In part five of “Alive & Empowered: From Resurrection to Renewal,” entitled “The Birth of the Church: Community in Christ,” Senior Pastor Travis Tullis examines Acts 2:42-47, which recounts when the early church was first born. The sermon also referenced 1 Peter 2:9, Nehemiah 4:6, and Acts 2:1-4.

God’s mission goes beyond building communities; it is about forming a Holy Nation. As we reflect on Mother’s Day, we are reminded that nurturing and raising disciples is part of God’s original plan for fruitfulness, and it’s all a part of birthing the community of faith.

A biblical community must be born of the Holy Spirit. As Acts 2 explains, the early believers were empowered by the Holy Spirit and devoted themselves to prayer, teaching, fellowship, and caring for one another. The disciples were committed to building a community in Christ, much like Nehemiah in the Old Testament, who not only led the rebuilding of Jerusalem’s wall but also inspired the people to have a mind to build. Nehemiah 4:6 states, “So built we the wall; and all the wall was joined together unto the half thereof: for the people had a mind to work.”

Thank you, Senior Pastor Tullis, for leading us forward and higher together and for reminding us that we are called to be fruitful image bearers and to fulfill God’s original design. We can now understand how to be alive and empowered: by denying ourselves and learning to surrender to His will, we become people who bare lasting fruit in His Kingdom Community.