Lesson 2 of 32
In Progress

Acts 2 – Transformational Community

Ryan Rhoden 05/04/2021

Acts tells the story of how the church was born, grew together, was then scattered, spreading the story of Jesus everywhere they went (Acts 8:4). 

Acts challenges and commissions us to continue the story they began, which is to lay down our lives to carry Jesus to people right where they’re at by living as a part of a Spirit-filled, transformational community of fully alive Jesus followers. 

Acts doesn’t have an ending – the implication being that we are God’s (Spirit-filled) people. The expectation is that we are continuing the work God started through this small transformational community of people who turned the world upside down! 

ACTS ASKS US: What is your faith IN JESUS turning upside down? 

Has the Spirit of God fallen so powerfully upon you that it has rerouted and recalibrated your entire life?

We believe that’s what LIVING A CONTINUATION OF ACTS looks like. Studying Acts will lead us outward to our neighbors and cities, opening the tables of our lives to the “others” and “outsiders” around us.

If we teach this well, we will live outside the box and release more creativity in connecting people (that may have no interest in the conventional form of church) to Jesus.

HERE IS THE CRUX OF ACTS AND WHY IT MATTERS TO YOU IN 2021:

Times are changing, but God is not. Not all change is good, but even lousy change can create POWERFUL opportunities AS HIS PEOPLE ARE DISTINCT from the world, UNIQUE in the world as we REMAIN AVAILABLE to the world.

This pandemic has disrupted our well-formed life habits that we are now entering a new space none of us could have anticipated. We stand before a beautiful blank canvas!

That’s why we believe God is having us study Acts now as we “reform” and are reformed around His presence and commission, not tradition and comfort. 

THE CHALLENGE OF ACTS IS TO ANSWER THIS QUESTION AS WE FORGE OUR WAY FORWARD:

What does it mean to be God’s people when it seems like the roads we have so intentionally built are no longer going to carry us forward?

  • What will you do differently? What steps will you take?
  • Who can you take those steps with?
  • How will you posture your life to be Spirit-filled and Spirit-empowered?

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