Prepare your heart for Sunday by looking through these suggestions that will assist you in making the most of our time together.
You will find suggestions for thinking more critically through the passage, meditating more intently on the text, and tangibly putting scripture to action in your personal life and in our corporate body.
Carefully Think
- Read Acts chapter 2 for context for the passage this Sunday. Read Acts 2:42-47 again to dig deeper to prepare for Sunday.
- Who are the "they" Paul is addressing in the beginning of verse 42? Why is this significant here in Acts? How were they identified (verse 41-42)?
- Looking at 43-47, what are some things they had in common? Why would characterize this type of unity?
- What is the central focus of their activities? There are several: caring for one another, selling possessions, eating together, etc. Why would they do these things? Is there one singular reason?
- What else is God doing in the midst of all of this? What relationship, if any, does that have to the previous verses?
Prayerfully Meditate
- Prayerfully consider why it is important how we identify one another in our assembly, the local church.
- What do we participate in together, does it reflect the principled ideas found here in the early Acts church? Should we do exactly what they did? Prayerfully consider why or why not; look for the differences between the first-century church and our local church today.
- Think about how we can better reflect the principles laid out here in these verses, in our body today, both corporately and individually.
Intentionally Act
- How have you intentionally pursued others in our church body this week with the Christmas and New Year's holidays? Are there those in need that you were able to serve? Or did you forsake gathering or praying for other busy activities?
- How was your personal devotional time this past week or two?
- Look for ways in the new year to increase in fellowship ("participation") with one another in activity, prayer, worship, and study of the Word.
- Pray for our congregation, that as we gather this Sunday the Lord would use this passage to shape our souls, increase our appreciation for Christ, and make us more like him.
- Click the links below to find the lyrics and recordings of the songs planned for our gathering this Sunday; practice the songs, study the lyrics and sing together.
- Pray for those leading our corporate gathering this week and for the Holy Spirit’s work as the Word of God is further explained and applied: Dawson Bryant: music; Todd Arnold: Elders' prayer and Scripture reading; Bret Capranica: teaching.
Songs for Sunday
Lyrics
Lyrics Morning Gathering - January 1, 2017 by Summit Woods Baptist Church on Scribd