Authentic Community

People today are looking for authenticity. They want something real. And they have a deep seated need for relationships, for community. Whether they recognize it or not, God has made all of us with a deep desire for a relationship with Him and with one another. We long for authentic community. In the book of Acts, Luke described the “authentic community” of the first century church. He said they were marked by four “devotions.” They were: a shared faith, a shared family, a shared food, and a shared focus. We can experience this authentic community when we pursue these four devotions.

A Shared Focus

August 28, 2016 | Acts 2:42-47 | community, prayer

The early church had a shared language–– it was the language of prayer. It was a shared focus, one that focused on spending time together talking to God in prayer. How are you doing in this area? Do you pray? Do you pray with your spouse, with your kids? Do you pray with your family? How about with other believers? Are you devoted to praying together with God’s family? We can experience the same devotion to prayer that the early church did.

A Shared Food

August 21, 2016 | Acts 2:42-47 | community, food

There’s something about shared food, a shared meal that leads to authentic community. Every culture has its own distinct food. So does the family of God. However, isn’t the physical, but the spiritual food that makes for an authentic Christian community.

A Shared Family

August 14, 2016 | Acts 2:42-47 | community, fellowship

Just as our physical birth means we are a part of a family, our spiritual birth makes us part of God’s family. The early church cultivated that shared family by being devoted to the fellowship. Learn how we can cultivate a shared family in our church today.

A Shared Faith

August 7, 2016 | Acts 2:42-47 | community

The first century church had four devotions. The first was the apostle’s teaching. They were devoted to the preaching, teaching, study, and obeying of God’s Word.


Parenting 101

Don't you wish kids came with an owners manual? Many times, we try to parent in our own strength and not rely on the Lord for our wisdom and strength. In this series, we will learn how to Receive our children from the Lord, Raise them up into the Lord, and then Release them back to the Lord.

Release Your Child to the Lord

August 1, 2016 | 1 Thessalonians 2:7-12 | parenting

Parents have questions… Practical questions like: How and when should I discipline my child? How do I get them potty trained? And spiritual questions like: When is my child old enough to confess faith in Christ? What about baptism and the Lord’s Supper? How can I be sure that they are saved? In answering these questions, we have God’s Word as our guide, but we must also take into account the child’s level of maturity. Have you noticed that every child is unique? No two are the same. And as they grow, they change. So the parenting style that seemed effective when they were small, doesn’t work when they’re older. These differences need different parenting styles.

In his first letter to the Thessalonians, the apostle Paul told them that he had been willing to parent according to their situation, sometimes gentle and affectionate like a mother and sometimes strong like a father in order to release them to live up to God’s calling. We can parent our children following God’s Word to match our child’s situation with a goal of releasing them to the Lord.