WEEK TWO - Acts 3-4
DAY ONE - Give what you have
Acts 3:1-10
The beggar sitting at the temple gates sees Peter and John and asks for alms, a very small offering, a few loose coins from their pockets. It would be easy for Peter to dig into his pockets and drop a few pieces into the beggar's cup. After all, that is all the man was really asking for. Instead, Peter stops, makes eye contact (and heart contact) with the man, and offers him more, so much more, than the man had ever dreamed of.
We may look around at others mothers and think they are doing a much better job than we. Do they decorate for every holiday? Homeschool? Manage to keep a tidy house with all those little hands and feet running around? Take a large brood on adventures? Play music for them? Do you feel that you are lacking in what you offer your children? Peter's words take on new meaning for mothers:
"Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee."
Don't think about what you lack, celebrate what you have. Make a list of what you have to give your children. Think outside the box of usual artistic talents. Do you play sports? Read books? Sing? Hike? Bike? Craft? Dream? Colour? Do puzzles? Clean? Speak a different language? The possibilities are endless. At the end, go back over the list and think about how you can "give" (or share) these things you do have with your children.
DAY TWO - Call it out
Acts 3:11-26
Take a moment to read aloud Peter's mini sermon in the NIV translation of this passage (which is more modern in its language.) Read it as though you had the fiery passion of Peter and were really giving it to the audience listening.
"Men of Israel, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we have made him walk? The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the god of our fathers, glorified his servant Jesus, whom you delivered over and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release him. But you denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses. And his name - by faith in his name - has made this man strong whom you see and know, and the faith that is through Jesus has given the man this perfect health in the presence of you all.
"And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. But what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ would suffer, he thus fulfilled. Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago. Moses said, 'The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers. You shall listen to him in whatever he tells you. And it shall be that every soul who does not listen to that prophet shall be destroyed from the people.' And all the prophets who have spoken, rom Samuel and those who came after him, also proclaimed these days. You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant that God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, 'And in your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed.' God, having raised up his servant, sent him to you first, to bless you by turning every one of you from your wickedness."
Peter is chastising the people for their sin. As mothers, we often need to chastise our children. Sometimes we are able to do it firmly and gently, but sometimes it just lets loose from our mouths. Go back through this passage and identify the different elements that Peter uses to properly chastise, but at the same time teach and correct, the people. (For example: he reinforces they are child of God, he absolves them of actions done in ignorance, he holds them accountable for sins, the outlines the real consequences of their actions, etc.)
Think about a recent time when you had to chastise one of your children. Think about how you could have used this model to have had that conversation more effectively.
DAY THREE - Do we play it safe?
Acts 4:1-4
As a recap, Peter and John healed the lame man, and then testified about faith and the power of God to the onlookers. While this was happening, the religious leaders of the day had them arrested. But the result of the miracle and subsequent teaching was that 5000 people were converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ.
These conversions were not a result of Peter and John playing it safe; they put themselves out on a limb and were arrested for doing so. But I'm sure they felt joy at the result and counted the sacrifice worth it.
Do we play it safe sometimes? Do you feel inspired to say something to you family members, or feel you should lead them in a certain way, and yet are afraid to do so because of the potential outcome? Do you feel that others outside your immediately family (like your parents, or school teachers, or church leaders, or your friends) will judge you? Condemn you? Think you odd or strange? Exclude you? Write down something that you feel strongly inspired to say or do with your family, then pray for the strength to carry it out and endure any negative criticism in regards to it.
DAY FOUR - You vs. the Experts
Acts 4:5-22
After Peter and John are arrested, all the "experts" in Jerusalem - the rulers, the lawmakers, the teachers, the elders, the high priests - all come together to figure out what on earth they should do with Peter and John (vs. 5-7). The acknowledge that Peter and John did indeed heal a man, so they can't try and deny it to the people (vs. 16.) But they don't want Peter and John gathering any more followers, pulling people away from the mainstream religious organization of the day. The best they can do is try to silence the apostles, and so they command them to no longer speak in Jesus' name (vs. 17-18.) But Peter and John respond in an astonishingly (but not surprisingly) bold manner; they insist that they "cannot but speak of the things we have seen and heard." (vs. 20.) They know what they know, and will stand firm in it to the end.
What is interesting is the experts of Jerusalem describe Peter and John as "unlearned and ignorant." (vs. 13) Other translations use the words unschooled and ordinary, untrained, uneducated, inexperienced, common. But they recognize an authority in these unlearned men who spoke with great understanding. These experts in the law and religion discerned that their training came from having been with Jesus.
Parenting in today's world is overwhelming with the amount of "expert" knowledge thrown at us. From doctors to magazines to books and blogs, there are experts in every possible area of raising your children. There are sleep experts and feeding experts and milestone experts and medical experts and school experts and social experts...each one with years of training, research and experience behind them. While educating ourselves is invaluable and important, it can be frustrating or stressful or tiresome trying to take it all in, never mind when the "experts" start to disagree.
This story of Peter and John is a good reminder that we can make our parenting choices based on the guidance of Jesus through the Holy Spirit (vs. 8.) What parenting decision have you had to make lately, or need to make soon? (schooling, vaccinations, feeding, sleep arrangements, extra-curricular activities, etc.) Are there some that have caused you to lose sleep at night for fear of making the right decision? Look over these choices and take a moment to find the peace of the Saviour in regards to them. You already know what the experts say. Now it's time to pause, be filled with the Spirit and stand for your choice.
What is interesting is the experts of Jerusalem describe Peter and John as "unlearned and ignorant." (vs. 13) Other translations use the words unschooled and ordinary, untrained, uneducated, inexperienced, common. But they recognize an authority in these unlearned men who spoke with great understanding. These experts in the law and religion discerned that their training came from having been with Jesus.
Parenting in today's world is overwhelming with the amount of "expert" knowledge thrown at us. From doctors to magazines to books and blogs, there are experts in every possible area of raising your children. There are sleep experts and feeding experts and milestone experts and medical experts and school experts and social experts...each one with years of training, research and experience behind them. While educating ourselves is invaluable and important, it can be frustrating or stressful or tiresome trying to take it all in, never mind when the "experts" start to disagree.
This story of Peter and John is a good reminder that we can make our parenting choices based on the guidance of Jesus through the Holy Spirit (vs. 8.) What parenting decision have you had to make lately, or need to make soon? (schooling, vaccinations, feeding, sleep arrangements, extra-curricular activities, etc.) Are there some that have caused you to lose sleep at night for fear of making the right decision? Look over these choices and take a moment to find the peace of the Saviour in regards to them. You already know what the experts say. Now it's time to pause, be filled with the Spirit and stand for your choice.
DAY FIVE - Family Unity
Acts 4:23-37
Go through these verses and circle every time it talks about unity, about the group acting as one, or doing the same things, or having the same goals. You can really see Peter and John trying to create a sense of unity with the group they were leading. Similarly, in our own family, we need to encourage unity.
Read 1 Corinthians 12:12-25. It talks about how one body is made up of many different parts. Write down the different body parts it mentions. Now think of the members of your family and assign each person a body part. Perhaps you have a child who is very emotional and feeling, who is the heart. Maybe you have someone who is always active, who is like the feet. One might be observant (the eye) or always thinks things through (head.) You might need to add different body parts to the list.
Take a moment to consider one goal that you want your family to be doing or work toward in a united manner. How might each of the family members, with their own personality (body part) contribute toward that unified purpose?
Read 1 Corinthians 12:12-25. It talks about how one body is made up of many different parts. Write down the different body parts it mentions. Now think of the members of your family and assign each person a body part. Perhaps you have a child who is very emotional and feeling, who is the heart. Maybe you have someone who is always active, who is like the feet. One might be observant (the eye) or always thinks things through (head.) You might need to add different body parts to the list.
Take a moment to consider one goal that you want your family to be doing or work toward in a united manner. How might each of the family members, with their own personality (body part) contribute toward that unified purpose?
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