Mission Possible

Backstory:
One day at the temple, Peter healed a lame man in the name of Jesus, resulting in an opportunity for Peter & John to preach to a crowd. This stirred up the jealous anger of the religious leaders, but they failed to stifle the apostles’ courageous ministry. The members of the infant church learned how to live in fellowship with one another, voluntarily sharing their possessions. However, one couple’s desire for praise and their love for money led to the first recorded sin in the life of the church and how it was handled.

God’s Story:
My people must guard their hearts, for although my church has started strong, evil still lurks everywhere. Focus is the key right now. They must remain dedicated to their task of spreading the gospel. If they keep the spotlight on Jesus and his message of salvation, my Spirit will be free to work as I intended.

Read Acts 5:1-42

Your Story:
The members of the early church faced complications and struggles from both inside and outside of the body of believers. From within the church, greed and dishonesty were insidiously wreaking havoc. From outside, the religious leaders and others, distraught by the shake-up Jesus triggered, were poised and ready to quash any hint of his legacy. 2000 years later, the church is still susceptible to many of the same threats. How do the problems of your church and the Church as a whole today, compare to the problems of the early church? What are some ways you can initiate and effect change and guard against future problems?