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The Early Church

August 11, 2026
00:00

The early church was a ragtag group of disciples with little strength…until the Holy Spirit descended upon them in power!

Guest (Male): Open the Bible with Colin Smith.

Colin Smith: The church membership stood at 120. They'd not been able to obtain a building so they were still meeting in a rented room in the city. There was very little money, very few people and the task of reaching their community seemed well beyond them. That's how the church was at the beginning of the book of Acts.

But in a few days all that would change. Jesus said, "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you." The church came to life when the Holy Spirit was poured out and the church was never the same.

Now if you're a Christian believer, the Holy Spirit lives in you and that means that you have power. You can do all that God is calling you to do.

Guest (Male): Is there someone in your life who needs to know the God of the Bible and might be open to take a journey through the Bible with you? Invite them to openthebible.org.

This transcript is provided as a written companion to the original message and may contain inaccuracies or transcription errors. For complete context and clarity, please refer to the original audio recording. Time-sensitive references or promotional details may be outdated. This material is intended for personal use and informational purposes only.

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Lincoln’s Daily Devotional

Books that draw out the commands, blessings, and promises of Scripture are wonderful gifts. Last year a friend gave me an early edition of Lincoln’s Daily Devotional. I was intrigued to discover that Abraham Lincoln used a daily devotional, and I have found what he used to be wonderfully helpful. Published in 1852, Lincoln’s devotional gives a verse of Scripture (from the King James Version) for each day of the year. These verses are organized around monthly themes, including the privileges, duties, joys, sorrows, temptations, and final blessedness of a believer. -Pastor Colin

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About Open the Bible Minute

Open the Bible is the teaching ministry of Pastor Colin Smith. Our mission is to use a broad array of modern media to help people around the world meet Jesus. We do this by opening the Bible for them, helping them open the Bible themselves, and equipping them to open the Bible with others.

About Colin Smith

Colin Smith is senior pastor of The Orchard Evangelical Free Church, a thriving, multi-campus church located in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, and Founder and Teaching Pastor of Open the Bible.

Born and raised in Edinburgh, Scotland, he trained at the London School of Theology where he earned the degrees of Bachelor of Theology and Master of Philosophy. Before coming to the States in 1996, Colin served as senior pastor of the Enfield Evangelical Free Church in London.

He is the author of several books including Momentum: Pursuing God’s Blessings through the Beatitudes; Heaven, How I Got Here: The Story of the Thief on the Cross; Jonah: Navigating a God-Centered Life; The One Year Unlocking the Bible Devotional; 10 Keys for Unlocking the Bible; The 10 Greatest Struggles of Your Life; as well as others. His preaching ministry is shared around the world through Open the Bible.

Colin and his wife Karen reside in Arlington Heights, Ill., and have two married sons and five granddaughters.

Contact Open the Bible Minute with Colin Smith

Mailing Address
Open the Bible
P.O. Box 3454
Barrington, IL 60011
Telephone
1-877-OPEN-365