Preparing My Heart
I could find it easy to over-respond to these passages in one of two ways: (1) this can’t be for us today, or (2) we must precisely practice exactly this in our church. While God wants me to respond to His truth with full-life zeal, He surely doesn’t want me to do so without careful balance.
So…what is the disposition of my heart toward God’s Word? Do I read it with “it isn’t for me” as the default setting? Let me love the Scriptures fully and obey them unconditionally!
Making the Bible Personal
What is my response to the teaching of God’s Word?
How important to me is fellowship with believers?
Do I own too much to embrace this kind of community of goods?
Am I too attached to my stuff to give it up for the good of fellow Christians?
What is the state of my heart toward the other members of my congregation?
“Neither…any among them that lacked” — is this true in my church?
Reviewing Basic Truths
The followers of Jesus need to be part of a like-minded group.
The Lord intends for His people to help meet each other’s material needs.
God brings into the church whom He will.
Following Jesus both requires (and results in) selfless living.
Applying God’s Word to Me
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This concludes my comments based on the alternate lesson developed by Christian Light Publications. To read my comments on the passage for the International Bible Lesson, click here: Faith Requires Mutual Love.
excerpted from Panting
