Sunday 30, August 2026

If asked what you know about the apostles and believers who became the early church, how would you respond? Some of us may remember the Honda joke and allow it to jog

our memories. [You know, the one that says, what kind of cat would the disciples have driven? And the response, Honda. For they were all in one accord. ] Others may revert to prior Nougats as a cheat sheet, and take it from there. Some of us might honestly say, I really don’t remember. And that’s fine. Honesty is good.

Regardless of our response to that question, it is even more important that we reflect on the lessons we’ve learned from their lives. I wish to highlight some key elements as we consider Today’s Holy Nougat

Acts 5:12, 42 AMP

[12] At the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders (attesting miracles) were continually taking place among the people. And by common consent they all met together [at the temple] in [the covered porch called] Solomon’s portico.

[42] And every single day, in the temple [area] and in homes, they did not stop teaching and telling the good news of Jesus as the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed).

Imitable Lifestyles 1

It used to be that we all were about ‘keeping up with the Joneses’. That is, we would imitate what we see our neighbours doing. Nowadays, there’s a variety of options on social and digital media, including ”Keeping up with the Kardashians’, ‘Meet the Mitchells’ (a Jamaican family ‘reality’ on YouTube), and ‘My Autistic Life’ on Meta (which offers helpful tips on parenting and living with someone on the autistic spectrum). Aside from the Kardashians, I’ve watched many episodes of those and other similar vignettes.

I classify them as more than reality shows. On the whole, they could be seen as _edutainment_ (educational entertainment) and clean family viewing. I am especially drawn to My Autistic Life. It not only shares daily life experiences of a young woman with autism, but destigmatises it in a way that is transforming norms about disability. I’m especially drawn to the ‘little wins’ that people with autism experience.

Self-Check

If we indulge in such edutainment, do we watch to learn or criticise? How do we process those lessons?

Application

I am not sure about the motives for the Kardashians, the Mitchells, or Yaya’s mother decision to chronicle their everyday lives. In Luke 1:4, we are told that Luke’s motive was to ensure that his recipient, Theophilus, would have confidence in what he had been taught. The Acts of the Apostles is a continuation of Luke’s correspondence to Theophilus. We note therefore that Luke’s ‘sneak peek’ into the everyday lives of the apostles has the same intention – confirming that which Theophilus had been taught.

It’s not only accounts about other people. Some segments include Luke’s own experiences, which help to add depth and credibility for us, a new generation of Theophilus, God-lovers. When understood in this way, our reading and reflection about the apostles shifts. We read, recognising that we are expected to learn from the apostles’ lives and do likewise.

Luke’s emphasis on unity as a normal way of life is repeated in ‘common consent’. As workers in God’s vineyard, we live and work with/in teams, demonstrating a Spirit-led lifestyle. This was Y’shua’s approach to ministry, and is one of the radical shifts in the apostles’ post-Pentecost. We may recall the arguments about greatness, prophecy, and even the subtle digs about Judas’ character in the Gospels. The early believers were committed to a life of unity.

I suspect that this wasn’t only a problem in the Corinthian church or our current contexts. It is likely that Luke’s emphasis on unity sought to address a challenge Theophilus faced.

We see then that signs and wonders, though significant, were not the most important gifts of God’s Spirit. It was unity in diversity, undergirded by prayer and devotion to God. These apostles didn’t keep their knowledge to themselves. Unity also meant sharing with others so that the new converts could understand why Jesus’ sacrifice mattered. We also can not keep such knowledge to ourselves.

As we continue to grow in faith, I pray it also increases in what we learn and understand, so others might learn from us.

Point to Ponder

Are there elements of the apostles’ lifestyle worth emulating today? Let’s ask God for the boldness to imitate the apostles’ lifestyle.

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May all we seek be found in Christ