DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE August 10-16

Sermon Series: Acts
Sermon Text: Acts 11:19-30
Sermon Title: A Picture of a Healthy Church

Daily Devotional Guide

What does a healthy church look like? Some think buildings are a good sign, as if the work of construction is evidence of the work of the Spirit. Others point to programs, thinking that calendars full of activities somehow enables the activity of the Holy Spirit. 

To be fair, there’s nothing wrong with buildings and activities. These are often good things. But godless organizations can build new buildings and keep busy. Surely something more is expected of Christ’s Church.

As we see in this week’s passage, the work of the Spirit, not the busyness of man, is what we should be aiming for. Let’s learn from Barnabas’ example and keep in step with the Spirit while devoting ourselves to God’s word and serving others in need. Buildings and calendars don’t tell the whole story. People humbly living by the word while helping others for Jesus’ glory gives us a much more accurate depiction of a healthy church.

Monday - Ephesians 1
Tuesday - Ephesians 2
Wednesday - Ephesians 3
Thursday - Ephesians 4
Friday - Ephesians 5
Saturday - Ephesians 6
Sunday - 2 Corinthians 8:1-15


DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE July 27- August 2

Sermon Series: Acts

Sermon Text: Acts 10:1-11:18

Sermon Title: Pigs in a Blanket


Daily Devotional Guide

The young man from India was seriously considering Christianity while studying in England. One day he visited a church in hopes of speaking to the minister and finding answers to his questions about life, the troubles in his homeland, and the Christian faith. But the young man never got the chance. When he reached the front doors of the church, greeters told him that he was not welcomed and that he would be better off worshiping somewhere else. The young man took their advice and never came back. But he didn't just worship somewhere else, rejecting that one church. He would go on to worship someone else, rejecting the entire Christian faith. 


As you can imagine, this pathetic incident shaped the young man who we know as Mahatma Gandhi. There are two very heartbreaking quotes attributed to Ghandi that no doubt spring from that event at the front doors of the church. "I like the New Testament," he said, "I like your Christianity but I do not like your Christians." He would also say, "If Christians have caste differences also, I might as well remain a Hindu."


In what ways might we be like those greeters who were at the door that day? Are there areas in your life where you are guided more by prejudice or hate than by the Spirit? Are there groups that you, in one way or another, attempt to shut off from God's grace? If we look carefully enough, we'll all find areas in our lives where we're not loving God as we should. This should cause us to run to God in repentance. Not only will he forgive us, he will also change us. 


God opened the doors to us. We must obey him and do everything that we can to open the doors for others. Apart from God's grace, we are all outsiders. There is no caste system in the kingdom of God. May nothing about our lives lead people to believe otherwise. 


Monday - Joshua 1

Tuesday - Joshua 2

Wednesday - Joshua 6

Thursday - Luke 17

Friday - Luke 18:1-8

Saturday - Luke 18:9-17

Sunday - Luke 19:1-10