When we think about the early church, it’s easy to picture a time of incredible growth and passion—thousands coming to faith, miracles happening, communities forming. But behind all of that excitement, the early church also faced real challenges. They had to figure out how to live out this new faith, navigate persecution, and deal with questions they didn’t always have clear answers to. Yet through it all, they were guided by the Holy Spirit, who empowered them to take the message of Jesus to the world.
This mini-series is all about digging into the lessons we can learn from the early church—how they handled the tough stuff, how they stayed bold in the face of opposition, and how the Holy Spirit moved in powerful ways to unite and equip them.
Why Look at the Early Church?
So, why focus on the early church? For one, they were the first to live out the message of Jesus after His resurrection. They didn’t have centuries of tradition or church history to lean on; they were figuring it out as they went, relying heavily on the Holy Spirit to guide them. Their experiences, the victories, and the struggles all offer us a blueprint for how to live faithfully today.
Also, we’re not that different from them. Sure, the context has changed, but the core issues—how to be bold in faith, how to navigate conflict, how to stay unified as a community—those are the same questions we wrestle with now. By looking at their story, we can find real insights for our lives today.
What to Expect
Over the next several weeks, we’ll walk through some of the key moments in the life of the early church, starting with the day everything kicked off: Pentecost. From there, we’ll look at how they dealt with persecution, how they opened their doors to people they weren’t used to including, and how they stayed focused on the mission even when things got tough.
Each week, we’ll explore a passage from the book of Acts, but we’ll also dive into other parts of Scripture to get a fuller picture of what was happening. Along the way, we’ll ask the same question: What can we learn from their experience that we can apply to our lives today?
A Challenge to Engage
As we go through this series, I want to encourage you to really engage. Don’t just look at these stories as historical events—think about how they speak to your life right now. How is the Holy Spirit working in you? What does it look like to live out your faith in boldness, like Peter and the apostles? Where do you need to seek unity or take a step of faith?
The early church wasn’t perfect, but they were faithful. And just like them, we have access to the same Holy Spirit who empowers us to live boldly, build strong communities, and keep the mission of Jesus at the center of everything we do.
Let’s dive in and see what we can learn from their journey!
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