My Friend's House

by Stephen Blandino

1. DEVOTION

Acts 2:42-43 says, “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles” (NIV).

The early church was devoted to spiritual and relational vitality. Teaching, prayer, and miracles were signs of their spiritual devotion. Fellowship and the breaking of bread were signs of their relational devotion. They viewed community as the context for knowing God and knowing others. Their lives were enriched by “togetherness.” This relational connection was a place to belong and become. (Continued next week.)

by Stephen Blandino

For his first point, Stephen Blandino begins with “devotion” in his article on “Four Marks of Biblical Community”. It had to be something that was observable by those outside the church as well as the participants in this first church community, because we are told that people will know we are Christ followers by how we love each other. So that begs the question, “How do people observe our devotion?”

Do people see our devotion to God and each other as more than us coming and going to church services each Sunday morning? Think of ways that those outside of your church community see your devotion to other believers and to God besides a scheduled coming and going to church.