WordLive - Year OneSample

Prepare: How many times did you hear the message before you accepted? Give thanks for your journey into faith. Amazing response Here we see a completely different Peter from the one who had earlier denied any association with Jesus. Since his all-time low, events had transformed him and the final moments of his brilliantly crafted speech were confident and extremely effective. Clearly affected by what they were hearing, the listeners asked how to respond. What a wonderful opportunity, one that Peter grasped with enthusiasm. It was time to recognise the true identity of Jesus, accept rescue from the ultimate consequences of independence and wrongdoing, and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (vs 38–40) – a difficult offer to reject in the light of such a powerful explanation of Scripture, and about 3,000 people accepted. Community of love For the disciples, the time of waiting was over. The gift Jesus had promised was here and considerable change was coming to the early Christian community (v 42). How a person actually lives says a lot about what they truly believe – so the way the early followers began to flesh out their faith speaks volumes (vs 43–46). A community of love was being fashioned, producing a climate of learning, friendship and sharing, breaking bread and prayer. Distinctive and attractive, these values should still be the hallmarks of Christian community today. Respond: The journey to faith is often made up of little steps. Be open and alert to opportunity – there may be someone today who needs to hear about Jesus. http://www.wordlive.org/Session/Classic/2012-06-02