7 Secrets of the Early Church for Spiritual Growth

Here are the Battle Drill Daily Devotionals for the coming week. The accompanying video and audio podcast episodes will be published each day.

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Discover how to live like the early church in Acts 2 with this transformative 7-day devotional series. Explore daily worship, authentic community, radical generosity, contagious joy, and Spirit-led evangelism. Learn to integrate faith into everyday life, practice genuine love in your church family, and share your faith naturally. Perfect for Christians seeking deeper discipleship and more authentic spiritual community. Each devotional includes Scripture from Acts 2:42-47, practical reflections, prayer prompts, and actionable questions to help you grow spiritually and attract others to Christ through authentic Christian living.

Transforming Ordinary Moments into Sacred Encounters

Sunday 19 October 2025

How often do you worship God? Only on Sunday mornings? On special occasions? Or has worship become the background music of your everyday life?

They worshipped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity—all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. (Acts 2:46-47)

The early church didn’t confine worship to a weekly event. They lived in constant communion with God. They worshipped “each day” both in the Temple and in homes. Worship wasn’t an activity scheduled into their week. It was the atmosphere they breathed.

The early believers integrated worship into mealtimes, work, social activities, and daily routines. They praised God while experiencing both the sacred (Temple worship) and the ordinary (shared meals). Their worship transformed mundane moments into holy encounters.

In our fragmented, compartmentalised world, this integrated approach to worship may feel revolutionary. We’ve separated sacred from secular, worship from work, Sunday from Monday. Yet the early church shows us a different way. Every moment can become a cathedral of praise, every task an act of devotion.

When worship escapes the confines of our corps buildings and permeates our daily living, transformation follows. The early church found “the goodwill of all the people” because their everyday worship made them genuinely different.

Prayer: Lord, help me transform everyday moments into opportunities for worship. Amen.

Reflection Question: How could you incorporate worship more naturally into your daily routines this week?

How to Share Faith Without Fear

Monday 20 October 2025

What would you do if you discovered the cure for cancer? Would you keep it to yourself, or tell everyone you know?

All the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved. (Acts 2:47)

We have discovered something far more valuable than any medical breakthrough. We have found the solution to humanity’s broken relationship with God. Without this remedy, people face eternal separation from their Creator. While one person remains who hasn’t heard this Good News, our mission continues.

The early church expanded daily because it lived counter-culturally and moved in Holy Spirit power. Growth wasn’t just the disciples’ responsibility - it belonged to every believer.

Growth causes disruption! New people bring mess, chaos, and change. I’ve known corps and churches where they’ve subtly stopped inviting people because they’ve grown comfortable. Slowly, inevitably, these places wither and die.

Don’t let your corps or church become one of them. When did you last invite someone to a meeting or service? When did you last share your testimony? The gospel is too precious to keep to ourselves!

Prayer: Lord, give me courage to share your Good News with those around me. Amen.

Reflection Question: What are you doing to attract people to Jesus? How could your corps be more inviting?

When Love Becomes Irresistible

Tuesday 21 October 2025

What attracts people to church? A lively brass band? Dynamic preaching? Fair Trade coffee and homemade cakes?

And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. (Acts 2:44-45)

The early church had none of the trappings of the contemporary church! Music isn’t mentioned. The preaching came from ordinary, uneducated fishermen. And I’m certain cappuccinos were severely lacking in first century Jerusalem!

Yet, the Lord added to their number daily.

The early believers understood they belonged to one family - God’s family. This wasn’t just a theological concept. It was practical reality. They showed love by gathering daily and sharing everything they had. They found creative ways to meet each other’s needs.

Even hostile Roman authorities recognised the distinctive love Christians had for each other and for those in need. They wanted to destroy the church but found its love utterly captivating.

Radical love between believers draws people to Christ. If you want your corps or church to grow, learn to love like the early church loved. Being committed to fellow Christians - sharing life together, supporting each other through difficulties -makes your church magnetic.

Prayer: Lord, help me show authentic love to my corps family and community. Amen.

Reflection Question: How could you show love to a fellow believer today?

The Growth Environment You Cannot Live Without

Wednesday 22 October 2025

What does a baby need to grow? Food? Water? Clean nappies? All important, of course, but perhaps what a baby needs most is a loving family.

All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer. (Acts 2:42)

When we’re babies, we learn crucial life skills from those around us. A family’s loving attention helps us feel secure, process new information, and develop physically and emotionally.

Just as babies need families, Christians need church families to grow. We call this discipleship - the journey from spiritual infancy to maturity.

As a Salvation Army officer, I consider my primary mission helping people grow spiritually. My preaching, Bible studies, and these Battle Drill devotionals are designed to foster spiritual development. But they’re not enough on their own.

Growth happens in community. We need to gather for worship. We need smaller groups for friendship and accountability. We learn from teachers and from each other’s experiences.

Will you commit or recommit to your corps of church family today, both receiving and contributing to others’ growth?

Prayer: Lord, help me grow through meaningful connection with my church family. Amen.

Reflection Question: How could you engage more deeply with your corps family this week?

When Blessings Become Kingdom Currency

Thursday 23 October 2025

What do you do with the blessings God gives you? Save them carefully? Enjoy them personally? Or share them generously?

And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. (Acts 2:44-45)

The early church practised radical generosity. Luke tells us they “shared everything” and even “sold property and possessions” to help those in need. That’s extraordinary!

The Bible teaches we’re stewards of God’s gifts. That means we manage his blessings to extend his Kingdom and make a positive difference in our world.

This doesn’t necessarily mean selling everything you own. It’s clear from the rest of Acts and Paul’s letters that “sharing everything” didn’t remain the exact model. But generous giving remained a priority then and must continue today.

Our culture constantly tells us to acquire and accumulate for our own benefit and security. God’s economy works differently. He can do remarkable things through Christians, corps, and churches who practice radical generosity.

Prayer: Lord, help me use your blessings to bless others and extend your Kingdom. Amen.

Reflection Question: Who do you know who needs your help today? What could you do to bless them?

Why Church Should Be the Happiest Place on Earth

Friday 24 October 2025

Have you ever met a miserable Christian? Don’t look at them if you’re sharing space with them at the moment!

They worshipped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity—all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. (Acts 2:46-47)

The idea of a miserable Christian should be a contradiction in terms! If you ever find yourself in a miserable corps or church, turn on your heels and run out of the door! If you want misery, turn on the television news! The church has Good News to share, and it should make us jump for joy, even if only metaphorically!

I’ve faced congregations who have managed to sing songs such as God’s love to me is wonderful looking as miserable as sin! To be fair, most of them have cracked a smile when I’ve pointed it out to them!

The early church found that joy. Luke said they did everything whilst praising God and enjoying the goodwill of the people around them. Joyous people attract others!

God is with us. He is for us. He blesses and strengthens us. That’s the basis for our joy. God wants us to live and worship together in love, joyfulness, and hope.

Prayer: Lord, fill me with authentic joy that draws others to you. Amen.

Reflection Question: How can you leave the people around you feeling loved and important and full of joy when they’ve been with you?

How Authentic Faith Commands Attention

Saturday 25 October 2025

What draws attention to your faith? Is it your words? Your Sunday attendance at your corps or church? Or is it a life so radically transformed that people can’t help but notice?

A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. (Acts 2:43-44)

The early church lived with such authenticity that people couldn’t ignore them. Their faith wasn’t compartmentalised to a Sunday gathering. It permeated every aspect of their lives.

The early believers experienced “a deep sense of awe” that transformed how they viewed possessions, relationships, and purpose. Signs and wonders accompanied their faith not as circus attractions but as a natural overflow of God’s presence among them.

In our age of carefully curated social media images, authenticity stands out dramatically. When we’re honest about our struggles yet steadfast in our faith, people notice. When we genuinely love without agenda, it’s revolutionary. When we hold possessions loosely and prioritise people, it’s countercultural.

That’s the kind of authenticity that still attracts attention.

Prayer: Lord, make my faith authentic, not just a Sunday performance. Amen.

Reflection Question: What aspect of your faith feels most authentic? Where might you be merely going through religious motions?

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Unless otherwise shown, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004, 2007, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. All song extracts used by permission. CCL Licence No. 135015.