Two spiritual disciplines that are essential to our development are community and solitude.  Every follower of Christ needs to be a part of a local body of believers.

When things seem to worsen we must not only be at our best we must also trust God’s sovereignty.   As a young man God gave Joseph a dream of making an impact with his life.  For 30 years his life seemed to head straight downhill at breakneck speed.

What do you do when things in your life seem to be going from bad to worse?  Its simple−you do what you are supposed to do.  You do the best job you can with the hand you are dealt.  That is what Joseph did and he keeps getting promoted.

An important step to getting better aquainted with God is understanding that He doesn’t need you.  Acts 17:25 (NASB) 25nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things.

The Holy Spirit never ceases to amaze me.  He is constantly at work in the world and He provides the guidance necessary to faithfully follow Christ.  I love what Luke says about the Spirit’s leadership in Acts 16:6-10.

The Word of God is so amazing and I cannot imagine being without it.  It provides guidance for me as I seek to follow Christ.  Because it is God’s Word and it is so powerful we sometimes take for granted that God used men to record it.

I love what Peter says in Acts 11:17, “Who was I to think that I could oppose God?”  I remember when I used to live my life as one who opposed God even though I believed in Christ.

Once again we see God simultaneously moving in two different people to change them both.  Cornelius and Peter were both prepared by God.  Cornelius was prepared to receive Christ while Peter was prepared to deliver Christ.

For those of you who didn’t catch this last week we are reading and discussing Acts this month.  This morning as I read chapter 8 I prayed that I would live like Philip.  He was so in tune with the Holy Spirit that he was receiving step by step guidance. 

People have often asked me how I have been able to keep my fire.  There are a number of things that help me maintain my zeo and one of them is found in Acts 3.