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Devotions — Week of September 27, 2026

Three days from this week's sermon on church membership, entering what Jesus is building, the authenticity, authority, and affection He wants in His church, and the life that only Jesus can give.

Entering What Jesus Is Building

Acts 9:26-27

“And when he had come to Jerusalem, he attempted to join the disciples.”
Acts 9 · 26–27

Paul had been radically changed by Jesus. The man who once breathed threats against the church had been converted, and now everything was different. So what did he do? He attempted to join the disciples.

When he came to Jerusalem, Paul tried to join the disciples. The word translated "join" means to stick or to be closely connected. Paul wasn't looking for a membership card. He wanted to become part of the community Jesus was building.

This challenges our individualism. We often treat following Jesus as something we do on our own, but Paul's conversion didn't lead him away from the church. It led him straight toward it.

Church membership is entering what Jesus is building. The church belongs to Jesus. He said, "I will build my church," and Paul's conversion led him into that work.

Have you been trying to follow Jesus alone? Paul shows us that the natural response to conversion is to join the community Jesus is building.

Questions to Consider

Where do you see individualism shaping the way you think about following Jesus?
What does it mean that Paul, after his conversion, attempted to join the disciples?
What would a deeper connection to the church look like for you?
Where has individualism kept you from committing to a local body of believers?

Prayer Prompt

Ask Jesus to show you where you have been trying to follow Him alone. Thank Him for calling you into His people, and ask Him for a deeper desire to know, love, serve, and commit to His church.

Authenticity, Authority, and Affection

Matthew 16:16-18; Matthew 18:17; John 13:34

“I will build my church.”
Matthew 16 · 18

Jesus said, "I will build my church." The church is the gathering of people Jesus calls to Himself. At the center of it is a true confession about who Jesus is.

Three things Jesus wants His church to display:

Authenticity. The church cares whether someone's profession of faith is genuine. In Acts 9, the disciples were afraid of Paul because they didn't yet believe he was a disciple. They wanted to know if his conversion was real. The church is meant to care about authenticity.

Authority. Christians aren't meant to live independent of one another. Jesus gives His church spiritual authority, and He calls His people to submit to one another. In Matthew 18, Jesus tells His disciples to "tell it to the church." That only makes sense if there is a known, identifiable body of believers who hold one another accountable.

Affection. Jesus commanded, "Love one another: just as I have loved you." The church is to be marked by deep, committed love. Church membership gives us a concrete community where we can practice that love.

We love because Jesus first loved us. He loved us sacrificially, and He calls us to love one another the same way.

Questions to Consider

Which of these three, authenticity, authority, or affection, is most challenging for you, and why?
Why does it matter that the church cares whether someone's profession of faith is genuine?
What does it look like to live under spiritual authority rather than independently?
How does church membership give you a concrete community to practice the love Jesus commanded?

Prayer Prompt

Thank Jesus for loving you sacrificially. Ask Him for authentic faith, willing submission to His authority, and deep, committed love for other Christians.

Jesus Alone Can Make Us Alive

Acts 9:40-41

“And turning to the body he said, "Tabitha, arise."”
Acts 9 · 40–41

The sermon asked a simple question: How do you enter a building? There are many entrances, but the most important entrance isn't a door. It is life.

After Paul's attempt to join the church, Acts 9 tells us about Tabitha, a woman who had died. Peter turned to the body and said, "Tabitha, arise." She opened her eyes, and Peter helped her up.

Here is the truth that Acts 9 drives home:

You cannot enter the church by walking through a door. You cannot make yourself spiritually alive through attendance. You cannot save yourself through membership. Jesus is the one who gives life.

Peter couldn't save Tabitha by his own power, and church membership cannot save us. Only Jesus can.

The gospel is this: we are spiritually dead in sin, but Jesus is the Savior who gives life. Conversion is Jesus bringing a dead sinner to life. And once Jesus makes us alive, He calls us into His church. Membership comes after life.

So the invitation is first to Jesus. If you belong to Him, don't settle for following Him alone. He has called you into His church.

If you have never trusted Christ, the first step isn't church membership. The first step is Jesus.

Questions to Consider

Why can't church attendance or membership make you spiritually alive?
What does the story of Tabitha teach us about who alone can give life?
How does the gospel describe our condition apart from Christ, and what has Jesus done about it?
What does it mean that membership comes after life?
If you have trusted Christ, how is He calling you to faithfully enter and serve His church?

Prayer Prompt

If you have trusted Christ, thank Jesus that your salvation rests in Him and not in yourself. Ask Him to help you faithfully enter and serve the community He is building. If you have not trusted Christ, ask Him for forgiveness, for life, and for a relationship with Him.

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