God Centered Life

“Just when you think it couldn’t get worse…” It’s a lousy phrase when it’s you at the center of the ensuing story. Whether you’re on the steep downhill to disaster, or just wallowing through incessant disappointment, our study today offers hope.Genesis 38 - 39

What is the threshold where bad stuff becomes suffering? Does discouragement qualify as suffering? Does Scripture address subtle frustration? We’ll explore the suffering continuum and how to rise above in this study.Genesis 38 - 39

Is there a difference between wrestling with God for our purposes and wrestling with God for God's purposes? Is there value to assessing the goal of our fight? We’ll look at these questions in our study today.Genesis 32:22-32

Does the daily objective of “conflict avoidance” keep us from tapping into bigger gains in our understanding of God? What can we learn from Jacob's wrestling match with God?Genesis 32:22-32

It’s easy to quietly think that when we go through suffering, we’re outside of God’s best plan for us. But is that really the case? We’ll continue our exploration of how to handle suffering in this study.1 Peter 1:3-12

Our study today explores the dream that Jacob had as recorded in Genesis, and how it links to our understanding of who God is.Genesis 28:10-22

What does it mean to say that God is in control when we’re talking about a point in our life where action is needed? When do we power-up versus when do we pray? We’ll look at this question in today's study.Genesis 24

What’s the relationship between being in a tight situation and having faith? Perhaps it's easy to assume when the pressure is off. Our study looks at an example of faith in the worst imaginable situation.Genesis 22:1-19

Very few people will say they really enjoy tests. What if we knew clearly that the test was coming directly from God? Abraham faced just this reality. Today's study looks for things we can learn from his test.Genesis 22:1-19

If the bad guys are always “those people” do we miss out on an honest look at ourselves? And does that view lessen the value of grace? We’ll look at these questions in this study.Genesis 18

We start the day with a plan. Then, within moments, the curveball comes at us and our plan is out the window. Resources available to handle this? We’ll look at those in this study.1 Peter 1:3-12

What question would you ask God if you were walking along next to Him after sharing a meal? While that might be a difficult scene to imagine, we’re heading there nonetheless in this study.Genesis 18

What does it mean to be blessed by God? We’ll look at Old Testament blessings but pull solid parallels to our current desire to experience blessing in our lives today.Genesis 12:1-9

Looking to God for guidance… if we’re honest, that requires faith. What if we don’t hear anything from God? We’ll look at how God guides us in this study.Genesis 12:1-9

We see something as judgement, but is there a divinely ordained purpose that might be woven behind it? We’ll look at that question today.Genesis 11:1-9

Unity at any cost! Sounds good at a quick glance, but with just a bit of consideration, the potential for disaster emerges. We’ll explore this idea in our study today.Genesis 11:1-9

The legal system ranks crimes, some more deserving of stricter punishment than others. Have you ever found yourself ranking your past failings? Our study today sets out to remove that ranking.1 Peter 1:1-2

A nuance question regarding how you regard God: do you see God as celebrating the destruction of evil? Is this an accurate view of God? We’ll explore this question in our study today.Genesis 6:1-8

It’s easy to define a segment of the world as evil and worthy of God's wrath. Is this passage suggesting all, including heavenly beings, are capable of failing God? We’ll look at that question today.Genesis 6:1-8

Ever performed an inventory of your thoughts of God, specifically looking for elements of your fallen self that have crept in to “help” define who God is? Scary notion for sure, but we’ll head that direction in this study.Genesis 4

If you were fortunate enough to grow up in a good home, longing for that home is likely. Our study today asks if there is a part of us that longs for the home of the garden, our “most connected to God” home.Genesis 4

Less evil! Of course this is a worthy goal. But is there a disservice done if we don’t at least acknowledge how the presence of evil has changed our world? We’ll explore this question in our study.Genesis 3:1-24

Looking for encouragement? Let’s study Biblical election! Okay, maybe not the first inclination that comes to mind when encouragement is needed. But should it be? Let’s find out!1 Peter 1:1-2

It’s a broad truth that to solve a problem, you need to identify its source. We take that approach in this study to try and understand the problem of evil in our world.Genesis 3:1-24

Is loneliness something that God cares about? In our study today, we’ll look at another foundational principle that speaks directly to this question. Genesis 1:26 - 2:5

For some, the question of what to have for dinner is one of the more challenging obstacles to overcome. A far more cerebral, but far more impactful question to wrestle with is “Who are we as humans?” That’s our destination for this study.Genesis 1:26 - 2:5

It’s not uncommon for the childhood mastery of the word “why” to be an exciting discovery. “I’ve found a way to befuddle Mom and Dad!” Our study today encourages us to bring that inquisitiveness to the Bible.Genesis 1

Foundation: A good one is necessary for building a sturdy house. What about when it comes to a worldview? How are those affected by what we believe about origins? We look at these questions in this study.Genesis 1

How many times during the last week have you felt like giving up? Surprising how that feeling can sneak up on us even in the midst of good times. Paul lays out tools to fight off that feeling in our study today.2 Timothy 4:9-22

In one sense, it can be good to see this person or that person each Sunday, and we pass along a hearty “Hello!” But is there more going on when this takes place? Our study digs below the greetings to the larger purpose behind them.1 Cor 16:5-24

Correction can often feel harsh and far from rooted in love. Paul has admonished this church in a number of ways, but now wraps up his letter with greetings that reflect his love for the believers there.1 Cor 16:5-24

“No strings attached.” Do we miss the point of giving when we attach strings of expectation to our gifts? Are we even aware that we’re doing this? These are subtle but important distinctions that we’ll explore in this study.1 Cor 16:1-4

When we read reviews, we’re tapping into the prior experiences of others. Our study today is essentially Paul's review of another church’s experience passed on to the Corinthian church, and to us.1 Cor 16:1-4

There are good days ahead. Yes, a believer who taps into the power of the resurrection and the promises it supports can say that. But what about today? Are we missing out on how the future changes this moment? We’ll look at that in this study.1 Cor 15:35-58

Planting seeds is an act of faith. You place that seed in the ground, and then, besides a bit of watering, basically wait, but with hope of an eventual result. How we navigate our daily lives can mirror this. We’ll look at how in this study.2 Timothy 4:1-5

Can the words “thank you” become a toss-away? Do they sometimes shrivel into cliché status? In our study today, we’re finding encouragement to tap into, and realizing the benefits of true gratitude.1 Cor 15:35-58

Maybe you’ve experienced it, a time of reflection about what’s important while sitting quietly...in a funeral. Paul is encouraging us to take advantage of an opportunity to reflect without having to attend a funeral, and in doing so, make life better, and experience more freedom.1 Cor 15:20-34

If you knew all the details of what lay ahead of you, would it change how you lived today? Paul is reminding the church in Corinth what lay ahead of them, asking them to live accordingly, and by extension, offering us the same admonition.1 Cor 15:20-34

Is there such a thing as a skin-deep belief? If something is listed as a belief, but doesn’t affect how we live, does that make it more of a preference? We’ll explore these questions in this study.1 Cor 15:12-19

What would happen if you did an inventory of your beliefs? Follow that up with an inventory of what stresses you out. Do beliefs matter? We’ll look at that question in this study.1 Cor 15:12-19

Focus. When there is much to do, keeping your eyes on the one thing that is most important is a challenge, but often helps move that task to completion. Our study today takes that concept into the life of the church.2 Timothy 4:1-5

There’s truth, and then there’s truth that’s more attractive. Sounds odd, but is that how our world is working today? We’ll explore that question in our study today.1 Cor 15:1-11

If someone asks you “Is the Gospel believable?” many would answer “Yes!” But what does it mean to believe the Gospel? We’ll dig deeper into this question in this study.1 Cor 15:1-11

Does Paul say that women should not speak in church? If so, then what do you do with Chapter 11 where Paul assumes women will speak in church? We’ll jump in with both feet in this study.1 Cor 14:26-40

We often affirm that all Scripture is useful. And yet, are there portions of the Bible that we typically shy away from? Is today’s passage one of those portions? Let’s jump in and see why we are to embrace this passage.1 Cor 14:26-40

Ever watch a movie and have to turn on the closed captions to understand what’s being said? We do that because the thoughts are more important than the words being used to convey them. Paul is presenting a similar idea in our study today.1 Cor 14:1-25

We often think that those in “full time ministry” are immune to discouragement, because… they have been called. Our study today, aiming to encourage, is not limited to just the lay person. Paul's intent is encouragement to all.2 Timothy 3:10-17

Have you ever done an inventory of church phrases that you’ve grown up with and take for granted? What if you presented those phrases to someone who has no church background? Would what you’re saying make any sense? Our study today looks to make the gospel as accessible as possible.1 Cor 14:1-25

“Perfect Love…” Nope, doesn’t exist. So how do we handle failure in our love relationships? How do we continue to pursue love when there are challenges all around us? We’ll explore these questions in this study.1 Cor 13:8-13

“And they call it puppy love.” Perhaps you’ve experience that burst of childlike attraction that feels so energized… until it fades away. What is the connection between love and maturity? We’ll look at this question in our study today.1 Cor 13:8-13