Series: The Mvmnt 
Message: A Holy Jesus Community
Preacher: Japhet De Oliveira 
Reflection: Alex Bryan
Live Wonder: Zan Long 
Live Adventure: Zan Long 
Live Purpose: Jessyka Albert 
Editor: Becky De Oliveira

Refresh: Begin today in prayer. Ask God for understanding through the Holy Spirit and for God’s character to be revealed.

Read: Acts 4:32–5:16 in the New International Version (NIV). Note 1–3 insights or questions. 

Reflect: Focus on Acts 5:12–14. More and more. What a wonderfully American ideal. More and more—the whole world, it seems, has been evangelized by this grand doctrine of the United States of America. Capitalism wants more. The market wants more. Consumerism insists upon more. And I was taught as a young pastor—more, more, more. Church growth is the end-all, be-all. Evangelism is all about numerical growth, packing in more people, counting the crowds, counting the offering . . . wow, isn’t Pastor Smith amazing, his church is growing! And how about our denomination, we are the . . . fasted growing . . . church in the universe!

What are we to make of the growth in Acts? How should we understand the addition of adherents then and there with some of the destructive attitudes about growing things which I have described above?

If you have time to read the book of Acts through I suspect you will find no instance where the church is obsessed with quantity, but many instances where the young congregation is fully committed to quality. In other words, the church was committed to preaching, teaching, feeding, healing, forgiving, confessing, sharing, and lifting one another and the world around them. Growth happened, but it wasn’t the focus; it wasn’t even the goal. In fact, verse 13 indicates the church was expressly uninterested in easy growth. “Nevertheless” the church grew (verse 14).

I suspect we’d be a much healthier church in the 21st century if we committed ourselves to developing Christian qualities, faithfully growing internally, and letting the external growth “be what will be.” David was chastised for counting his armies—perhaps a lesson in the sort of hubris that comes in wanting to claim “size.”

The church in Acts did indeed grow. But that was fruit, not seed.

Recalibrate: What are some things you find yourself wanting “more” of in your life, from your family, your job, your church?

Respond: Pray for contentment in your life. Ask for peace and joy in what you have.

Research: Read Amitai Etzioni’s article on HuffPost: “The Crisis of American Consumerism.”

Recharge: Wonder/Adventure/Purpose

You can never have too many hugs, kisses, long afternoons playing with your kids or early morning cook-ups of never ending breakfasts. God gives all good things and when we share these moments with our children they learn  that more love is always good.

Sharing is something you can get so good at if you want too. Sharing is a way of thinking that whatever I have, God has given me to give to you— Unless, of course, we are talking about chicken pox or the flu. Every good thing is from God and He gave it to us to share. Can you make a list of all the good things you can share?

Think of the time you were the most sick you have ever been. Was it the stomach flu? Food poisoning? The chicken pox? Being sick is miserable. You don’t want anyone to see you when you’re that sick. When you start feeling better, it’s like you’re a whole new person. Can you imagine how the people who were healed felt after getting better immediately? If you’re feeling sick today, physically, mentally, or emotionally, ask Jesus for healing and comfort.