Read Matthew 16:13–18. Jesus promises to build his church upon Peter’s statement about his identity. What else does he promise in this passage? How have you seen these promises at work in the Church?
Have you ever felt the Church, or people in it, misrepresented God or let you down? How did you respond?
In Matthew 6:10 Jesus teaches us to pray for the Kingdom to come on earth as it is in heaven. How would you articulate the relationship between God’s Kingdom and Christianity?
Read Acts 2:1–6 and 2:42–47. What do you notice about the first Church and its commitments? From these observations, what can we be mindful of today in our own lives?