Acts 4
February 9, 2022
“And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need.” (v 33-35)
When God’s grace takes effect in our lives, one of the results is radical generosity. The first Christ-followers did not “claim that any of their possessions were their own, but shared everything they had.” (v32). Not that it resulted in a communistic pooling together of their belongings upon entering into the church, though. After all, one can’t “from time to time” (v34) sell one’s possessions - unless one retains ownership of them up until the time of their sale. Each sale and gift of an asset (i.e. Barnabas in v36-37) was made in response to needs that arose and was inspired by “grace” (v33).
Lord, I praise You for Your amazing grace - that You loved me so much that You left Your glorious throne and the riches of Heaven to be born into poverty and eventually die on a cross! May my heart be so stirred by that grace - that I am inspired and compelled to give - for the advancement of Your Kingdom and the blessing of those with needs!
— Pastor Joshua Brooks
Use the following steps to guide your daily time with the Lord…
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Start with prayer. Ask God to open your heart to help you understand and receive His Word.
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Read and observe the passage carefully. As needed, read a second Bible version to help with understanding.
➡️ What does it say?
What does this passage teach me about God? What does it say about my sinful nature and my need for God’s grace? How does this passage point to Jesus?
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➡️ What am I going to do about it?
Does this passage include a promise to claim, an action/attitude to avoid/embrace, or a principle to apply? How can this truth apply to my life? What could my next step be? How can I share this with others? Is there a verse or section of Scripture I need to memorize?
