Posts Tagged ‘bible study’
“God, Just Tell Me What to Do Next!”
“When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth.” – Jesus (John 16:13, CSB) In the midst of giving his disciples some final words of encouragement before the events of the cross, Jesus spent some time talking about the coming of the Holy Spirit (see John chapters 14 through 16).…
Read MoreYou Are Not Just Talented, You Are Spiritually Gifted
“I want to make a difference in the world.” And I am not that special for saying that. Most of us want to leave an imprint on the world that makes it better. Sure, maybe our ambitions are vastly different. Some of us dream of influencing the WHOLE world while some of us see OUR…
Read MoreA Lesson in Reading the “Commands” of Scripture
The more you study Scripture, the more you see how important context is for understanding the meaning of a passage. This is especially important when it comes to seeing how the “commands” of Scripture fit with the truths that ground them. Or to say it another way: Let the indicatives (truths) of Scripture set up…
Read MoreYou Were Loved Into Existence
The beginning of the year is often a time of deep reflection. Our hope is that your thoughts are not only directed toward your resolutions but also about more profound existential questions. We will help you get there: our first two months of sermons are entirely directed toward the subject of purpose! I’ve been part…
Read MoreHow the Church is More Like an Amateur Children’s Play Than a Show on Broadway
Our memories are funny. We tend to remember things that are really good or really bad. Baseline, mundane things (although important!) aren’t often as memorable. However, this is not as serious as it may sound. I remember attending a children’s musical many years ago. I’ve been to several productions but this one was one of…
Read MoreWhat If You Never Understand Why You Went Through That Unbearably Painful Circumstance?
Without a doubt, and with plenty of data to support it, the problem of suffering is one of the biggest obstacles for those who are skeptical of an all-powerful, all-good God. We could even assume that you have had a big question about this topic yourself, or at least someone close to you has. When…
Read MoreWhat If the Church Was a Family?
It was close to a decade ago. A man was having Thanksgiving dinner at a breakfast diner alone… even pausing right there, no one should be eating Thanksgiving alone. He could not quite get comfy in the booth, and he could not quite figure out when asking for another refill of coffee was too much.…
Read MoreRedeeming Our Regrets
You know that feeling. The one where that you feel in the deep part of your stomach and it seems to go all the way through your bloodstream. Sometimes it comes right after you say something or do something. Sometimes it is a slow burn that is felt days, months, or years later! Regret. Everyone…
Read MoreCombatting Complacency So I Press On Toward All God Has For Me
The Oxford dictionary defines “complacent” as “showing uncritical satisfaction with oneself or one’s achievements.” When I reflect on my spiritual life, that is, my walk with God, it is easy to become complacent. It is easy to become “uncritical” and settle for a certain level of progress in my life. Socrates, an ancient Greek philosopher,…
Read MoreHow to Pray a Blessing Over Your Kids
As a parent, it is easy to be hard on ourselves, wondering if there is more we could do for our kids. This is a common feeling! Yet, one of the profound lessons in life thus far is how it is not always the difficulty of the task that equates to impact. Sometimes the greatest…
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