There are times in everyone’s life that one will be doing nothing, nothing at all. Some people choose this, like when on vacation. Other times it is not a choice. In-activity is placed upon us, like it or not. Yet in today’s lesson we will learn that as a Christian we are always in motion.
No matter what a person does or says, things don’t always work out well. So what does a person do then? Also, when people you thought you could count on let you down, what do you do then? Listen and learn how Paul handled these things.
Paul’s experience at Philippi was not good. He was whipped and thrown into jail. Yet he remembers the people and Thanks God for them. In today’s lesson, we look at what drove and guided Paul.
In most letters the writer starts out with an introduction and greeting. Paul who wrote to the Philippians was no different. Paul’s greeting and introduction, however, was more than information sharing. It was full of spiritual caring.
Jesus commanded his disciples to take the message of salvation into all the world. The church in the city of Philippi was the first church in Europe. It had a rough beginning. How did it survive or do?
As we finish the book of Job the question of God’s and Satan’s power comes up. Is the power of either limited and what are these limits? How does this impact our lives? We invite you to listen and be comforted.
Most people in the United States are familiar with the song “The 12 Days of Christmas”. It seems to be about a wealthy man who gave a lot of birds to someone. Could there be more to the song than that? And why 12 days and not just 10 days?
In the middle of winter Christmas is a welcome break for many people. The holiday shares hope, friendship and generosity. Christmas is, or can be, and should be, more than this; much more than this. Today’s lesson, through word and song shares the deep meaningful message of Christmas
In the midst of his suffering, Job could not see God’s presence. The so-called friends of Job said god was distant because of wrong doing. Job disagreed with that but still could not experience God. Pain and suffering can do that to a person. And yet his God, our God, was present and active. Listen to hear how, when and why.
Job demanded a court date and God appeared. Job was surprised at what happened. If you listen you also may be surprised. We invite you to join us.
Reading the Bible can be difficult, let alone understanding it. For this reason we have Bible studies. For this reason pastors go to school. And when pastors do not fully understand they ask for help.
Sometimes we do a tradition or holiday so many times that we forget why it began and what made it significant or special. Could Thanksgiving be that way for you; just food, family and football? Why did it start? For what should we be thankful?
In the midst of Job’s hardships, three friends show up. They try to comfort Job by giving him advice. The advice, however . . . Well, listen and find out.
God created everything, right? What about turmoil and evil? Did he do that too? The answer changes everything.
No one likes to suffer. Even so it comes. We all have had bad days, even weeks. Job experienced even more than that. He had it all, family, friends, earthly health and wealth. Then he lost it all. The story of Job is shared; not for common human misery, but instead to learn and gain strength.
Throughout history Christians have lived with good and bad governments. When things are going well for Christians, it’s easy; when bad, it’s hard. So how does a person spiritually decide which it is? What does a person then do?
James concludes his book with encouragement to pray for many things. The question will be; do we trust God or our prayers?
To be human is to have dreams, hopes and goals. To be human with a relationship with God is to also have prayers. Do prayers and dreams ever meet, and how should they?
I’m guessing we all have played a game and when we see we are losing we want to quit or start over. There is a way to continue to play and still win.
History is strewn with leaders who did anything to get to the top and remain there. Surprisingly this type of activity shows up in our lives when we least expect it. James writes about this in chapter 4.
The truth of the matter may be clear and yet it is often overlooked ignored or misunderstood. Such is the case with wisdom.
Did you know that the tongue is the strongest muscle in the body? That is probably because it is used so much. It is not only the strongest muscle but is also more powerful than one might think.
You may have read, “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.” Proverbs 17:17 (NIV). An oral culture does use words, but does so to draw a visual picture.
Faith and good works; the discussion has gone round and round for centuries. Perhaps the answer is found in an apple.
God shows no partiality. He treats us all the same. Yet we know families where parents played favorites. How about you?
Fishing hook, fresh peach, shadow at dusk, and a mirror. How do all these things fit together? James in his first chapter uses these items to help us avoid temptations and live a good life pleasing to God. Listen and find out.
We all know it's good to pray. Often though we wonder if it is heard or works. This lesson provides some direction on prayer.
Not many years after Jesus ascended into heaven, Christians found themselves hated, persecuted, and mistreated. James words help Christians focus on something other than the suffering.
The writer of this book introduces himself as a servant. What is and is not a servant? When we are a follower of Jesus we too are servants of him. So if we also are servants, what is and is not our service?
When there is a death of a close family member, pet or friend we go through many stages of grief. This study provides understanding, acceptance and help as we or someone we know faces a major loss.
