Receiving forgiveness and experiencing restoration can become pivotal moments that shape our character. Peter received a course correction for life as Jesus gently but powerfully restored their relationship and Peter’s role. Together, we can grow deeper into Jesus’...
Failing is a common but disappointing life experience that always seems to catch us by surprise. When our failures are placed into the hand of Jesus, he can use even our shortcomings to fuel our growth. Let’s discover the part failure played in Peter’s life and how we...
Jesus accomplishes his mission through his Church, but our part in a local church can be challenging as well as rewarding. In Matthew 16, we discover part of the foundation for God’s work through his Church and our part in it. How might God be calling you to be part...
Getting started is often the hardest part of any effort. Fortunately for Peter, when he started to follow Jesus, he found help from his brother. Influencing others to find and follow Jesus is the heart of our mission. Let's explore the value of introducing other...
At Easter, God’s new creation work bursts out onto an unsuspecting world with new life and new possibilities for hope. We join that never-ending celebration of God’s faithfulness, compassion, and power by responding and living with confident hope. How does life change...
Isn’t it ironic. Through what appears to be a dramatic failure, Jesus achieved victory over every power raised against him. Through experiencing death, Jesus provides life for all who trust in him. As we explore Jesus’ crucifixion from Mark 15, let’s remember the...
What does faithfulness look like in the face of our temptations and weakness? Along with Jesus’ disciples, we can learn and grow in faithfulness as we follow Jesus to the last supper and into prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane. Read Mark 14:32-42, and if you can make...
Death and taxes are two of life’s certainties, and Jesus responded to questions about those topics to redirect our attention to timeless truth. Remembering the source and owner of all the parts of our life, as well as life itself, radically changes our perspectives....
Jesus approaches Jerusalem with a loud celebration, but when he enters the Temple courts no one seems to notice. His strong actions both privately and publicly demand attention and response. Jesus’ triumphal parade into Jerusalem, a withered fig tree, and Jesus’...
Even in the darker passages of our life, God is always present, he is always good, his love is always faithful. Ruth's story ends on a different note than the beginning of her story and foreshadows great things to come. As Ruth's story concludes, how could you reflect...
Loving God completely influences us to love other people. Loving other people sounds like a good idea but can become difficult and complicated. What does it look like when we love other people extravagantly? Read Matthew 22:37-40. How would loving God completely...
When we love each other, life certainly changes for the better. But, loving people and receiving love from others can be complicated and risky. This essential quality is what Jesus identified as a distinguishing marker of our identity in him. What would LifePoint...
Jesus calls us to be a unique people in his church. When our character is shaped by God’s love for us, our lives will become shaped by our love for God and for others. We take our first step to discovering how “We” is greater than “Me” by loving God. What does it look...
All of our new beginnings grow from a previous ending. As we close the books on 2022 and write the first lines of our story in a new year, let’s consider one essential question to guide our thoughts and actions. Read Ezra chapter 3 along with Zechariah 4:10, what do...
The wise men followed the light of a star toward Jesus. Have you ever wondered how they decided to make that long journey following light from a star and who these wise men were? Maybe you have more in common with them than you realize. How could responding to God’s...
God’s people, the nation of Israel, waited hopefully over centuries for God to send their promised Messiah. Finally, a young woman named Mary, responded with faith to an angel’s surprising announcement that God was fulfilling his promise through her. Hope is a...
David recalled his painful challenges as well as remembered God’s faithfulness. God often uses gratitude to ignite life change for us and encourage faith in him. How can we develop a discipline of gratitude to change our perspective on life? Read Psalm 40 paying...
Contentment is one of those difficult to define qualities that’s even more challenging to put into practice and actually experience. Growing in this quality is a continual process that can’t be rushed. Whether you are very aware of your discontent or feel mostly...
What would it look like for you to stand strong in your life right now? At different times in life, internal and external pressures can force us to lose our footing and direction. As we near the conclusion of the letter to the Philippians, we find encouragement to...
Have you ever had a moment when you thought, “Now, I’m really living!”? Maybe that feeling came with a thrilling moment, significant achievement, or meaningful experience. All of us want to experience that good life, but those feelings of “really living” seem to fade...
Like the lens of our eyes (or eyeglasses), we all carry around internal thoughts, feelings, and ideas composing core beliefs that filter our everyday experiences and help us make sense of life. As the Apostle Paul writes a “thank-you” note to the church at Philippi...