Day 7 - Concord Students Journey

 

Read Acts Chapter 5 1-11

Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. 2 With his wife’s full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles’ feet.
3 Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? 4 Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied just to human beings but to God.”
5 When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard what had happened. 6 Then some young men came forward, wrapped up his body, and carried him out and buried him.
7 About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. 8 Peter asked her, “Tell me, is this the price you and Ananias got for the land?”
“Yes,” she said, “that is the price.”
9 Peter said to her, “How could you conspire to test the Spirit of the Lord? Listen! The feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also.”
10 At that moment she fell down at his feet and died. Then the young men came in and, finding her dead, carried her out and buried her beside her husband. 11 Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events.

In Acts chapter 5 verses 1-11, we read about a couple named Ananias and Sapphira who sold a piece of property but kept back a portion of the proceeds while claiming to have given the entire amount to the apostles. When Peter confronts Ananias about this deceitful act, Ananias falls dead on the spot. Shortly after, Sapphira arrives and also lies to Peter, and she too falls dead. This story can be difficult to understand and even more difficult to apply to our lives, but there are important lessons we can learn from it.

First, we learn that lying and deceit are serious sins in the eyes of God. Ananias and Sapphira thought they could get away with deceiving the apostles and the church, but their sin was exposed and they faced severe consequences. As teenagers, it can be tempting to tell lies to get out of trouble or to impress others, but we must remember that God sees everything we do and that lying only leads to more trouble and shame.

Second, we learn that God values honesty and integrity. The early church was marked by a spirit of generosity and honesty, and Ananias and Sapphira's actions went against this spirit. As followers of Christ, we should strive to be honest and transparent in all our dealings, whether with friends, family, or authorities.

Reflection Questions for Concord Students:

1. Have you ever been tempted to lie to avoid getting in trouble or to impress others? How can you resist this temptation and honor God with your words?

2. How can you cultivate a spirit of honesty and integrity in your relationships with others? What steps can you take to be more transparent and trustworthy?