Living Room Church:  Acts 3:1-10

Open It

1. If a stranger were to ask you for a handout, what would you most likely do? Why?
2. How do you feel toward people who are poor, homeless, or obviously needy?
3. What do you remember about a time when you were very sick or hurt?

Explore It

4. Where were Peter and John going? (3:1) When?
5. Why were the apostles going to the temple? (3:1)
6. Who was carried to the temple gate every day? (3:2)
7. How long had the beggar been crippled? (3:2)
8. Why did the crippled man spend every day at the gate called Beautiful? (3:2)
9. What did the beggar do when he saw Peter and John approaching? (3:3)
10. How did the two apostles first respond to the crippled man? (3:4)
11. What did Peter say to the beggar? (3:4-6)
12. In what ways did the crippled man respond to Peter’s words? (3:5,7-8)
13. After he was healed, where did the beggar go? (3:8)
14. What did Peter and John do after the miraculous healing? (3:8)
15. What happened when the man responded to his miraculous healing? (3:8-10) Why?
16. How did the people feel about what had happened to the crippled beggar? (3:9-10)

Get It

17. If God were to do a miracle of healing among the people in our church, how do you think most people would respond? Why?
18. When was the last time God answered a prayer of yours in a joyful way?
19. Besides providing financial aid, what can Christians do to help those who are poor or needy?
20. How can our congregation be helpful to people with disabilities?
21. How can our congregation be sensitive to the needs of those who are physically disabled?

Why do I choose to stay “bound” on some issues where other Christians find liberty? I.e. alcohol, language, movies, music, modesty, what we do with our bodies etc. Before I answer, let me first say, that I fail miserably at times and continually seek God’s forgiveness, grace and guidance.

My answers will not be with scripture but by using a general observations. My observation is that many if not most children do not reach the same social, moral or Christian maturity as their parents. You can look at our own history or biblical accounts to see this happening from one generation to the next over and over again. On occasion a generation will find it’s way back to social/moral/Christian roots but this is few and far between. Furthermore, children (mine included) will take the level of liberty I.e. where I/we draw the line, on our social/moral/Christian issues and take it even further as they gain their own independence. Most likely, you and I only have to look as far as our own parents i.e. where they drew the line, and compare with our own. I am not referring to a legalistic spirit which corners and creates an environment of bondage but rather a decision to be “bound” for the betterment of others.

Our society is a product of social/moral/Christian character being eroded away over the generations by accommodating and then receiving what society deems as appropriate morality and what is socially acceptable at any given time. I have chosen to do what I can with the Lord’s help to stop the erosion where for me it matters most, in my very own family. Which means I will gladly give up my liberty for what I believe will create a solid foundation for my children and future generations.

Pastor Curtiss

We welcome the Hope Haitian Children’s Choir to Crossroads this Wednesday, August 5th at 6:30 p.m.  http://www.hopehaitian.com/

What should we learn from our culture which is running, turning and burning seven days a week while church culture still primarily is running and turning (hopefully not burning) one day a week?   Plenty!  As a pastor it is easy to be displeased with our culture’s loss of respect for Sunday’s as a day apart, where work, sporting events, dance etc… were off limits, giving everyone an opportunity to attend their local church.  But could it be that culture is just catching up to where the church has been heading all along?  In reality the church in general has become a type of recreation, a spectator sport with comfy seats and a clock to time the event and you can even watch a replay at home.  Maybe that’s a bit harsh but hopefully it makes a point.   The reality is that our culture is most likely not going back to the days of the “Blue Laws” yes for those who did not know there was actually a law prohibiting certain activities, such as shopping, on a Sunday, but the church can go back to the life changing truths modeled in God’s Word.

Here are some thoughts: Because of our cultural shift Sunday mornings are difficult especially for those who have no choice but to work, but remember there are six other days to gather…  The early church was a committed church, they loved one another and were deeply committed to the welfare of each other (Acts 2:45).   The early church soaked in the Word of God (Acts 2:42).  The early church took seriously when Jesus said that people can’t live on  bread alone, but on every word that comes from the Lord’s mouth (Matthew 4:4).  The early church did set a day apart (a day of rest) to honor and worship the Lord, and yet that was not their only time of worship or gathering (Acts 2:46).  In truth the early church was a seven day of week church and certainly was not attended or dearly loved by most.

So, don’t be dismayed by our cultures abandonment of Sundays as a day apart or a day of rest.  If I were not a Christian I would probably be celebrating the first day of the week as just another day of beach or cabin (well maybe not beach) but you get the idea, but because Jesus has changed my life I value the gathering of believers, it’s something nothing else in life can fulfill.  Keith Anderson says it well, “I don’t want the Church to be dependent on the world to say Church is important. I want us to say this is important because of Jesus, the persuasiveness of the Gospel, for its own sake, on its own terms…” Church let’s be a seven day a week church, celebrating our togetherness on Sundays but also everyday…. All the while being on mission for God…