The early Church had an integrated way of life where worship both gathered and dispersed, care for the poor, signs and wonders all contributed to a vibrant witness. How can our Christianity be more than a ‘Sunday’ affair but be a balanced way of life? What are the hallmarks of 24/7 Christianity? What are we modelling in our lifestyle to a watching world?
The book of the Acts of the Apostles could be called the Acts of the Holy Spirit. The spread of the Church documented in its pages is undergirded by ‘signs and wonders’; miracles of healing in particular. How normal should sign and wonders be in our Church life?
Works are the visible good deeds that a Christian community does in response to their faith in Christ; not dead works of religion, but live works of faith.
Words have power. Jesus speaks of his own words as ‘works of the father’ (John 14:10) as much as other ‘miracles’. Paul (Rom 10:14-15) asks how people can believe without a preacher.
But Words can get us into trouble. And Witness requires boldness, as well as sensitivity. How do we find the right words to be witnesses? How do we prepare, take opportunities, know God’s empowering?