This week we see Ruth’s profession of faith and its outworking in her through her unwavering loyalty to Naomi. We are reminded that God’s saving work reaches beyond cultural and ethnic barriers. After a 10 year sojourn in Moab, Naomi and Ruth have returned to...
After we realize there is life below the surface, we can then learn to breathe under the water. In other words, we can learn to swim in the real world of our emotions. Being in touch with our emotions means that we understand that our past affects our present and our...
So much of your energy may be spent maintaining your life on the surface—your physical needs, your appearance, your life experienced through your five senses. But there’s a world that lies below the surface of your life too—a part of you that can often get ignored or...
Week 3: Women This week, we learn that: Sometimes, God's favor doesn't look like we think it will. Our unworthiness doesn't change our worth. With the resurrection, Jesus reversed the curse. SermonsStudiesGuidesArticlesStoriesFilmsDonateAboutLifePoint ChurchSubscribe...
Life is filled with the unexpected. Sometimes our plans exceed our expectations and other times we fall short as we trip and stumble along the journey. We need to leave room for both successes and failures. Our plans must always create space for God to work in ways we...
Week 2: The Marginalized and Excluded This week, we learn that: Jesus overcame fear-based exclusion with love and compassion. What we assume about suffering determines our response to it. We have to see our prejudices and their consequences before we can overcome...
The cost of achieving great things usually requires sacrifice and focus. When the Jewish people were called upon to occupy Jerusalem, they found themselves at a crossroads. This next step of faith would require giving up their comfort. In fact, it would require they...
It’s not unusual to find people paralyzed by doubt. But with God’s help we can go beyond where we are to where we could be. And that means our doubt can get replaced with confidence and faith. Nehemiah led the people of Jerusalem in a rebuilding project that was met...
It’s usually a good sign when we’re reaching for things that require God’s help. If we could make progress without God, then maybe we should reconsider the goal. The story of Nehemiah and the Jewish people is one of remarkable accomplishment. It all began with an...
This week we’ll continue our study of the Miracles of Jesus by investigating a miracle Jesus performed demonstrating his power over nature. Jesus’ miracles over nature reveal our vulnerabilities and needs, and prove to us that he is able to overcome them. In our...
Life is busy and people are tired. Our days are filled with what seems like a never-ending list of activities and obligations. The hectic nature of life makes us long for rest. This is just what Jesus promises to those who will come to him. He offers rest to those who...
It has always been the mission of the church to grow. Jesus told His disciples that they were to go the ends of the earth making disciples and inviting people to become part of the community of faith. This is an incredible calling, but it is also challenging. Growing...
Times of wandering don’t last forever. The Bible tells how God brought His people into the land He promised and gave them victory. He was with them in their success just as He had been in their failure and wandering. But as the people of Israel discovered, the...
The Bible is a book about wanderers and it was written for people who wander. Throughout its pages we find that those who follow after God are often led to places they never thought God would take them; to forsaken places of wilderness and times of confusion and...
God reminds us in the first book of the Bible, Genesis, that it all begins with Him. Yet people seem prone to mistrust God. God is always on a mission to find people who will trust Him—people He can bless to be a blessing to others. God found such a man in Abraham....
Our culture and our world have changed dramatically in the last few decades. We now live in a “Post-Christian” America in which familiarity with the Bible, respect for Judeo-Christian values and even belief in God can no longer be assumed. As a result, it is often the...
When we have good news like a job promotion, the birth of a child, or even a new car, we usually want to tell others about it. But when it comes to telling others about the good news Jesus shared, what he’s done for us and what we receive from Him, it’s often...
If you’ve ever felt like you sometimes work against yourself, your suspicion is well-founded. Inside of every one of us lies a capacity to make dumb choices and distance ourselves from God. From our earliest days, human beings have tried to hide from God. But it’s...
If you are a believer in Christ, then you have most likely faced a scenario where you wanted to follow Christ, but instead you did not. In short, you had a moment of unbelief. Have you ever stopped to think about the importance of what you believe? Everyone has a...
Numerous medical studies make it clear: we’re in the midst of an anxiety epidemic. In other words, a lot of people worry—a lot. And it’s having a dramatic detrimental impact on our health and on our society. Yet it’s been suggested, “we can do nothing better with...
In the sermon on the mount, Jesus teaches us how to live a life that is characterized by love, hope and peace. But in order to live that kind of life, we have to identify and deal with the challenges in our lives. Sometimes that is difficult because, if we’re honest,...