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Read a dozen books on rock climbing. Or spend 20 years exploring great routes, challenging yourself, and gaining (calloused) hands-on experience. Which is the rock climbing expert? Is there a parallel to learning about God? We'll look at learning in this study.Acts 17:11

Which is more attractive—a gathering of stoic, dourer, serious individuals, or a group of joyful, happy people? While the answer is obvious, the path to being a joyful people may be less obvious. We'll look at the keys to joyful fellowship in this study.1 John 1:1-4

Have you ever considered the relationship between the way church members get along and their alignment with what that church hears from the pulpit? Can a church body that disagrees on doctrine still have real Biblical fellowship? We'll explore these challenging questions in this study.1 John 1:1-4

The word “covenant” often conjures up reminders of Old Testament passages involving the children of Israel. But does covenant have power and potential for modern day marriages? We'll look at that question today.Ruth 3

If you're holding a stale loaf of bread, and someone throws you a bag of gold, the likelihood is that you'll drop the stale bread. Is there a parallel in the spiritual world? What are we holding that keeps us from receiving something better?Matt. 6:19-21

Investing… a common practice for some, not at all for others. But does the Bible encourage us to invest? If so, how? We'll look at these questions today.Matt. 6:19-21

Health—a good diet? Yes. But only a good diet? Not likely. There has to be some movement if not intentional exercise. Is the same true for the church? For us as individual believers? We'll explore these questions in this study.Acts 2:42-47

Ever spent time actually looking at what a church should be? And what implications might there be for each of us as we look deeper into what a Biblically based church looks like? We'll head that direction in this study.Acts 2:42-47

What's different for you between Sunday and Tuesday? Is there a shift in your mindset about “faith” when you leave church? We're looking at practical aspects of living out the gospel in this study.Eph 5:22-6:9

“I need advice. Yes, the Bible, I know. But what if I need advice on dating? Really, the Bible?” Heading into a very practical study taken from the book of Ruth.Ruth 3

You may have heard the quick comparison of the gospel and other religions. Other belief systems say “Do” while the gospel says “Done.” Our study heads further into this comparison.John 14:1-11

Remember in grade school, those rare moments where the teacher was called out of the room? In most cases, chaos ensued. The class did whatever it wanted So, if we tell ourselves there is no God, does that also introduce the likelihood of chaos? We'll explore this question in our study today.Psalm 14

If you look in the “Big Questions” box, the existence of God is one of the biggest. Our series of studies heads directly into a discussion of that question today.Psalm 14

The book of Ecclesiastes tells us that “there is nothing new under the sun.” So how does that apply to new ideas that pop up from time to time within the church? We'll look at this question in this study.2 Tim 3:10-17

There's something attractive about “new and exciting.” But does that mean we have to be careful about how we regard the “unchanging” Word of God? We'll look at that question in this study.2 Tim 3:10-17

Typical of this time of year, we often look back at the 12 months just wrapping up. Lots of metrics to consider, but what would you tell yourself if the metric was “taking advantage of opportunities to glorify God? Maybe the question that pops to mind is “What does that even mean?” Looking both backward and forward in this study.John 21:15-19

Let's go right to the heart of the matter. For a good number of people, the joyful holiday celebrations aren't that joyful! So how do we fix that? Our study today aims to do just that.John 14:6

Granted, Christmas messages typically don't focus on the resurrection. But we're going to do just that in this study with the intent of raising the “merry” even further on your Christmas celebration.John 11:25-26

Perhaps your default perception of God lives in the “Ruler” category. And rightly so. But do we sometimes miss out on the compassionate care that our God has for us? We'll look at that attribute in our study today.John 10:11

You've likely heard the talk about “the good old days” when no one worried about locking their doors. Such a sense of security feels further away on a daily basis. But our passage today introduces a solution to the need for a sense of safety.John 10:9

Hindsight is 20/20. From our modern perspective, some of the ideas about Jesus during his day are hard to fathom. How could they miss it? But is it possible that parallels to this blindness are all around us today? Our study looks directly at this question.John 8:12

The assignment, watch 30 minutes of news and find a single example of unity. Mission impossible? Feels like it at times, right? And yet, all things are possible with God. Do we subconsciously exclude unity from “all things?” We'll explore unity in our study today.Phil 2:2

There are a lot of reasons folks find to celebrate during the Christmas season. Believers know that the incarnation is at the heart of the celebration. But is there even more that we can lean into to fuel this celebration? We'll go for further understanding of the roots of the season in this study.John 6:35

The Bible is the textbook of theology. Yes. But… the Bible also speaks to the single person who has desires, or the married person who has desires. Very practical discussions included in this study from the book of Hosea.Hosea 1

If you grew up with the “flannel-graph in Sunday School” generation, it's likely that the story of Hosea didn't make the rotation. Nevertheless, there are lessons to be learned, and we'll go in pursuit in this study.Hosea 1

Maybe you've heard the challenge to “preach the gospel, and use words only as a last resort?” What is the gospel impact of our personal finances? What do we tell the world around us with our wallet? This topic in the focus today.2 Cor. 9:6-15

Stereotypic impressions of the church from the outside? “They want money.” What's the flipside of this negative take? What is a cheerful giver? We'll explore this topic today.2 Cor. 9:6-15

Perhaps you've heard of fleeting joy, a temporary breeze of positivity that is cherished for the brief moment that it lands on you. Our study today tackles the idea of complete joy. Complete sounds better than fleeting. Let's explore these types of joy in this study.Phil 2:2

If there's a grizzly bear in your house, you'll know it. But we have to install detectors to tell us about invisible things like radon gas. So, what are the lurking but invisible threats that are around us and possibly in us every day? We'll explore that question in this study.Acts 8:26-40

Here's a paradigm shift—when you're being persecuted, what would it take to love the one persecuting you? We have a powerful example of this in our study today, as we continue to look at the book of Daniel.Daniel 1

Daniel of the Old Testament has some dramatic challenges that he faces as he lives in a pagan culture. And while it can be intriguing to look into that story, we must ask about parallels between his world and ours. How are we being influenced by a pagan culture in our daily existence? We'll look at that question in this study.Daniel 1

Staying in the fight…. This is a lauded characteristic today. Perseverance is honored and rightly so in many cases. But is there a danger in losing track of whose fight we're involved in? Our study today will visit this perspective in the exploration of why Bible reading is vital.Joshua 1:1-9 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

“You should read the Bible.” “Well, yes, I know that!” But when was the last time you wrestled with the “why?” We'll dive into that quest in this study. Joshua 1:1-9 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Heading into December, we'll soon be hearing the music tones of “Joy to the World.” We sing it, we enjoy it, but have we ever really wrestled with that phrase? Is joy something that can be found anywhere in our world today? And if so, what is its source? All these questions are explored in this study. Phil 2:2 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We've been looking at the external influences of buildings, traditions, worship styles, and other elements. Can we miss the internal priorities while sorting out the externals? This study moves to the heart of the matter, literally. Mark 7:14-23 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You may have heard the rhyme, “Here's the church, here's the steeple….” Have you ever thought about the role of a building as a part of a dynamic gospel church? We'll look into the influence a building can have in this study. Mark 7:1-13 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How important is tradition in authentic Christianity? “That's how we've always done it.” Does that statement carry weight? We'll explore the value of tradition in this study. Mark 7:1-13 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Do church attendance numbers matter? Is the success of a church related to how many people show up? Or is showing up important for other reasons? We'll look at the essence of worship in this study. Mark 7:5-7 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What's the core of your worship? Given that core, is someone else's preference of worship better or worse? Does it matter? We'll explore the foundation of worship in this study. Mark 7:5-7 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What image does the word “hero” bring to mind for you? Perhaps you've heard the meme that “not all heroes wear capes.” In this study we'll be looking at a quiet hero, one who presents a challenge for all of us. Ruth 2 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We're in the middle of defining what it means to be a Pharisee. At the same time, we're learning about what it means to be an authentic Christian. Our study explores human tendencies both in and out of the church. Mark 7:1-8 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Pharisees, those are the bad guys, right? Easy to spot, easy to boo at. But is it possible there are some in our church? Might there be one who shows up every now and then in our mirror? We're going Pharisee hunting in this study. Mark 7:1-8 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

While it's not always easy, loving those within the church certainly makes sense and is a worthy goal. In our study today, we're being reminded that loving those outside the church is also on our agenda. Hebrews 13:1-6 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

“Love one another.” No problem, let's jump in and get that done. Or, if we're even the least bit honest, we will confess that love is hard to do. We'll look at the Biblical support for the how and why of love in this study. Hebrews 13:1-6 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

“That's not the kind of worship I like.” Can you make that statement honestly if you really understand the purpose of worship? We'll try to untangle this quandary in our study today. Hebrews 12:18-29 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

“What's your story?” Perhaps you've been asked that question. But have you ever done a “story inventory”? Is your story in need of a context check? We'll look at an example of someone who needed to adjust their story in our study today. Ruth 2 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Perhaps you know someone who will quickly “jump ship” should a challenge show up. Relationships get bumpy, and away they go. Pursuit of a career bogs down, and off they go in a different direction. What happens when that mindset shows up in the church? We'll explore that question today. Hebrews 12:18-29 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Grace is a gift. We know this. So, why does this passage talk about the need to “obtain” grace? We'll explore this question today. Hebrews 12:12-17 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The experienced runner who knows the distance ahead and how to win at knows the required pace. There's a spiritual parallel that we'll explore in this study today. Hebrews 12:12-17 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How many photos would you guess are taken each day that fall into the category of “selfie?” It's potentially a very big number. Is the selfie mindset found in how we do church? We'll dissect this question today. Hebrews 12:3-11 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You're handed a map which leads to an incredible home that's waiting for you. You hop in the car, toss the map in the back seat without looking at it, and start driving aimlessly. Seems a bit of a waste. Do we do the same with plans God has for us? We'll explore His plan in this study. Hebrews 12:3-11 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices