This week, we look at the truth of who we are as His Church and God's promises to His people on earth. Eugene Peterson says this in the message bible regarding Ephesians 1:23, “The church, you see, is not peripheral to the world; the world is peripheral to the church. The church is Christ’s body, in whom He speaks and acts, by which He fills everything with His presence.” The greatest honor and privilege any of us has been given is to belong to Jesus and His Church. This week, we look at God's p...
Oct 13, 2024•26 min
This week, we look at the truth of who we are as His Church and God's promises to His people on earth. Eugene Peterson says this in the message bible regarding Ephesians 1:23, “The church, you see, is not peripheral to the world; the world is peripheral to the church. The church is Christ’s body, in whom He speaks and acts, by which He fills everything with His presence.” The greatest honor and privilege any of us has been given is to belong to Jesus and His Church. This week, we look at God's p...
Oct 13, 2024•29 min
Oct 08, 2024•12 min
This week, we look at the reality that God loves His creation. Genesis tells us that He made everything, and it was all good. Creation is a perfect and wonderful gift of God that humanity's sin decimated. Psalm 96 reminds us that the earth will rejoice on the day when Jesus returns because (Romans 8) then the earth will be set free from its bondage and liberated to be what it was created to be. This is a great week to speak about the beauty and majesty of creation and how God has made promises f...
Oct 06, 2024•32 min
This week, we look at the reality that God loves His creation. Genesis tells us that He made everything, and it was all good. Creation is a perfect and wonderful gift of God that humanity's sin decimated. Psalm 96 reminds us that the earth will rejoice on the day when Jesus returns because (Romans 8) then the earth will be set free from its bondage and liberated to be what it was created to be. This is a great week to speak about the beauty and majesty of creation and how God has made promises f...
Oct 06, 2024•27 min
Oct 01, 2024•11 min
For the second week in a row, our Be The Change reminder is completely contrary to the way that so many in our world live, think, and move. Our world is not filled with peace-bringers but instead seems to be filled with people who celebrate and elevate those who live and speak in a way that brings turmoil and tension! As a result, “Living Peacefully” as Christian people, showing others that we are different, is absolutely critical to us making a difference, being the change, and shining our ligh...
Sep 29, 2024•30 min
For the second week in a row, our Be The Change reminder is completely contrary to the way that so many in our world live, think, and move. Our world is not filled with peace-bringers but instead seems to be filled with people who celebrate and elevate those who live and speak in a way that brings turmoil and tension! As a result, “Living Peacefully” as Christian people, showing others that we are different, is absolutely critical to us making a difference, being the change, and shining our ligh...
Sep 29, 2024•30 min
Sep 24, 2024•11 min
John 21:1-25 offers profound lessons about Jesus’ ongoing care for His disciples, His restorative love, and the sufficiency of Scripture. This passage reminds us of Jesus’ care in both spiritual and practical matters, His readiness to forgive and restore, and the completeness of God’s Word for guiding our lives.
Sep 23, 2024•37 min
Our Be The Change reminder for today is completely counter-cultural in 2024. Our world is filled with what could be called “consumers” and lacks what we’re called to be, and that’s “contributors.” Through the Holy Spirit’s power in our lives, we can live not only lives filled with “Being a Contributor” but, as we’re encouraged in our 2Corinthians reading today, to be “generous” contributors of all that we’ve been given as well!
Sep 22, 2024•32 min
Our Be The Change reminder for today is completely counter-cultural in 2024. Our world is filled with what could be called “consumers” and lacks what we’re called to be, and that’s “contributors.” Through the Holy Spirit’s power in our lives, we can live not only lives filled with “Being a Contributor” but, as we’re encouraged in our 2Corinthians reading today, to be “generous” contributors of all that we’ve been given as well!
Sep 22, 2024•25 min
Sep 17, 2024•11 min
This reflection on John 20 explores the transformation of the disciples’ understanding of the resurrection, Mary Magdalene’s devotion, and Thomas’s journey from doubt to faith. This passage reminds us of the power of Jesus’ resurrection to bring clarity, peace, and faith, transforming doubt into unwavering belief.
Sep 16, 2024•34 min
Our Be The Change reminder for today can often be difficult to maintain in a sin-darkened world! What we encounter day after day can, in fact, rob us of our joy and leave us anxious and depressed. So, what to do? We remember today that the hope we have in the Second Coming of Jesus and our eternal home with Him gives us joy every day, and that joy can greatly bless others. It is easy to be cynical, frustrated, irritated, or negative, but the change Jesus calls us to is to rest in His promises an...
Sep 15, 2024•24 min
Our Be The Change reminder for today can often be difficult to maintain in a sin-darkened world! What we encounter day after day can, in fact, rob us of our joy and leave us anxious and depressed. So, what to do? We remember today that the hope we have in the Second Coming of Jesus and our eternal home with Him gives us joy every day, and that joy can greatly bless others. It is easy to be cynical, frustrated, irritated, or negative, but the change Jesus calls us to is to rest in His promises an...
Sep 15, 2024•31 min
Part Two emphasizes the concept of compassion as the combination of empathy and action. It explores how Christians are called to embody God’s compassionate heart by caring for refugees, orphans, and widows, drawing from biblical examples and commands, such as Deuteronomy 10:19 and Leviticus 19:34. These passages remind God’s people to treat strangers with love and fairness, remembering their own history as refugees.
Sep 13, 2024•17 min
Part 3: God’s Heart of Grace explores the concept of grace as God’s undeserved favor and love, often expressed through the Hebrew word "hesed." This divine grace is characterized by loyal, sacrificial love that surpasses human standards and expectations. It emphasizes that God’s grace is unearned and reflects His generous heart, exemplified through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. Key biblical passages such as Ezekiel 47:22 and Romans 5:8 illustrate how God’s grace calls for equality, justice, and...
Sep 13, 2024•21 min
The introduction to God’s Heart for the Refugee emphasizes Jesus’ perfect obedience to God’s will and how His example serves as the model for Christian discipleship. It highlights the sanctification process, where believers are transformed by the Holy Spirit to align their lives with God’s will, reflecting His love and grace in the world. Drawing on key scriptures like John 6:38, Philippians 2:5-8, and Galatians 2:20, the introduction stresses the call for Christians to faithfully embody God’s h...
Sep 13, 2024•7 min
This study explores the biblical call for Christians to embody God’s love and justice, especially toward vulnerable groups like refugees, widows, and orphans. It emphasizes that love for God and others is central to the Christian faith, as outlined in Matthew 22:37-40. God’s character, which is love, leads His people toward justice and compassion for the marginalized, exemplified in passages like Deuteronomy 27:19 and Psalm 146:9. The study critiques harmful rhetoric against refugees, asserting ...
Sep 13, 2024•20 min
The conclusion of the study examines God’s heart of radical identification, highlighting how God calls His people to identify with and care for the marginalized. Leviticus 23:22 exemplifies this by instructing the Israelites to leave a portion of their harvest for the poor and refugees, encouraging a lifestyle of generosity and margin to bless others. This principle remains relevant, urging believers today to set aside resources and time to serve those in need. The ultimate expression of God’s i...
Sep 13, 2024•16 min
Sep 10, 2024•11 min
Today’s Be The Change reminder is at the heart and soul of our Christian faith! We’ll remember that Jesus calls all Christians to deny themselves, take up their cross, and, yes, follow Him, or say, as we’ll explore it today, “Serve the Lord.” What does “serving the Lord” look like? We’ll remember today that following Jesus and serving Him actually means serving others, particularly those in need around us! Serving the Lord means serving others every day! We are called to be a part of the change ...
Sep 08, 2024•30 min
Today’s Be The Change reminder is at the heart and soul of our Christian faith! We’ll remember that Jesus calls all Christians to deny themselves, take up their cross, and, yes, follow Him, or say, as we’ll explore it today, “Serve the Lord.” What does “serving the Lord” look like? We’ll remember today that following Jesus and serving Him actually means serving others, particularly those in need around us! Serving the Lord means serving others every day! We are called to be a part of the change ...
Sep 08, 2024•26 min
This session concludes our deep dive into the Book of Colossians.
Sep 04, 2024•34 min
Sep 03, 2024•11 min
This is the conclusion of our deep dive into Chapter 19.
Sep 02, 2024•25 min
Today, we will encounter our Be The Change Reminder from Romans 12 that, in truth, governs our entire worldview as Christians. The Lord has shown us His “agape” love in Jesus and calls us to do the same in everything we do, think, and say. Love changes things, and we are called to be the change as we sacrificially give away the love of God that we have been given through Jesus. The Lord calls us to show “genuine love” today and reminds us through our John 13 reading that the world will know we a...
Sep 01, 2024•34 min
Today, we will encounter our Be The Change Reminder from Romans 12 that, in truth, governs our entire worldview as Christians. The Lord has shown us His “agape” love in Jesus and calls us to do the same in everything we do, think, and say. Love changes things, and we are called to be the change as we sacrificially give away the love of God that we have been given through Jesus. The Lord calls us to show “genuine love” today and reminds us through our John 13 reading that the world will know we a...
Sep 01, 2024•30 min
Aug 27, 2024•10 min
