TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them. Acts 6:3
Read: Acts 6:1–7
Listen: Acts 6
TODAY’S MESSAGE
The early Christians didn’t just eat with each other or hang out. They took care of each other. They were so convinced they were family that they moved resources around to look after each other. When they saw a need, some of them would sell their own stuff to meet that need. In fact, the early church’s generosity became such a big deal that they had to choose seven people to oversee it. This generosity carried down throughout church history, with Christians keeping storehouses for the poor and opening the first public hospital.
The heart of the gospel is God’s generosity toward us through Jesus’s death on the cross. We emulate Jesus and the early church together as a larger church community and in smaller acts of service.
As the Ada Bible community, we pool our money together to assist those who struggle in our church community and support ministries that help at-risk young mothers, provide shelter for struggling families and give life-altering surgeries.
Small groups and members of our church community also drop off meals for sick or quarantined families, babysit for young mothers, give away vehicles instead of trading them in, help with medical bills, care for a neighbor’s lawn or anonymously mail checks to someone struggling financially, plus much more.
This is how our church community shows the generosity of God to each other and to others.
IN YOUR CHAIR TIME TODAY
Thank God for the incredible generosity of sending Jesus to die for you and the generosity God has shown you through others. Ask God to show you what it means for that generosity to flow through you. Begin to look for needs in your small group and with the people around you this week. Find some ideas at adabible.org/bethechurch.
NEW TESTAMENT READING PLAN
Join us this year as we read through the New Testament.
Today’s reading is Acts 16.
Download a printable PDF of the BTW week here.
