One Desire Fast is HMCC’s annual fast so we can start off the year hearing from God, both individually and as a church. This year’s theme is Saturate.
Acts 2:42-47 ESV – And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.
Living out of the Gospel is not just simply receiving it and being fluent in it, like what we talked about yesterday. True Gospel foundations also encourage us to internalize different parts of it and live by it. It is definitely a life-long journey and commitment. For example, we might recognize how we can grow more like Jesus or turn away from our sinful nature. We might also be compelled to love others that are difficult to love. When we are growing in living out our faith, we are taking part in His restoration work on this earth. This kind of life, to be a follower of Jesus, is never meant to be lived alone.
When we believe in the Gospel, our lives are immediately intertwined with other Christian believers. Jesus does not only redeem our sins and our individual relationships with God, but Jesus also restores our character and relationships with others. We are called to be part of the Christian community, to nurture it and to love it, as imperfect as it may be. It is only when we stay rooted in one that we can experience the wholeness of the Gospel and witness God’s work in our lives and the lives of people around us.
We’ve all been part of different communities in our lives, whether at work, with friend groups, in sports teams, etc. But what makes a Christian community different and what does it look like? Acts 2:42-47 is a depiction of the early church that paints a picture of what a Gospel-centered community can be like. According to the passage, the Christian community is unique because Jesus is at the center of it. It shows through the way people in it live, from studying God’s word together, practicing generosity, sharing praises, and witnessing miracles. If you have been part of a LIFE Group, you would have read this passage together at the beginning of the year.
The transformative power of the Gospel is not only experienced once, but it is a life-long journey of following Jesus together in community. We encourage one another with our sharing and testimonies. This will give us perspective to see our lives with renewed purpose and hope to impact others wherever God places us – whether it’s our campus, workplace, relationships, family, etc. This is also why One Desire Fast is done together as a church. This is why we, as a Biblical community, can continue to look forward together to the Saturate vision God has for us for the next 6 years! In the following days, we will talk about some of the challenges we may face in our communities as well as how we can overcome them together.
Reflection and Application
- Think about other communities you are part of (e.g. sports team, organizing committee at work, school clubs, friend groups). Do you see any similarities and differences between the Biblical community and that community? In what ways are they similar or different?
- How have you experienced a Biblical community for yourself? How has your faith journey changed by being a part of a Biblical community?
Praises and Prayers Topics – CityU
Praises:
- We are grateful as we reflect on the blessings we have received in CityU LG. In our very first semester, we were privileged to witness a baptism of one of our members. Additionally, we are humbled by the way God has brought numerous brothers into our LIFE group. We praise God for His faithfulness and for the community He is building among us
Prayer Topics:
- Pray for deeper relationships & stronger community to be built within our campus LG.
- Pray for our members to gain the heart to evangelize the Gospel to students on our campus.
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