Not a Game
Sometimes we hear about playing the game of life. Why is life—especially life with God—not a game?
While becoming a Christian is free, living as a Christian means paying a price. Read Mark 8:34-38. What do you notice about the price Jesus describes for one who has already believed in Him?
Following Jesus is anything but a game. Notice how Jesus describes what it’s like to follow Him in Luke 9:23 and 14:26-27. How does your life reveal that you are following Jesus?
Throughout the world, Christians are persecuted and killed for their faith. How do you mentally and emotionally process that reality? What is your response to God over the relative ease with which Christians live in the United States?
Water baptism expresses a believer’s desire to publicly identify with Jesus. Why should a believer be baptized? What’s the story of your baptism?
Searching for the Generous Life
Just like modest investments can grow over time, our investment into God's kingdom generates growth and produces eternal dividends. The apostle Paul presented the Macedonian believers as an example of generous giving to the Corinthian church and to us. Let's explore...
Searching for Reconciliation
Confronting others concerning biblical/theological compromise is never easy or pleasant. Such encounters must be handled with sensitivity to the needs of others, directed by spiritual wisdom and the Scriptures, and guided by the Holy Spirit. Paul closed chapter two of...
Searching for Courage
On the surface, hearing God and following His commands seems straightforward. However, when God calls us to do something that generates fear in us and feels daunting, second-guessing His call becomes reasonable. Finding the courage to obey such a call is overwhelming....
Searching for the Abundant Life
Jesus explicitly explained his purpose when He said “…I came so that they would have life, and have it abundantly” (Jn 10:10). He said similar things many times, and these ideas are repeated, over and over again, by those who wrote the New Testament. Yet many people,...
Searching for Real Friendship
Some relationships may imitate friendship, but there’s no substitute for the real thing. Exploring the relationship between David and Jonathan in the Bible, we’ll identify some distinguishing features of friendship that are often overlooked and discover how to infuse...