Everyone loves a story. Who can resist a story? As far as we know, people have always told stories. Whether it’s a news broadcast, a novel, a play, an item of gossip, or a children’s bedtime tale, stories are central to our lives. The first church had its stories, and some of these have survived the test of time. Today, we have some of these stories in the Gospels and the book of Acts, but when the church was founded none of our New Testament books had yet been written. Nevertheless, the first church still had its stories. In fact, the first church at Jerusalem was full to overflowing with the stories and sayings of Jesus, and these were all based on the memories of those who had seen Him, heard Him, and in many cases been healed by Him, or set free by Him from demonic influence. It is a miracle of preservation that we can still hear many of these stories today in the Gospel accounts.