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Read: Acts 2:42-47

Listen: Acts 2

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Acts 2:42


The early church is “devoted” to five core commitments. They know the reality of Jesus’s death, burial and resurrection, and these truths radically shape their minds and way of life. As a result, their habits and lifestyles were on a new trajectory. They were “all-in” on: (1) the Apostles’ teaching, (2) fellowship, (3) meeting needs, (4) sharing Jesus, (5) prayer and praise. This devotion fuels a life of intimate prayer and overflowing praise.

In a way, these five core commitments can serve as vital signs. Much like how we can check our pulse for signs of life, the five commitments are signs of life for the believer. One danger in the spiritual life is coasting and not assessing our spiritual health or vitality. It’s possible to know the right things and even affirm the right things, and yet have a life that is void of these signs of life. These five commitments provide a helpful test for assessing the health of our hearts. Our aim as followers of Jesus, then, is to grow more faithfully and fully into the way of Jesus—the way that was also followed by the early church.

TODAY: Take your pulse relative to these five commitments. Are there signs of life? Consider which of the five commitments you struggle with the most. Make this a matter of prayer this week, and ask God to work in your heart over the coming weeks as we continue this series.