Waiting for the Son Advent is a special season each year as we step into the longing that has marked the people of God in every age. In the same way that the Old Testament people longed for the arrival of the Messiah, we long for his return. This year we are going to take up the Bible's teaching about last things as we look toward the second advent. Join us as we seek to ...

1ST CORINTHIANS There has never been a church quite like the church in Corinth. Paul himself had started this church several years earlier. He had spent a yearand a half among them, teaching them about the good news of Jesus. But since he left, it seems like everything is falling apart. Divisions.Incest. Prostitution. Chaotic church services. Getting drunk on the Communio...

RHYTHMS OF GRACE We are far more subject to being influenced than we often think. The environment we live in, what we read and watch, the relationships weengage in, where we go and what we do, are always shaping our desires, our beliefs, and our habits. The things we repeatedly do, again andagain, begin to affect what we desire and long for. We are always being formed, wh...

JOB There was once a man named Job. In every sense, he was a good man that did good things all of his life. Job loved God, tried to obey God, and took care of the people around him. By every standard, he was a successful man. It was clear to everyone, in heaven and on earth, that God had immensely blessed Job. On a day that he would not soon forget, Job received the news ...

Few people knew Jesus like Jude. After all, they were family. Jude was the brother of Jesus, the son of Mary and Joseph. When Jesus began his ministry, Jude, along with the rest of his family, thought Jesus was out of his mind. But after his brother died and rose again, everything changed. Jude now worshipped Jesus as God, and he himself had become an influential voice in ...

The Gospel of Mark The Gospel of Mark isn't a collection of curated stories about Jesus, but rather a purposeful narrative that paints a picture of the person and work of Jesus: A Messiah who came to rescue, confront evil, and invite people to live under God's reign. A kind and compassionate Savior who advanced the Kingdom of God by casting out demons and healing the sick...

When we think of God, what first comes to mind? Do we envision an angry judge, watching our every move, waiting to punish us the momentwe get out of line? Maybe we imagine a distant deity, detached from the cares of the world and devoid of emotion. Or we might see God as asympathetic friend, always deferring to us and supporting us, no matter what. There are a number of wa...

Paul knew his time was drawing to an end. Shackled by chains in a Roman dungeon, he sensed death was close at hand. He had devoted nearly30 years of his life to ministry, but now all that was over. Soon he would be beheaded for the faith he once persecuted. But still, there was workto be done. The Church was continually under assault from within and without. Someone would ...

What is the church supposed to be in our world today? Many rightly feel a tragic disconnect between what the church is and what it should be.We read the words and actions of Jesus, and rarely see those reflected in those who should represent him. But often, our ideas of how thechurch should function and what it should do differ from person to person. True transformation se...

And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory o...