New Collective Church

Scattered  Acts 8 And Saul approved of their killing him. On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria.   2 Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him.   3 But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison. Psalm 73:1...

Acts 6 In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenistic Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food.  When growth brings pressure, don't lose sight of God's priorities. 2 So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, "It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of t...

Flowing with God or Fighting against God?   Scale of 1-10 If flowing with God is a 10—and fighting against God is a 1—where are you on that scale? Acts 4:36-37 Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means "son of encouragement"), 37 sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles' feet. Acts 5 Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sa...

Acts 4 The priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to Peter and John while they were speaking to the people. 2 They were greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people, proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead.  3 They seized Peter and John and, because it was evening, they put them in jail until the next day.  4 But many who heard the messag...

Acts 3 One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon. 2 Now a man who was lame from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts.  It's Not Over at the Gate 3 When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. 4 Peter looked straight at him...

Acts 2:1-41 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.  2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.  4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit ena...

Acts 1:1-11 In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach 2 until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen.  3 After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom...

After failure, comes ______. John 21:15-25 When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?"   "Yes, Lord," he said, "you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my lambs." 16 Again Jesus said, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" He answered, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Take care of my sheep." 17 The third time...

John 21:1-14 Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Galilee. It happened this way: 2 Simon Peter, Thomas (also known as Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together.   3 "I'm going out to fish," Simon Peter told them, and they said, "We'll go with you." So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught...

John 20:24-29 Now Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord!"   Missing   Out     But he said to them, "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe."   When you  miss   out , watch  out  for doubt.   2...

John 20:19-23 On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!"  20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. 21 Again Jesus said, "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am send...

John 20:1-18 Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance.    Still Here.  Still His. You're not DEFINED by what was — you're being REFINED by the I Am. STAY while it's DARK.     2 So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, "They have taken the Lo...

An Expectation Shift   Matthew 21:1-11 As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, "Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away." 4 This t...

Luke 5:27-32 After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. "Follow me," Jesus said to him, 28 and Levi got up, left everything and followed him. 29 Then Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them.   30 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who belonged to their sec...

What do you find life in? Luke 12:13-34 Someone in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me." 14 Jesus replied, "Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?"  15 Then he said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions." 16 And he told them this parable: "The ground of...

Lost It   Acts 7:20-36 "At that time Moses was born, and he was no ordinary child. For three months he was cared for by his family.    21 When he was placed outside, Pharaoh's daughter took him and brought him up as her own son.    22 Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in speech and action. 23 "When Moses was forty years old, he decided to visit his own people,...

Distant.  Divided.  Dysfunctional.  Devour.  Devastation.  Honor is due. Love is the greatest commandment. Forgiveness is a given.  Trust can be eroded or earned. Proverbs 25:28 Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self-control. Boundaries are beneficial. Boundaries help prevent the bad, and promote the good.  Two types of people you don't want to become in regards to b...

Distant.  Divided.  Dysfunctional.  Devour. Devastation.  Honor is due. Love is the greatest commandment. Forgiveness is a given.   Proverbs 11:3 The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity. Proverbs 11:13 A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy person keeps a secret.   Trust   Trust can be eroded or earned. Eroded Apathy Exaggeration Dece...

Distant.  Divided.  Dysfunctional.  Devour.  Devastation.   Ephesians 4:32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.  Matthew 6:12-15 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.' 14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenl...

Distant.  Divided.  Dysfunctional.  Devour.  Devastation. Matthew 22:37-39 Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' 38 This is the first and greatest commandment.  39 And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' Love is the greatest commandment.     1 John 4:8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is...

Distant.  Divided.  Dysfunctional.  Devour.   1 Peter 2:17  Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.   Honor is due.   Genesis 1:26 Then God said, "Let us make mankind in our image . . .    Matthew 10:40-42 "Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.  41 Whoever welcomes a prophet as a prophet will receive a prophet's rew...