One Hour a Week Can't Grow Anything
Definitions matter because if you think you understand what something means, but you actually don’t, your whole direction is skewed.
When it comes to faith, there are many words, ideas, and practices that we think we understand, know what they mean, or imply, but we quickly learn that they mean something else. For example, the word “church” could refer to the thing we do on Sunday mornings. But if that’s our only definition, we’re missing something. And that’s because there’s a different definition that holds something more for us.
Church isn’t a place you go, it’s a people you grow with.
Church is a family you belong to, and when we believe that we get to experience church the way God intended to. But if we miss the meaning, we potentially miss everything.
We all want to grow, develop, and be the best version of ourselves, not only for ourselves but also for our kids and those around us. We love the idea of being seen, loved, known, to know others, build community, and belong.
How our Calendars Take Over
We intend to live out the Way of Jesus and the Word of God in our families, but then something gets in the way – the calendar.
The calendar doesn’t just manage our lives, it masters them. It can become a god to us because it controls what we sacrifice. We give up sleep, family dinners, and rest because the calendar says so. It shapes our worship. We orient our whole lives around its boxes and commitments, and it promises a better future. “If you can just get through this week, this season, this list, then you’ll have peace.” It always demands more and never delivers rest.
When “church” becomes just another block on the calendar, then our intentions will never become reality.
You will not be known, grow in community, or find family because one hour a week isn’t going to grow anything. Not a marriage, family, or faith. It isn’t enough.
And that’s where we feel the tension. Most of us keep trying anyway. We think, “If I can just make it to church this week, that’ll fill me up until next week.” Then life happens, and we realize that block on the calendar can’t carry the weight of what we need.
The early church didn’t treat Jesus like an appointment. He was the center of their whole lives. Their faith wasn’t something they fit in. It was what they built everything else around.
Acts 2
40 With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” 41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. 42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
Some context to Acts 2:
That day, about 3,000 people responded and were added to the church.
Instagram vs. Reality
That’s the picture the Bible illustrates about the church. And our first thought might be, 'Wow, that doesn't look like the way we usually define church.' It’s like those Instagram vs. Reality side-by-side pictures.
Envision a quiet dinner, children all eating neatly, siblings enjoying each other’s company and loving every item of food put in front of them (Instagram) vs. multiple puddles of spilled milk, siblings playing the “I’m not touching you” game, and food critiques (and particles) flying left and right (Reality).
Our culture shows us a service that lasts for an hour until next week, while Acts shows us a family that lives life together.
What we’re doing isn’t wrong or bad, it’s just the first step. This cannot be all there is if we’re going to embody the full meaning of Church Family. And family isn’t the Norman Rockwell painting of Dad, Mom, and kids. It’s everyone.
Family means transcending the barrier.
Whatever barrier we create in our minds of who is in and who is out, family is redefined as the community of believers adopted into God’s house through Christ, bound together as brothers and sisters by the Spirit, living in love, unity, and shared mission. There are no barriers, and the boundaries are constantly expanding outward. All are welcome into this family.
What is love?
Acts 2
42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer
What exactly were the apostles teaching? What were they sharing? It wasn’t brand-new information, and it wasn’t some theological system they had invented overnight. They were embodying the things Jesus said and who He was.
And at the center of this teaching is love.
John 13
34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
So, imagine how radical this must have been for them. Their religious framework had been about rules and rituals – things you did to stay in good standing before God. Rituals and rules aren’t bad. They serve a purpose, but this new family church wasn’t going to be defined by those things anymore. It was going to be defined by love.
When we say we are to be defined by love, love isn’t a warm feeling or a polite smile, it’s the kind of love Jesus describes in John 15.
John 15
9 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.
That means the source of our love doesn’t come from us – it’s something that comes from remaining in His love first.
John 15
10 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love.
Love isn't vague, it shows itself in obedience to Jesus – and not obedience out of fear, but obedience that flows from being loved by Him.
John 15
13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
This kind of love Jesus calls us to is sacrificial. It’s a love that lays itself down for others, the same way Jesus laid Himself down for us.
Church family is defined by a love that’s sacrificial.
The world will not know you by your performance, doctrine, or who you vote for; the world will know who you're following by how you sacrificially lay yourself down for those around you. That's what the apostles taught and lived out.
Acts 2
43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles.
Many people prefer to decouple verses 42 and 43 – verse 42 is about the physical actions of the church, and verse 43 is about supernatural works.
But what if these two verses were linked?
Verse 42 is what the disciples devoted themselves to, and verse 43 is the spiritual atmosphere that resulted from it. The disciples’ teaching, fellowship, meals, and prayers were Spirit-filled activities. Their awe, wonders, and signs flowed out of the ordinary faithfulness. Miracles didn’t replace the rhythm of teaching and prayer – they confirmed them.
The supernatural presence of God often works through our natural practice.
God’s spirit is in our midst. And when we do seemingly ordinary practices together, out of that flows something supernatural. The same Spirit who moves through signs and wonders is the same Spirit who moves when you open your Bible with a friend, when you gather for a meal, and when you pray.
When the church embraces both, the world around us changes.
Where the Enemy Invades
Acts 2
44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.
This is another natural and supernatural working of God’s Spirit in the early church – generosity. And this immediately makes us uncomfortable when we mention property, possessions, and paychecks. Some read a passage like the above and think the Bible is advocating for socialism.
The Bible doesn’t advocate for a social system, it advocates for surrender.
The Bible isn’t laying out an economic and social category, it’s describing a surrendered community that’s willing to sacrifice. And the challenge with sacrifice is that we’re on board with it as long as it’s sacrifice in OUR direction.
There’s a big difference in saying, “what’s yours is mine,” and saying, “what’s mine is yours.” When it requires something from us, the Way of Jesus and Living It Out in Our Families gets put to the test.
Tithing is the act of giving the first 10% of your income or resources back to God. Tithing is a tough subject in the church, but it shouldn’t be.
What the church avoids is where the enemy invades.
The things we don’t like talking about become the areas that the enemy will speak louder about. Churches often avoid discussing finances because they don't want people to get the wrong idea, but the Kingdom of God can't expand without resources.
Generosity is not just about keeping programs running – it’s about proclaiming the Gospel.
So, when we give, we don’t just fund a ministry, we declare to our neighbors and the people beyond our walls that God doesn’t hold back His love, and neither do we. God desires that families will always grow and expand.
If we're going to live out the Way of Jesus and the Word of God biblically as a family, it demands that we live in a way where we surrender to God, looking at our property, paychecks, and possessions as resources to help build the family of God.
Acts 2
46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
How often did they do this?
Every day.
Why?
Practice flows from purpose.
The early church gathered every day because their hearts were burning with a mission. It was a practice of living out the love of Jesus, His communal sacrificial living every day.
All of it had purpose, which was to expand the family.
And what happened?
God met them there, the community was shaped, and the Lord was adding to their numbers daily!
Living out the mission of the church in our families doesn't begin with a program or a pew, but in our families, because as Pastor Joey explained, when we do that, the world around us won't just see us, they'll see Jesus.
When it comes to faith, there are many words, ideas, and practices that we think we understand, know what they mean, or imply, but we quickly learn that they mean something else. For example, the word “church” could refer to the thing we do on Sunday mornings. But if that’s our only definition, we’re missing something. And that’s because there’s a different definition that holds something more for us.
Church isn’t a place you go, it’s a people you grow with.
Church is a family you belong to, and when we believe that we get to experience church the way God intended to. But if we miss the meaning, we potentially miss everything.
We all want to grow, develop, and be the best version of ourselves, not only for ourselves but also for our kids and those around us. We love the idea of being seen, loved, known, to know others, build community, and belong.
How our Calendars Take Over
We intend to live out the Way of Jesus and the Word of God in our families, but then something gets in the way – the calendar.
The calendar doesn’t just manage our lives, it masters them. It can become a god to us because it controls what we sacrifice. We give up sleep, family dinners, and rest because the calendar says so. It shapes our worship. We orient our whole lives around its boxes and commitments, and it promises a better future. “If you can just get through this week, this season, this list, then you’ll have peace.” It always demands more and never delivers rest.
When “church” becomes just another block on the calendar, then our intentions will never become reality.
You will not be known, grow in community, or find family because one hour a week isn’t going to grow anything. Not a marriage, family, or faith. It isn’t enough.
And that’s where we feel the tension. Most of us keep trying anyway. We think, “If I can just make it to church this week, that’ll fill me up until next week.” Then life happens, and we realize that block on the calendar can’t carry the weight of what we need.
The early church didn’t treat Jesus like an appointment. He was the center of their whole lives. Their faith wasn’t something they fit in. It was what they built everything else around.
Acts 2
40 With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” 41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. 42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
Some context to Acts 2:
- Jesus’s resurrection and ascension.
- Disciples have been told to wait in Jerusalem until they receive the Holy Spirit.
- Pentecost—a Jewish festival where Jews from all over the known world came to Jerusalem—the Holy Spirit is poured out.
- Some wild things happen: tongues of fire, rushing wind, or spoken languages. It’s loud, it’s unfamiliar, and it draws a crowd.
- Peter, the same disciple who denied Jesus weeks earlier, now stands boldly and preaches. He tells the people that Jesus, whom they crucified, is both Lord and Messiah.
The crowd asks, “What should we do?”
Peter replies, “Repent and be baptized… and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
That day, about 3,000 people responded and were added to the church.
Instagram vs. Reality
That’s the picture the Bible illustrates about the church. And our first thought might be, 'Wow, that doesn't look like the way we usually define church.' It’s like those Instagram vs. Reality side-by-side pictures.
Envision a quiet dinner, children all eating neatly, siblings enjoying each other’s company and loving every item of food put in front of them (Instagram) vs. multiple puddles of spilled milk, siblings playing the “I’m not touching you” game, and food critiques (and particles) flying left and right (Reality).
Our culture shows us a service that lasts for an hour until next week, while Acts shows us a family that lives life together.
What we’re doing isn’t wrong or bad, it’s just the first step. This cannot be all there is if we’re going to embody the full meaning of Church Family. And family isn’t the Norman Rockwell painting of Dad, Mom, and kids. It’s everyone.
Family means transcending the barrier.
Whatever barrier we create in our minds of who is in and who is out, family is redefined as the community of believers adopted into God’s house through Christ, bound together as brothers and sisters by the Spirit, living in love, unity, and shared mission. There are no barriers, and the boundaries are constantly expanding outward. All are welcome into this family.
What is love?
Acts 2
42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer
What exactly were the apostles teaching? What were they sharing? It wasn’t brand-new information, and it wasn’t some theological system they had invented overnight. They were embodying the things Jesus said and who He was.
And at the center of this teaching is love.
John 13
34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
So, imagine how radical this must have been for them. Their religious framework had been about rules and rituals – things you did to stay in good standing before God. Rituals and rules aren’t bad. They serve a purpose, but this new family church wasn’t going to be defined by those things anymore. It was going to be defined by love.
When we say we are to be defined by love, love isn’t a warm feeling or a polite smile, it’s the kind of love Jesus describes in John 15.
John 15
9 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.
That means the source of our love doesn’t come from us – it’s something that comes from remaining in His love first.
John 15
10 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love.
Love isn't vague, it shows itself in obedience to Jesus – and not obedience out of fear, but obedience that flows from being loved by Him.
John 15
13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
This kind of love Jesus calls us to is sacrificial. It’s a love that lays itself down for others, the same way Jesus laid Himself down for us.
Church family is defined by a love that’s sacrificial.
The world will not know you by your performance, doctrine, or who you vote for; the world will know who you're following by how you sacrificially lay yourself down for those around you. That's what the apostles taught and lived out.
Acts 2
43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles.
Many people prefer to decouple verses 42 and 43 – verse 42 is about the physical actions of the church, and verse 43 is about supernatural works.
But what if these two verses were linked?
Verse 42 is what the disciples devoted themselves to, and verse 43 is the spiritual atmosphere that resulted from it. The disciples’ teaching, fellowship, meals, and prayers were Spirit-filled activities. Their awe, wonders, and signs flowed out of the ordinary faithfulness. Miracles didn’t replace the rhythm of teaching and prayer – they confirmed them.
The supernatural presence of God often works through our natural practice.
God’s spirit is in our midst. And when we do seemingly ordinary practices together, out of that flows something supernatural. The same Spirit who moves through signs and wonders is the same Spirit who moves when you open your Bible with a friend, when you gather for a meal, and when you pray.
When the church embraces both, the world around us changes.
Where the Enemy Invades
Acts 2
44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.
This is another natural and supernatural working of God’s Spirit in the early church – generosity. And this immediately makes us uncomfortable when we mention property, possessions, and paychecks. Some read a passage like the above and think the Bible is advocating for socialism.
The Bible doesn’t advocate for a social system, it advocates for surrender.
The Bible isn’t laying out an economic and social category, it’s describing a surrendered community that’s willing to sacrifice. And the challenge with sacrifice is that we’re on board with it as long as it’s sacrifice in OUR direction.
There’s a big difference in saying, “what’s yours is mine,” and saying, “what’s mine is yours.” When it requires something from us, the Way of Jesus and Living It Out in Our Families gets put to the test.
Tithing is the act of giving the first 10% of your income or resources back to God. Tithing is a tough subject in the church, but it shouldn’t be.
What the church avoids is where the enemy invades.
The things we don’t like talking about become the areas that the enemy will speak louder about. Churches often avoid discussing finances because they don't want people to get the wrong idea, but the Kingdom of God can't expand without resources.
Generosity is not just about keeping programs running – it’s about proclaiming the Gospel.
So, when we give, we don’t just fund a ministry, we declare to our neighbors and the people beyond our walls that God doesn’t hold back His love, and neither do we. God desires that families will always grow and expand.
If we're going to live out the Way of Jesus and the Word of God biblically as a family, it demands that we live in a way where we surrender to God, looking at our property, paychecks, and possessions as resources to help build the family of God.
Acts 2
46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
How often did they do this?
Every day.
Why?
Practice flows from purpose.
The early church gathered every day because their hearts were burning with a mission. It was a practice of living out the love of Jesus, His communal sacrificial living every day.
- Being together, sharing all they had
- Reading Scripture together, living in the light of who Jesus is
- Being formed into the family of God
All of it had purpose, which was to expand the family.
And what happened?
God met them there, the community was shaped, and the Lord was adding to their numbers daily!
Living out the mission of the church in our families doesn't begin with a program or a pew, but in our families, because as Pastor Joey explained, when we do that, the world around us won't just see us, they'll see Jesus.
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