Peter’s Confession and Jesus’ Church
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 of his mission through LifePoint Church?
LifePoint Kids – May 7
Share God’s love with others. We start off the month in Matthew 28:16-20, Luke 24:50-53, and Acts 1:1-11. Before Jesus went back to His Father, He gave His disciples a huge mission: to tell the world about Him. The message of Jesus is for everyone, and it was the...
LifePoint Kids – April 30
Put others first by making things right. In John 21:1-19, we discover how Peter and several other disciples were out fishing on the Sea of Galilee without catching a single fish. Suddenly, they saw a man standing on the shore, who told them to try the other side of...
Get Back in the Boat
Fear can creep into our lives at any time, especially when our happiness, comfort, or success is threatened. As we’ll see from Peter’s example, following Jesus doesn’t automatically eliminate our fears. However, we can also see how our fears fade into the background each time our attention turns back to Jesus.
LifePoint Kids – April 23
Put others first by helping them understand. In Luke 24:13-35, we find two followers of Jesus on their way to Emmaus. From what we read, it seems these men were sad and confused about Jesus’ death on the cross. Little did they know that Jesus was walking with them!...
Butterfly Effect
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 people to Jesus.
LifePoint Kids – April 16
Put others first because Jesus put you first. In Philippians 2:3-8, Paul explains how Jesus is the ultimate example of humility. He writes,“As you deal with one another, you should think and act as Jesus did. . . . He was humble and obeyed God completely. He did this...
Hope Released
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 for us right now and in the future because we are filled with the hope that Jesus’ resurrection brings?
LifePoint Kids – April 9
Celebrate because Jesus is alive. For week 2, we celebrate Easter by taking a closer look at John 18:12-20:23. The religious leaders were up in arms because Jesus had claimed to be God. It didn’t matter that this was TRUE; the leaders were still readyto dish out the...
Hope Delivered
Shortly after having our third child, my husband took a huge leap of faith and left the corporate world to make a career switch. He had hoped this change would allow more time with our family, but when this did not pan out, he found himself returning to the corporate ladder on a much lower rung. His salary was barely of third of what it had been.
Hope Deferred
“Do you want to be happy?” The psychiatrist’s question sounded more like an accusation, and I sullenly mumbled something about happiness not being my MO. Though I cannot remember her exact response, the message was indelible: if I didn’t, she couldn’t help me. I glanced shamefully at my mother, who had already driven me hundreds of miles to other professionals, desperately hoping someone could lead me off this road of self-destruction.
Living with Hope
At my lowest moments, instead of drawing on the truth that Jesus loves me and wants me to live the abundant life, I focused on my angry list of all that God was allowing to happen to me. The more songs and hymns and platitudes I heard, the more I steeled myself against His embrace.
Wishing and Hoping
Have you ever made a wish? Not the wish you make every year on your birthday, but a wish that comes from a yearning so deep and longing that you would be willing to give up anything and everything for it to come true?
For eleven years I have been living with the pain of multiple sclerosis
The Hope of a Better Life
I recently hit a major birthday milestone and spent some time looking back over the past few decades. For much of my adult life, I looked ahead to the next stage, hoping I would finally feel like a mature adult. When I was in college, I couldn’t wait to get married and secure my first “real” job. Then I looked forward to
Seeing Salvation
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 victory Jesus offers us through his cross.
LifePoint Kids – April 2
Jesus put others first. We start off the month with Palm Sunday in John 12:9- 16 and the Last Supper in John 13:1-17. For Jesus’ triumphal entry, He didn’t ride a mighty warhorse, but rather he chose a humble donkey. The crowds in Jerusalem were ready to make Jesus...
In the Garden
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.
LifePoint Kids – March 26
God will always forgive you. We end the month in Luke 15:11-32, when Jesus shared a parable to help people understand God’s amazing grace and forgiveness. A son came to his father and asked for his share of the inheritance. This broke the father’s heart, but he went...
A Beautiful Thing
As Jesus prepared for the cross, an unnamed woman responded to Jesus with faith in a unique way. She understood truth about Jesus that eluded other disciples and gave Jesus an extravagant gift. Let’s remember how her example teaches us to follow the Lord with faith and sacrifice.
LifePoint Kids – March 19
Forgive others because God forgives you. In week 3, we discover one of Jesus’ parables recorded for us in Matthew 18:21-35. Jesus told this parable because Peter asked a question about forgiveness. Peter might have thought he was doing pretty well to say he’d forgive...
LifePoint Kids – March 12
When you forgive others, it can change them. In week 2, we find Jesus interacting with an unexpected person in Luke 19:1-10: Zacchaeus. Zacchaeus was a tax collector working for Rome. He earned a reputation for taking advantage of his fellow Jewish people. Zacchaeus...
Stay Awake
Throughout His time on earth, Jesus’ disciples asked Him many of the same questions that we find ourselves wrestling with today. Instead of giving a direct and clear response to their questions, Jesus focused more on the heart and attitude of His followers. His instruction and encouragement can impact the way that we live through uncertain times.
Death and Taxes
Jesus’ response to questions about two of life’s certainties – death and taxes – redirect our attention to timeless truth. Remembering the source and owner of all the parts of our life radically changes our perspectives. How are we challenged today when we remember where and how God has placed his stamp of authority?
LifePoint Kids – March 5
Everyone needs forgiveness. We start the month with an interesting moment from Jesus’ life, found in Luke 7:36-50. We find Jesus at the home of a Pharisee. While Jesus was there, a woman with a bad reputation stopped by with an expensive jar of perfume. She cried and...
Divine Authority
While Jesus entered conflict with religious leaders over his authority, he also revealed significant truth about his mission, God’s good gifts, and our responsibilities. What can Jesus’ teaching, storytelling, and confrontation with religious authorities teach us about God’s ownership, our stewardship, and Jesus’ friendship?
LifePoint Kids – February 26
Remember God is most important. We finish our month on respect in Matthew 8:5-13, where we find a Roman commander. This man was in charge of soldiers, who did whatever he told them to do. Yet when the commander’s servant became seriously ill, he realized that he had...
Foreshadowing
Jesus approaches Jerusalem with a loud celebration, but when he enters the Temple courts no one seems to notice. Jesus’ triumphal parade into Jerusalem, a withered fig tree, and Jesus’ clearing out commerce from a Temple courtyard—what does all of this teach about Jesus’ identity and mission? How could our response to Jesus be shaped by these events?
LifePoint Kids – February 19
Take time to show others they are important. In week three, we find Jesus at the home of His friends Mary and Martha. In Luke 10:38-42, we find how these two sisters had different things in mind when it came to having Jesus in their home. Mary sat at Jesus’ feet while...
LifePoint Kids – February 12
Jesus loves me and wants to spend time with me. Jesus visits the home of Mary and Martha. Mary sits at Jesus’ feet while Martha is very busy making sure everything is perfect for Jesus. Jesus thinks we are special, and He wants to spend time with us, just like He...
Darkness and Light
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 beginner of her story and foreshadows great things to come. As Ruth’s story concludes, how could you reflect on God’s work and faithfulness throughout your life and consider where he might be leading you now?