Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. Acts 2:41-42

So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved. Acts 2:46-47

Once again... We all (me too!) need to be reminded about the Ordinary Means of Grace (OMG).

Why? Because we have a tendency to add all kinds of STUFF to church life that, while not sinful, per se, it is not prescribed by God's Word and therefore not NEEDED. And experience teaches us that these unnecessary extras soon become compulsory! This is dangerous because these unbiblical and unnecessary “add ons” become not only obligatory, but they often become more important to the church than the OMG that God has ordained.

Let me ask you a simple question to help us think about what the Bible does tell us about.

Where does the Bible prescribe ministries for all sorts of separate special groups in the Church based on gender, age, or special interests? While having such ministries may not be bad, they are not prescribed in the Bible. In fact, Acts 2:46 specifically says the entire body was together “in one accord.” No mention of separate ministries for men’s and women’s ministries, or of segregated age group ministries. And don’t fail to notice that these ministries are most frequently not even necessarily about the Lord, the Word, or growing spiritually. They are more often than not about events, with maybe a devotional thrown in to sanctify it.

Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with getting together with people for fun. But when did that become the mission of the church?