The
New Testament (NT) Church “devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to
fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer” (Acts 2:42).
One of my favorite game shows is Who Wants to be a Millionaire. The trivia is fun (even
though I don’t know 90% of the answers). It is interesting to consider the
possibilities of what could be. And I love the life lines given to help with
the difficult questions.
Life lines are not only available in
game shows. God has blessed His faithful followers of Jesus Christ with life
lines in real life. Therefore, this past month, we began something that the NT
Church took advantage of to utilize the life lines mentioned in Acts 2:42ff,
namely Life
Groups. Life groups are basically small groups
of people focused on doing the one thing that matters, life.
Do you ever question what you are
experiencing and how you are going to get through it? The reality is we all do.
We might question how to deal with difficult people or struggles at work. We
might question why certain things happen, and what our purpose is in life. The
“apostles’ teaching” (aka Scripture) is the life line that gives us the answers
to these questions and many others. Yet sometimes it can be challenging to
comprehend exactly what God is telling us, which is why the NT Church studied
Scripture together in small groups. Diana Bax, a life group member said, “I
feel as if the study has given me a new under-standing of a purpose driven
life: Why are we here? What plans does God have for my life? How can I serve
others through my experiences (be it good or bad)? I feel more connected to the
Bible study. Questions are being answered through group involvement. And it has
been very eye opening to say the least.”
The second life line that the NT
Church took advantage of was fellowship. Samantha Miller was skeptical at first
about life
groups,
“It’s not what I thought it would be...The camaraderie is fantastic.” Life
Groups can be a lot of fun! Beyond that we all need encouragement from time to
time. And this is where real, life-enriching relationships can form and
develop. I have personally witnessed life group members being with others as
they mourned the loss of a child, yet their biological family members were
nowhere to be found. Life group member Alan McNeely said, “I am always
encouraged when meeting with other brothers and sisters in Christ.” Again it is
about helping you to do the one thing that matters, life.
A third life line that the NT Church
took advantage of was helping others to jump the problems that came their way.
This can take place by praying for one another that God would remove the
struggle. And it can happen by personally being the answer to someone’s prayer.
Life group member Cynthia Bible mentioned her group taking care of some of the
hurting in our area just like the NT Church did.
Thus, I encourage you to take
advantage of the life lines that are available to you here at ECC. Diana said,
“I would encourage everyone to try it for a month and see what they can take
from it.” God bless!
In His service,
Matt
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