him Jesus and healing all in the same moment.

Wait—what happened here? The man was healed in the name of Jesus, both spiritually and physically. This might make us uncomfortable, but when God chooses to reveal who he is and what his kingdom is about, he can do power­ful things!

We may not always see healings like this, but when we see families restored, freedom from an addiction, and other amazing turnarounds, we can sense the wonder of the new life Jesus offers.

Moments like this show us the power of God’s kingdom. They give us a glimpse of what the Lord came to do and what he will do when he fully restores all things.

God, help me to see the power of the resurrection. Open my eyes and heart to the new things you are doing in and through and around me. Amen.

They broke bread . . . 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. . . .

— Acts 2:46-47

Have you ever gone to a show or a movie and laughed so hard that your face hurt? That has happened to me. There’s this one guy in my life who can make me laugh really hard too. For whatever reason, when he’s around, there’s often great laughter and even joy.

As Jesus’ early followers began to emerge, something was happening that caught the attention of others: joy rose up from among them.

Their lives were marked by Jesus, clearly seen in their deep devotion and great joy. Acts makes clear that they met daily, worshiped regularly, and had glad and generous hearts. Jesus’ followers had this internal joy marked with gladness, and it was not for themselves. Their outward-facing generosity brought joy into the lives of the people around them.

Maybe when Jesus had taught them about the kingdom of God, he had shared how exciting and strange it would be to have so much joy that people would wonder and want what they had. Luke reports that they grew in favor with all the people and that the Lord added many to their numbers.

Ask yourself if this joy is real for you. There are times when life can be hard and we can get discouraged. But it can also help to look deeper and see that joy grows when we are glad and generous as we look forward in hope.

Lord, I want to grow in my understanding of what it means to be marked by joy. Even when life is tough, mark my life with great joy in you. Amen.

They devoted themselves . . . to prayer.

— Acts 2:42

I don’t know about you, but this one is really hard. They devoted themselves to prayer? I’m a pastor, and I often am expected to pray, but that can be so hard at times. I can be a few minutes into my time of prayer, and boom—I’m thinking about mowing the lawn. It’s easy to get distracted when we pray.

And yet this group of early believers devoted themselves to prayer! This means they consistently and regularly were going to God. But were they doing what we often do: bringing our lists of needs and concerns? Or were they doing something else?

I talk to lots of people about prayer, and I often hear this: I tried praying, and it didn’t work. I asked God to heal my aunt’s illness, and he didn’t answer. And so on. But is that what prayer is about? Well, that’s a part of it, but there is more. Jesus’ early followers recognized that their source of strength and hope was God. For them, prayer was about laying down their lives before God and being open to serve him in whatever he called them to do.

It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that God is like a ­genie in a bottle, as if we could just pray and be granted whatever we wished for.

When it comes to prayer, what God truly wants is to hear about what is going on in our hearts—and then for us to listen.

God, help me to grow in my understanding of prayer. By your Spirit, help me to connect with you, talk with you, and listen to you. Guide me to follow you faithfully. In Jesus, Amen.

They devoted themselves . . . to the breaking of bread. . . .

— Acts 2:42

There’s something about sitting around a table to share a meal. When our family is all together, we often have deep, rich conversations. And we have joyful fun—I recall that when our first granddaughter was becoming expressive, we all started cheering with our hands in the air as she did the same.

As Jesus’ followers devoted themselves to breaking bread together, there was a sense of understanding that they were a part of something greater than themselves. It was a reminder that they were part of the kingdom of God that Jesus had taught about.

Being together to break bread is a way of revealing that we are a part of a new kind of family as well. This family has a centerpiece, and his name is Jesus. As we sit together in community, breaking bread together and remembering Jesus, whether in a large gathering or a small one, we look around that space with an understanding that Jesus calls us brothers and sisters.

In this picture of the table we need to understand that none of us deserves to be at the ­table breaking bread, and yet we are all invited and welcomed because of Jesus.

Jesus spoke some powerfully prophetic words when he said, “Do this in remembrance of me.” He knew that we would need to remember who and what we are a part of.

Jesus, thank you for the power of the table. In your grace you have given us the greatest example of your good news by welcoming us and reminding us to remember you. Amen.

They devoted themselves . . . to fellowship. . . .

— Acts 2:42

It’s important to know that we don’t just “go” to church but instead are part of the church. We might go to a hockey game or to a store, but church is different. If we follow Jesus, we are a part of his body, his people, the church.

Jesus’ early followers were a diverse group. They came from many countries and from all walks of life. It was probably difficult for them to unite together and learn to be God’s newly formed people. And yet they found a way to be devoted to one another, to be together in fellowship—in Christ, through the power of his Spirit.

What I love about the fellow­ship of Jesus’ followers is that they were there for one ­another. Their lives would not have been easy with all the political, cultural, and religious divisions in the Roman Empire. But they were able to find their way by being there for each other, in Christ.

When someone was struggling, hurting, or even coming off the rails in their faith, there was someone to encourage them. Though we all have a tendency to try to deal with our struggles on our own, we need to learn to lean into community. Maybe we don’t want to bother others, but in our times of struggle we need to run toward instead of away from our community of faith so that they can care for us.

Jesus, give me the strength and courage to live life in community. Help me to lean into your people around me and to let others do that with me. Amen.

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching. . . .

— Acts 2:42

Not long ago I heard someone say that if you believe you can possess truth as your own, you will be argumentative and defensive. However, if you ­realize that truth is something you point to, you will be kind and compassionate because you know truth is for everyone.

If there is one thing that has polarized our society, it is personal expressions of truth. If you are a follower of Jesus, or if you are becoming a follower, you need to know that you are called to be devoted to the truth that belongs not to you but to God.

The very reason that Jesus’ early followers held on to and continued in the apostles’ teaching was that the apostles had been with Jesus and had heard the truth from his very lips. Jesus’ followers knew that these teachings brought life itself.

When I look at the world around me, I see so much confusion and chaos. Maybe you see some of the same wasteland.

As people who are trying to find our way through the wasteland of confusion and chaos today, we need to find our anchor in the foundational truth of Jesus so that we don’t build our lives on the ever-changing sand of society.

The early believers’ devotion to the apostles’ teaching gave them a deep sense of awe for what would lead them to live with holy reverence for God and his Word.

Father, knowing what is true can be hard. Please guide me to your truth so that I may stand strong in this world of confusion and chaos. Amen.

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

— Acts 2:42

If you know a die-hard soccer fan, you know that they can be rather fanatical about their club. The way they talk, dress, and cheer is like they were on the pitch for the game. Through thick and thin a true fan stays true to their club, no matter what. A true soccer fan is a picture of what it means to be deeply devoted.

As the group of first-century, new believers in Jesus was being formed, they did something almost automatically. They turned their lives in a direction that would allow them to grow a resilient faith. They devoted themselves to this new way of life. The word devoted carries with it the idea of being glued to something, unable to be pulled apart.

When a person is devoted, they are not looking for the path of least resistance. When times get tough, they don’t strive for a comfortable and convenient life. People who are deeply devoted don’t allow their feelings to be the main indicator of how they define their faith.

The early church shows us something very important about human nature: what we are devoted to forms our lives, shapes our thinking, and develops new patterns of life and friendship.

God, life can be so tough at times. There are days when we are not sure if we can even move forward, so please give us the strength and the will to be devoted to you and your plan. Amen.