All InSample

Like most men, I enjoy a good explosion. That’s why I like Independence Day. It’s the one day of the year where it’s okay to light things on fire and watch them explode. One particular year, a friend and I decided we wanted to go big with our fireworks display. When we couldn’t find anything big enough in the store, the idea hit us. We should make our own fireworks! So, we did what any growing 28-year-old boys would do. We bought the biggest fireworks they had, opened them up, and used the powder to build our own spectacular roman candle. 

As you would expect, minutes later my yard was on fire and my wife was dialing the fire department. For the next few years, the melted side of our storage building served as a reminder of the power of a good explosion. 

If you have a craving for more power in your life, it’s time to go all in on the Word of God! In Acts 2:42, the believers were devoted to the apostles’ teaching, and the results changed their lives. 

In Acts 1:8, Jesus promised the apostles they would receive power when the Holy Spirit came upon them. The Greek word for power here is dunamis. It’s the same word we get our word dynamite from. Being devoted to the apostles’ teaching will unleash a C-4 type of power in your life! 

Now remember, the apostles did not yet have the New Testament. Their teaching was based on God’s Word, but it was also simple. It was powerfully simple! When we fully embrace the C-4 power of the apostles’ teaching, we will begin to experience the full life Jesus promised in John 10:10. 

The C-4 of the Apostles’ Teaching 

Cross
In Acts 2:23-24, Peter preaches about the cross. Our sins were what nailed Jesus to the cross, yet He willingly died a criminal’s death on our behalf. He went all in because He loves us. The cross carries the power of passion. No matter how many times we hear the gospel, what Jesus did for us must never become common! 

Confession
Later in Acts 2:38, Peter tells the believers to repent and be baptized. Repentance involves the confession of sin, while baptism is about a public confession of our faith. A devotion to confession unlocks the power of purpose. A believer lives with a purpose the world doesn’t have. 

Commandments
In Matthew 22, a teacher of the law asked Jesus to tell him the greatest commandment in all of the law. Jesus gave him two commandments: Love God with all your heart, soul, and mind, and love your neighbor as yourself. 

According to Jesus, all the Bible’s commandments can be summed up in these two things—loving God and loving people. When we devote ourselves to the commandments, we open up the power of love in our lives. 

Commission 

In one of the last conversations Jesus ever had with the apostles, He gave them the Great Commission—a call to all believers to share the gospel and make disciples. Everywhere we go, people should be transformed by the gospel we share. Devotion to the Great Commission spreads the power of transformation! If you’re tired of the status quo and want to live a full life, it’s time to go all in on God’s Word. 

When you seek His way first, you’ll have everything else you need. The power of passion, purpose, love, and transformation is waiting for you.