Category Archives: Church (Body of Christ)

Acts 8 on 10/17 | NT260 — Reading & Growing in Christ

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Persecution scatters the church from Jerusalem into Judea and Samaria (just like 1:8), and they keep sharing Jesus wherever they go (vv. 1–4). Philip goes to Samaria; God backs the message with healings and freedom from evil spirits, and there’s great joy (vv. 5–8). A famous magician, Simon, believes and is baptized, but then tries to buy the power to give the Spirit. Peter rebukes him and calls him to repent (vv. 9–25).

Next, an angel sends Philip to a desert road where he meets an Ethiopian official reading Isaiah 53 (vv. 26–33). Philip starts “with this Scripture” and tells him the good news about Jesus; the man believes and is baptized, then goes on his way rejoicing (vv. 34–39). Philip is carried to Azotus and continues preaching up the coast to Caesarea (v. 40).

🌀 Reflection:
Ask the Spirit to make you ready and obedient like Philip—willing to leave the crowd for the one (vv. 26–35). Also invite Him to check your motives so they’re not like Simon’s—seeking control instead of a clean heart (vv. 18–23).

💬 Mission Challenge:
Cross a line this week. Share Jesus with one person outside your usual circle (a neighbor from another background, a coworker you rarely talk to). Offer a simple ask: “Could we read one short passage (Isaiah 53/John 3) and talk about it?” Follow up with an invite to pray for a need.

Acts 7 on 10/16 | NT260 — Reading & Growing in Christ

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Stephen answers the high priest by retelling Israel’s story—Abraham, Joseph, and Moses—to show a pattern: God keeps His promises, but God’s people often reject His deliverers the first time (vv. 2–43). He reminds them that God isn’t limited to one place; even before the temple, God met His people and led them (vv. 44–50).

Then Stephen applies it: “You always resist the Holy Spirit,” he says, just as their ancestors did with the prophets—and now with Jesus, the Righteous One (vv. 51–53). Enraged, the council drags him out and stones him. Stephen, full of the Spirit, sees Jesus standing at God’s right hand, prays, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit,” and forgives his killers. A young man named Saul watches the coats (vv. 54–60).

🌀 Reflection:
Ask God to soften any place in you that resists His voice (v. 51). Pray to live with Stephen’s Spirit-filled courage, clear hope in Jesus, and a heart quick to forgive (vv. 55–60).

💬 Mission Challenge:
Reach out to someone you’ve had tension with—send a short message offering prayer and peace, or set up a quick call. If that’s not possible, take 10 minutes to write a encouraging note to a believer under pressure (missionary, pastor, or friend), and pray for the persecuted church this week.

Acts 6 on 10/15 | NT260 — Reading & Growing in Christ

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As the church grew, Greek-speaking widows were being overlooked in the daily help (v. 1). The apostles asked the church to choose seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and wisdom to lead this care so they could keep focusing on prayer and the Word (vv. 2–4). The church chose Stephen, Philip, and five others; the apostles prayed and laid hands on them. The result? God’s word spread and many priests believed (vv. 5–7).

Stephen, full of grace and power, did great signs (v. 8). Debaters from several synagogues couldn’t resist the wisdom and the Spirit in his words (v. 10), so they stirred up false charges against him—saying he spoke against Moses, the law, and the temple (vv. 11–14). As Stephen stood before the council, his face looked like an angel’s—God’s peace and presence were on him (v. 15).

🌀 Reflection:
Where is God asking you to serve so others aren’t overlooked (v. 1)? Pray to be full of the Spirit and wisdom (v. 3), faithful in “small” jobs, and steady under pressure like Stephen (vv. 8–10, 15).

💬 Mission Challenge:
Do one act of outreach to someone who’s often missed: bring a meal to a widow/single parent, help an immigrant neighbor with a task, or invite a different-background believer to your table. If your church has a benevolence or widow care team, offer your time this week.

Acts 5 on 10/14 | NT260 — Reading & Growing in Christ

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Ananias and Sapphira lied about their gift, pretending to give all while keeping some back. Peter said they had lied to the Holy Spirit; both fell dead, and great fear came on the whole church (vv. 1–11). God cares about truth and integrity inside His people.

God kept working: many were healed, and crowds honored the apostles (vv. 12–16). The Sadducees arrested them, but an angel opened the doors and told them to keep teaching in the temple (vv. 17–21). Even locked doors could not stop the gospel (vv. 22–26).

Before the council, Peter said, “We must obey God rather than men” and preached Jesus—crucified, raised, and exalted as Savior (vv. 29–32). Gamaliel advised caution (vv. 34–39). The apostles were beaten, yet rejoiced to suffer for Jesus and did not stop teaching—every day, in the temple and from house to house (vv. 40–42).

🌀 Reflection:
Ask: Where am I tempted to pretend (vv. 1–11) or to go quiet about Jesus (vv. 28–31)? Pray for honesty, holy fear, and courage to keep speaking and living the truth.

💬 Mission Challenge:
This week, take one bold step outward: offer to pray for someone who’s hurting, share a short Jesus story, or invite a friend to read Acts 5:29 with you—and pair it with practical help (a meal, a ride, or a small gift).

Acts 4 on 10/13 | NT260 — Reading & Growing in Christ

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After the healing (ch. 3), Peter and John were arrested for preaching Jesus’ resurrection (vv. 1–4). Before the Sanhedrin, Peter—filled with the Holy Spirit—said the man was healed by the name of Jesus Christ, whom they crucified and God raised (vv. 8–10). He called Jesus the rejected cornerstone and declared, “There is salvation in no one else” (vv. 11–12). Though the leaders tried to silence them, the apostles replied, “We can’t stop speaking about what we’ve seen and heard” (vv. 18–20).

Released, the church prayed for boldness, quoting Psalm 2 and trusting God’s plan (vv. 23–28). God shook the place, filled them again with the Spirit, and they kept speaking God’s word with boldness (vv. 29–31). The believers were of one heart and soul, sharing so no one lacked; Barnabas sold a field to help those in need (vv. 32–37).

🌀 Reflection:
Where do you feel pressure to be quiet about Jesus (vv. 18–20)? Ask the Spirit for courage and clarity today, trusting God’s control when opposition comes (vv. 28–31).

💬 Mission Challenge:
Do one bold, loving act this week: share a brief Jesus story or offer prayer to someone who’s open—and pair it with practical help (a meal, a ride, or a gift) so your words and works line up (vv. 32–37).

Acts 3 on 10/12 | NT260 — Reading & Growing in Christ

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One afternoon, Peter and John went to the temple to pray and met a man who had been lame since birth (vv. 1–2). Every day, he sat at the gate asking for money, but Peter told him, “I don’t have silver or gold, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!” (v. 6). Peter helped him up, and immediately the man’s legs were healed. He began walking, leaping, and praising God as the people watched in amazement (vv. 7–10).

Seeing the crowd gather, Peter used the miracle to point everyone to Jesus. He explained that the man was healed not by their own power, but through faith in Jesus’ name (v. 16). Peter reminded them that they had rejected and killed the Author of life, but God raised Him from the dead (vv. 14–15). He urged them to repent and turn to God, so their sins could be forgiven and times of spiritual refreshing could come from the Lord (vv. 19–20). Peter showed how the prophets, including Moses and Abraham, had foretold these days and that God’s promise of blessing through Jesus was meant for all nations (vv. 22–26).

🌀 Reflection:
Where do you need to trust the power of Jesus’ name instead of your own strength? (vv. 6, 16). Ask God to remind you that true change—whether healing, forgiveness, or courage—comes through faith in Him alone.

💬 Mission Challenge:
Like Peter and John, take time this week for the one person God puts in your path (v. 7). Listen to their need, pray for them, and point them to Jesus. You never know how one act of care might open a door for someone to know Christ.

Acts 2 on 10/11 | NT260 — Reading & Growing in Christ

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When the day of Pentecost came, the believers were all together praying. Suddenly, a sound like a strong wind filled the room, and what looked like tongues of fire rested on each person. The Holy Spirit filled them, and they began to speak in other languages so that people from many nations could hear about the mighty works of God (vv. 1–11). Some were amazed, but others made fun of them (vv. 12–13). Then Peter stood up and explained that this was what the prophet Joel had promised—God was pouring out His Spirit on His people in the last days (vv. 16–21). He told the crowd that Jesus, whom they had crucified, was the One God raised from the dead and made both Lord and Christ (vv. 22–36).

The people were heartbroken and asked what they should do. Peter told them, “Repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (vv. 37–38). That day, about 3,000 people believed and were baptized (v. 41). The new believers learned from the apostles, spent time together, shared meals, and prayed (v. 42). God worked through them with many signs and wonders, and the church became a joyful, generous, and worshipful community. Each day, the Lord added more people who were being saved (vv. 43–47).

🌀 Reflection:
Where do you need the Holy Spirit’s help today? Ask God to fill you with His power so you can share His love and live with joy like the early believers did (vv. 4, 42–47).

💬 Mission Challenge:
Think of someone in your life who doesn’t know Jesus. Pray for them by name and look for a way to tell them what God has done for you (v. 11). Maybe share a verse, invite them to church, or simply tell them how Jesus has changed your life.

Acts 1 on 10/10 | NT260 — Reading & Growing in Christ

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Luke’s “second volume” opens by tying back to “all that Jesus began to do and teach” and showing that the risen Lord continues His work through His people (vv. 1–3). Jesus commands the disciples to stay in Jerusalem and wait for the Father’s promise—the baptism with the Holy Spirit (vv. 4–5). Still thinking in national terms, they ask about restoring the kingdom to Israel, but Jesus redirects them: the timing is the Father’s, their task is witness—empowered by the Spirit—to Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and the end of the earth (vv. 6–8). He then ascends and is taken up in a cloud of God’s presence, with angels assuring that He will return in the same way (vv. 9–11).

Back in Jerusalem, about 120 believers gather in the upper room and devote themselves to unified, persevering prayer—along with the women, Mary the mother of Jesus, and His brothers (vv. 12–14). Peter stands and anchors the community’s next step in Scripture: Judas’s fall fulfilled what the Holy Spirit spoke “by the mouth of David,” and another must take his office (Ps 69:25; 109:8; vv. 15–20). The replacement must be an eyewitness from John’s baptism to the ascension—“a witness to His resurrection.” After praying for the Lord’s choice, they cast lots, and Matthias is numbered with the eleven (vv. 21–26).

Acts 1 shows the church waiting on God’s promise, grounded in Jesus’ mission and Scripture, praying together, and preparing for Spirit-empowered witness (vv. 4–8, 14, 16, 24–26). What Jesus began, He now continues—by His Spirit, through His people—until He comes again (vv. 1–3, 9–11).

🌀 Reflection:
Where are you still asking “when” about God’s plans (v. 7) instead of embracing what He’s already made clear—pray, wait on the Spirit, and witness (vv. 4–5, 8, 14)? Ask the Lord to align your expectations with His mission and to make you a steady, Scripture-guided witness today (vv. 16, 21–22).

💬 Mission Challenge:
Map your “Jerusalem.” Identify one person in your immediate circle (home, class, team, or workplace) and—after praying for them by name (v. 14)—share a simple witness this week: a gospel conversation, an invitation to read John’s Gospel together, or an invite to church or community group (v. 8).

Join Us as We Celebrate 27 Years at Christ Community Church — a Songs for Sunday post

Sunday’s coming, and I’m especially thankful this week.

Not only do we get to gather again as the people of God, but we also get to celebrate 27 years of God’s faithfulness to and through Christ Community Church. That’s no small thing. The local church is one of God’s greatest gifts to His people — where the gospel is proclaimed, disciples are made, and the love of Jesus is lived out in community.

I want to say how personally thankful I am that God has allowed me and my family to be a part of Christ Community. I’ve had the privilege of serving in churches for two decades, but this church has become the church home and faith family we had always hoped for. Candice, Keri, Xander, and I are genuinely grateful — not only to serve here, but to belong here. Christ Community is a gift, and we thank God for it.

That’s exactly the sentiment Paul had in Colossians 1:3-6 when he was opening his letter to the church at Colossae: sharing his gratitude for a gospel-shaped church.

Paul began in v. 3 by saying, “We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you.” He’s not flattering them but pointing to God as the source of their growth and faithfulness. Every local church that stands firm in Christ is a reason to give thanks.

In v. 4, he reflects on what he’s heard about them: their “faith in Jesus” and the love they have “for all the saints”. These aren’t vague religious concepts. Their faith was real, anchored in Jesus. Their love was visible, expressed toward one another. This kind of gospel life is evidence of Christ working.

But where does that kind of faith and love come from? The answer is in v. 5: “because of the hope laid up for you in heaven”. Their faith and love are rooted in something eternal — not wishful thinking, but a secure hope. Their faith and love are rooted in something objective, already laid up, already theirs. That’s our shared hope, too: an imperishable inheritance kept in heaven (1 Peter 1:4), secured not by our own goodness but in Jesus’s blood and resurrection (1 Peter 1:18-21).

Then in vv. 5-6, Paul shifts the spotlight to the gospel itself, “the Word of the truth…which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing…”. You see, the gospel isn’t merely information. It’s power. Wherever it goes — when it’s understood and received by grace through faith in Jesus — it grows, it bears fruit, it transforms lives. That’s what God has done at Christ Community for 27 years, and that’s what we’re asking Him to keep on doing until Jesus returns.

When we gather Sunday, we’ll celebrate that very gospel in song. We’ll sing “Holy Water” thanking God for washing away our sin in His grace and mercy. We’ll sing “Graves Into Gardens” proclaiming the power of Jesus to bring life where there was death. We’ll sing “In Christ Alone” declaring our firm hope rooted in Jesus’s death and resurrection. We’ll sing “Thank You Jesus for the Blood” remembering the precious price He paid to redeem us.

We’ll be reminded of that gospel in our Scripture readings, as in Titus 3:4-7 where we’ll clearly see that our salvation is not in our works but Jesus’s, not in our righteousness (which we don’t have) but His mercy.

We’ll be reminded of that gospel and the Savior it proclaims as John opens up the Word of God and shows us the King of kings, unpacking the value and depth of His sacrifice for sinners like us and the salvation that comes only by grace through faith in Jesus alone.

So, let’s gather together.

Let’s gather on the Lord’s day — on Sunday — not just to mark an anniversary but to lift high the name of Jesus, the One who saved us, who brought us together as a church family, and who is still working in and through us for His glory and our good.

The gospel has borne fruit here, and we pray it continues to do so for generations to come — until Jesus comes.

Won’t you gather with us?

Here are our Scriptures and songs:

4But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to His own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6whom He poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7so that being justified by His grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

18…knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, 19but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. 20He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you 21who through Him are believers in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

Luke 24 on 10/9 | NT260 — Reading & Growing in Christ

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The resurrection changes everything. On the first day of the week, the women discovered the empty tomb, reminded by angels that Jesus had risen just as He said (vv. 1–8). Though the apostles first doubted, Peter saw the evidence and marveled (vv. 9–12). On the road to Emmaus, two disciples met the risen Jesus without recognizing Him until He broke bread with them. He explained how all of Scripture pointed to His suffering and glory, and their hearts burned as they understood (vv. 13–35). Later, Jesus appeared to the disciples, showing His hands and feet, eating with them, and commissioning them to proclaim repentance and forgiveness in His name to all nations, promising the Spirit’s power (vv. 36–49).

Luke closes with Jesus blessing His disciples and ascending into heaven. Their sorrow was turned to joy as they worshiped Him and continually praised God in the temple (vv. 50–53). The story that began in Bethlehem with the birth of Jesus ends in glory with His exaltation—and continues in the church’s mission to proclaim that Christ is risen and reigns forever.

🌀 Reflection:
Jesus’ resurrection is not just an event to know but a reality to live in. Because He lives, our doubts can turn to faith, our despair to joy, and our fear to peace. Where do you need to rest in the power of His living presence today?

💬 Mission Challenge:
Share the good news of Jesus’ resurrection with someone this week. Like the women at the tomb or the disciples on the road, don’t keep silent—proclaim that Jesus is alive and offers forgiveness and new life to all who believe.