Trigger

Do you have a trigger word or statement that initiates an emotion or response? It is a popular topic; a Google search provides 655,000,000 results. Most of the results are to help initiate a positive outcome and aid in choosing the correct trigger words. I often tell the children in our K-5 ministry that your words and actions matter. What you say to others matters, and how you treat others matters. How about our response to the words we hear – does that matter? The obvious answer is yes, but not only for treating others in a god-honoring way with our words – Christians should also consider how we respond to His teachings regarding our actions.

The apostle Luke accounts for the early church's work, the response of new believers who heard about the life, death, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus (Acts 2:42-47). First, notice the reaction of the people who listened to the message of the Apostle Peter - "those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls" (Acts 2:41, ESV). Then, these new believers' further response was devotion to the Word of God, fellowship, breaking of bread, and prayers (v.42). Further, there was a denial of self and willingness to express a generous heart (v.46). My friends, what has been your response to God's teaching recently? What is He speaking to you about, and does this require action on your part? Does the word of God trigger a response in you?

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