The Warmhearted Church

0:00Every day they continue to meet together, Acts 2, 46. Welcome to today's encouragement from our daily bread. The warm-hearted church was written by Alice Inquita and read by Rochelle Trowb. Acts 2 verses 42 through 47. 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. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising

1:01God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. The warm-hearted church written by Alice Inquita When I was a child, I gladly accompanied my family to church every Sunday morning and the evening. Our pastor exuded joy and always included the children in the service and even encouraged my writing. My Sunday school teachers and pastor instilled in me a love for Scripture. And Sunday nights often meant a guest speaker or missionary who stirred my heart toward missions. Our church truly earned the slogan, our pastor created, the warm-hearted church on Coldwater Road. It wasn't perfect, but we were a family. Since that day I've continued attending church, even when it was hard to find the right one,

2:04and I've been encouraged and have grown in my faith as a result. Just as we do today, believers in Jesus and the early church needed support and encouragement, and they understood the importance of meeting together with fellow believers. They were a family. Together they built each other up when doing life and serving God became difficult. They gathered to pray, study Scripture, praise God, enjoy fellowship and eat meals together. As a result, God caused their numbers to grow. Finding a like-minded church may take time, but it's vital. Life is difficult to face on our own, and that's why God gave us families and communities. A church is a great place to build community. Let's pray.

3:04Lord, we thank You for designing us for community and for the gift of faithful people who walk alongside us so that none of us has to carry our burdens alone. Bride us to those relationships and places where we can both pour out and be filled, sustained by Your grace and by each other. Thank You, Lord. It's in Jesus' name we pray, amen. As you go about your day, reflect on these questions. Why do you think it's important to have a church community? How might participating in church activities encourage you?