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?
Life Happens
Life happens. Naomi returns home bitter following the deaths of her husband and sons. Ruth tries to make ends meet as a widow and a foreigner. Boaz uses his influence to be a blessing. Chapters 2 and 3 of Ruth show us how our natural efforts to care for others are guided by the supernatural hand of God.
LifePoint Kids – February 5
Jesus loves me. In the story of Jesus and the children, the disciples thought the children didn’t belong with Jesus. But Jesus was very clear that He loves children, and He wants them to come to Him. PreschoolElementaryPreteenRelated Posts
Expect the Unexpected
Because of Israel’s repeated unfaithfulness to God throughout the Old Testament, we might expect to find a revenge story revealing God’s anger and punishment. Instead, in the book of Ruth, we find a story of God’s unfailing love. Throughout Ruth’s story, God continues to remain loyal and He displays His love in unexpected ways.
LifePoint Kids – January 29
If you don’t understand something, ask. We finish up the month in Matthew 11:1-6 where we read that John the Baptist was in prison. John seemed to wonder if Jesus was truly the Savior that God had promised. John sent two of his disciples to ask Jesus his questions....
We Love Others
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?
LifePoint Kids – January 22
Remembering what’s true can helpyou make the wise choice. After Jesus’ baptism, we head to Luke 4:1-13 and find that Jesus had gone out to the desert. In this story, Jesus was being tested. The devil showed up and twisted what Jesus knew about God and Scripture. But...
We Love Each Other
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 church look like and feel like if we continued growing to love each other unselfishly?
LifePoint Kids – January 15
When you discover something new, it can change you. In week 3, we find Jesus at the Jordan River (John 1:19- 42 and John 3:22-36). Jesus’ cousin, John the Baptist, was out by the Jordan River baptizing people and preparing the way for the Promised Savior.WhenJesus...
We Love God
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.
LifePoint Kids – January 8
Knowing God is the most important thing. In Luke 2:41-52, we discover a moment from Jesus’ childhood when He stayed behind in Jerusalem after the Passover feast. Jesus was fully God, but He was also fully human. And as a human, Jesus recognized something very...
Our Faithful Partner
I had not realized how angry I had become or how far I had strayed from Him until recently when I had what felt like a complete emotional and mental breakdown. I have always known God to be exactly who He says He is, but in April 2018 a division in the church I had attended for twenty years started me on a spiritual decline causing me to question everything I believed about church leaders and God himself.
Small Beginnings
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.
LifePoint Kids – January 1
Never stop searching for what’s true. We kick off January with the end of the Christmas story. In Matthew 2:1-12, we meet wise men from the east whose lives were dedicated to discovering more about the universe. One night they noticed a bright star that led them on an...