Devoted to Fellowship

Session Purpose

In this session, we will study how the gospel creates a new community devoted to God and one another. We will memorize Acts 2:42 and consider how every Christian participates meaningfully in the life of Christ’s church.

Opening Prayer

Father, thank you for joining us to Christ and to his people. Teach us to receive your Word, share our lives, worship and pray together, care for one another, and bear faithful witness to Christ. Amen.

Memory Passage

“They were devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” - Acts 2:42 NET2

Memorize the verse in phrases:

• They were devoting themselves
• to the apostles’ teaching
• and to fellowship,
• to the breaking of bread
• and to prayer.

Bible Study

Read Acts 2:37–47 slowly at least twice.

1. A Community Created by the Gospel

   • What response does Peter call for when his hearers are convicted?
   • What gifts did God promise to those who repented and were baptized?
   • According to verses 39–41 and 47, who created and continued to grow this new community?

2. Devoted to Life Together

   • What four commitments marked the life of these believers in verse 42?
   • How did the believers’ generosity in verses 44–46 express their fellowship?
   • Why must prayer be a shared practice of the church and not only a private discipline?

3. Generosity, Worship, and Witness

   • What characterized the believers’ gatherings in verse 46?
   • How does verse 47 describe the relationship between their shared life and the Lord’s work of adding people?

Interpretive Summary, Prayer and Action

Acts 2:37–47 describes the new-covenant community gathered through the proclamation of Christ. Those who received the message responded in repentance and faith, were baptized, and joined the fellowship of believers. Baptism publicly identifies those who profess faith with Christ and his people; it does not earn forgiveness, which rests on Christ’s saving work. God joined these believers to a recognizable people devoted to apostolic teaching, fellowship, shared meals and the Lord’s Supper, prayer, generous care, worship, and public witness.

This passage does not require every church to reproduce every cultural detail in precisely the same form. It does establish enduring priorities. The church is a Spirit-created people who learn Christ together, share their lives and resources, worship and pray, care for those in need, and make the gospel visible through their common life.

Restate the Main Truth

Complete this sentence in your own words: Because Christ has joined me to his people, I am called to:

Respond in Prayer and Action

1. Which commitment in Acts 2:42 is presently strongest in your life? Which one needs greater attention?
2. Are you meaningfully known by other Christians, or are you present but largely unknown? What step could you take toward deeper fellowship?
3. Whom could you encourage, welcome, serve, or support this week? What could you share to help meet that person’s need?

Turn your answers into prayer. Thank God for joining you to his people, confess where you have withdrawn or remained uninvolved, and ask the Spirit to help you love and serve Christ’s church.

Preparing for Session 10

Before the next meeting:

1. Learn Acts 2:42 at a manageable pace, including the reference. Review a small selection of earlier passages, rotating them through the week.

2. Continue your Daily Quiet Times and participate in a church gathering. Choose one concrete way to encourage or serve another believer.

3. Let that same act of encouragement or service become an opportunity to pray with the person.

4. Bring one insight or question and one experience of applying the passage. Share only what you choose.