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Altar Of The Church

January 25 | Discipleship Guide

Be Real Together:

Take a few minutes to catch up, tell stories, and laugh together.
If you’re launching a new Group, trust and friendship take time to build. Take turns each week having someone share a bit of their story.

Read Together: Acts 2:42-47 CSB

This week’s message focused on the altar of the church—the shared fire that burns when God’s people live fully devoted to Him together. In Acts 2, we see a picture of the early church marked by submission to Christ & the Scriptures, genuine community, Spirit-filled worship, and everyday mission. This was not a perfect church, but it was a surrendered one. As hearts were transformed by the Holy Spirit, that inner fire spilled into homes and ultimately formed a church that bore powerful witness to the world. God still uses ordinary, devoted people to build a church that is alive, growing, and centered on Jesus.

The One Question:
If you only have time for one question, ask this one.

What has most shaped your view of church—positively or negatively—and how might God be inviting you to see His church with fresh eyes?

Grow Together:
Use these questions to go deeper with your Group or for personal reflection.

  1. The early church had a commitment to coming under Christ's authority and the Scripture's direction. In what areas of your life has this been challenging for you? Where are you sensing God asking you to surrender to His authority in this season?
  2. Read 1 Corinthians 12:27. The sermon reminded us that the church is not a building, but a people, that we are members of one another. How does that truth reshape the way you think about your role and responsibility within the church?
  3. The altar of the church is fueled by the altar of our hearts and homes. Where might God be inviting you to move from casual participation toward deeper engagement?
  4. Acts 2 describes a community marked by generosity and care for one another. Who has God put in your life to spur you on in your faith? Who could you be an encouragement to?
  5.  Discuss this quote:"[The early church was] related to God (in worship). They worshiped Him in the temple and in the home, in the Lord's supper and in the prayers, with joy and with reverence. A Spirit-filled church is a worshiping church" (John Stott). How does this apply to you today?
  6. The Spirit-filled church lived on mission naturally, as faith overflowed into everyday life. Where might God be inviting you to let your faith spill out more intentionally this season?
  7. How have you seen God meeting you and transforming you through prayer and fasting?

Pray Together:

Thank God for the gift of the local church and for the ways He has met you through community. Confess where you’ve held back, grown distant, or lost your first love. Ask the Holy Spirit to renew your devotion to Jesus and love for the church. Pray that Bright City would be a church marked by worship, generosity, and a bold witness to the world.

Next Steps:

  • Commit to showing up consistently—in worship, to your group, or in serving.
  • Reach out to someone in the church to encourage them.
  • Ask God where He might want you to use your gifts to build up the body.
  • As a church, we’re currently engaging in 21 Days of Prayer + Fasting (January 12 – February 1)—a focused season to rebuild and restore altars of our heart, family, church, and region together.
    • If you haven't yet, consider what God might be inviting you to fast (food, social media, TV, sugar, or another habit) as a way to create deeper dependence on Him.
    • Commit to using the daily Prayer Guide and check in with one another about what God is stirring or changing in you.
    • Make plans to participate in the 24-Hour Prayer Event (January 30–31) as a way to seek God together.