Month: February 2021
Body of Christ

Body of Christ

In part 5 of our 1 Corinthians study, we'll look at Chapters 11- 13. Paul begins by praising the Corinthians for holding fast to the traditions that he handed over to them. Some of the topics Paul deals with include authority, unity, and spiritual gifts. These...

Suffering Together

Suffering Together

In 1 Peter 3:8-4:19, we discover the counterintuitive call not to seek revenge but to bless those who snub and marginalize us, just as Jesus did.

Kids Experience February 28

Kids Experience February 28

Be kind to the people who are different from you.Today we hear a story that Jesus told to an expert in the law.  When Jesus finished, He asked, “Which of the three do you think was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by robbers?’ The [man] replied, ‘The one who...

Break Their Teeth, God

Break Their Teeth, God

There are some songs of the heart that we might rather not sing out loud. They express thoughts and feelings that are brutal and dark - feelings we'd rather others not know we feel. There are Song of the Heart in the Bible that curse others or invoke evil and they...

Songs from the Heart Reading Plan Week 4

Songs from the Heart Reading Plan Week 4

WEEK FOUR Songs of Judgment The notion of blessing is one that Christians are quite comfortable with - the idea of cursing not so much. While we don’t want to spend time with people who abuse power or commit injustices, we don’t like the idea of wishing harm on them....

God’s Stunning Grace

God’s Stunning Grace

God's Stunning GraceI remember the days of old. I ponder all Your great works and think about what You have done. Psalms 143:5 he men shuffled through the serving line at the Cold Weather shelter, most of them barely looking up as we warmly greeted...

Where are you, God?

Where are you, God?

Ever felt like God was far away, uninterested, or worse yet, that He had abandoned you? You’re not alone. In Psalm 13, David expresses the raw emotion of wondering where God is when he needs Him the most. Far from being unspiritual, cries of lament create a dialogue...

The Church That Affirms Authority

The Church That Affirms Authority

in 1 Peter 2:13-3:7, Peter shows how Christians should relate to authority. He challenges revolutionary and capitulatory extremes by urging Christians to allow their response to be guided by faith, not dictated by circumstances.

Kids Experience February 21

Kids Experience February 21

Be kinder than you have to be.When Jesus told His friends to ‘go the extra mile,’ He meant that they should go farther than they had to. But He wasn’t just talking about walking and carrying a heavy pack. He meant that we should show kindness because we WANT to . . ....

Law of Christ

Law of Christ

Welcome to week 4 of our study in 1st Corinthians! In this session, we’ll be looking at Chapters 8 through 11-1, with a focus on “The law of Christ”. As believers in Jesus Christ, we know there is only one God in whose image we are made. It’s only through Jesus Christ...

Songs from the Heart Reading Plan Week 3

Songs from the Heart Reading Plan Week 3

WEEK THREE Songs of Lament When we are heartbroken or angry at the way life has turned out, it can be tempting to turn away from God and write Him off. But David and the other psalmists didn’t hide their feelings of disappointment in God. They felt all the feels and...

Be Careful

Be Careful

Be Careful And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through...

Judgment of Christ

Judgment of Christ

This 3rd part of a 7 part series study on the apostle Paul’s letter of 1 Corinthians will begin to look at chapters 4-7. Within these 4 chapters, Paul addresses the division being reported to him in the church he once planted at Corinth. Paul’s Christology brings the...

Kids Experience February 14

Kids Experience February 14

Be kind to your family and friends. This week we take a peek at the Bible story of Ruth, Naomi, and Boaz and their little one Obed (see the book of Ruth in the Bible). Because of the kindness of Boaz and Ruth, Naomi now had a home with them. And get this— Obed later...

I Take Refuge in You

I Take Refuge in You

It seems like we spend a lot of our time searching. We chase money, relationships, fame, and plenty of other things, hoping that some of it will deliver a sense of goodness, security, and joy. But those searches ultimately leave us wanting. We tend to forget that...

Songs from the Heart Reading Plan Week 2

Songs from the Heart Reading Plan Week 2

WEEK TWO Songs of Confidence Have you ever been awake in the middle of the night feeling overwhelmed or afraid? When David and the other psalmists were feeling this way, they expressed their unfailing confidence in the goodness, power and deliverance of God. This week...

Reading the Red

Reading the Red

Reading the Red This then is how you should pray: Matthew 6:9 hese are turbulent times we are living in. Our country feels more divided than ever. We, as believers, are called to be different. We are called to be a light to others. We are called to...

Marriage By The Book

Marriage By The Book

Marriage By The Bookhen I think back on my wedding eleven years ago, I can remember the exact date.  The place, of course.  The people in our wedding party.  What we served at the reception and what song we chose for our first dance. But when I...

21 Ways to Refresh Your Relationship in 2021

21 Ways to Refresh Your Relationship in 2021

21 Ways to Refresh Your Relationship in 2021 y husband and I began dating in our early twenties, just as we were turning the curve into true adulthood.  We both worked hard at new careers and each had our own apartment.  Our days had a rhythm. ...

Hope That Lives Into Holiness

Hope That Lives Into Holiness

1 Peter 1:1-2:3 inspires us with the truth that what we believe about the future return of Christ ought to have a profound effect on us in the present.