Discipleship is the journey of a lifetime for followers of Jesus. Whether that numbers in minutes or decades, the disciple aspires to live in ways that bring other close, not further, from the presence of God. After Easter, we follow stories of the lives of early disciples like Saul and Barnabas, Dorcas, Paul and Silas, and the countless who may be unnamed but whose lives created space for others to know the grace of the Lord. May ours do as much. 

April 27 – Grown in Community                Acts 2:41-47    The earliest followers of Jesus, just after the Holy Spirit’s descent on the Day of Pentecost, made new disciples, and were formed themselves, in community. They taught and were taught, they shared around the table, they practiced fellowship, and they practiced prayer. Before they even carried the name ‘Christian’, they ‘devoted themselves’ to community. How do you experience community at Huntsville First through worship, small groups, serving, and prayer? Look for folks who need community and invite them to join you in worship, for dinner, in your small group, or to share in prayer. This is how disciples make disciples. 

May 4 –   Taking risks for changed lives    Acts 9:1-19a   When Saul came to Damascus looking to stop The Way of Jesus, he was stopped in his tracks by the bright, blinding light of God. Would his discipleship journey have stopped cold were it not for another in Damascus answering God’s risky call to make disciples? Who will God place in your life hungry for the life Jesus brings? Will we be willing to take a risk?

May 11 –  Woven into the faith of others  Acts 9:36-43   Some called her Dorcas, others Tabitha, both meaning gazelle and hinting at a life of grace. Who are the people who have woven faith into your life? Tabitha was known for making garments. Even more important, it seems, those garments were a tangible extension of the care of the Lord. What if these widows in Joppa became disciples of Jesus because of the mercy and compassion, love and grace shown by Dorcas, lived by Tabitha? Maybe sewing is not your gift. Turning a wrench, negotiating a contract, singing a song, listening to a friend are all ways that God can use you to make disciples. How will your life spill out onto those around you? 
May 18 –  In and Out of the Spotlight       Acts 13  Barnabas, by all accounts, seems to have been a trusted and faithful follower of Jesus in the early church. He is perhaps best known for bringing along Saul, new to faith in Jesus, in encouragement. Who are you bringing alongside you? When is the right time to step up or to step back and allow others the spotlight? 
May 25 – Making friends in low places     Acts 16:16-40  Paul and Silas in prison experience something, or some things, miraculous.