Focal Passage: Job 31:13-23 

My father worked in the mental health field for over 20 years. I saw him go above and beyond countless times for the sake of his clients. He enjoyed his work because he saw the value in all people, regardless of their circumstances. Today’s reading in Job shows us why he viewed people that way — and why we should too. All people have intrinsic value because they are made in the image of God.

Job recognized that all people are God’s handiwork, created for His purposes (Job 31:13-15). In this passage, Job reflects on how he treated those who worked for him. His servants had very few rights. Yet Job understood that God was their Creator just as much as He was Job’s Creator. Because they had value to God, they had value to Job as well. [Read more…]

Focal Passage: I John 3:21-4:6

How many of us have felt a lack of confidence in certain situations? Maybe it was giving a report at work, being put in charge of a new project, or standing at the free-throw line with the game on the line. Confidence matters.

As Christians, our confidence doesn’t come from who we are or what we have. Our confidence comes from the Lord. The Holy Spirit gives us the ability to stand tall as He works through us for His glory. In his first letter, John writes about that confidence to believers, reminding them they can stand strong because of what Christ has done for them. [Read more…]

Focal Passage: Luke 12:13-21; 21:1-4

Just a few days after Christmas, many parents make the same discovery: half the toys their children were so excited about aren’t even being touched anymore. The “new” has already become ordinary. It’s a simple picture, but it reminds us of something Jesus wants us to understand — our stuff and our finances must be kept in their proper place.

In verses 13-15, a man approaches Jesus with what seems like a reasonable request. He wants Jesus to settle a family dispute about an inheritance. In that culture, rabbis commonly handled these kinds of disagreements, so at first glance it makes sense. But Jesus refuses. Why? Because the real issue wasn’t fairness — it was greed. The man wasn’t looking for wisdom; he wanted Jesus to side with him so he could get more. Jesus wasn’t sent to earth to referee family arguments. He came to address matters of the heart, and in this moment, He exposes a deeper danger: the love of stuff. [Read more…]

Focal Passage: 1 Kings 17:7-16

A banker in my church once told me a story I’ll never forget. She had carefully prepared ten goody bags for the kids in her Sunday School class. As the one who had worked her way up to the top position at our local bank, she was not used to making mistakes — especially with numbers. But that morning, eleven children showed up. She panicked inside, knowing she had only made ten bags. Yet as she handed them out, one by one, she reached the last child — and somehow still had one more bag in her hand. She looked up, stunned: The Lord provided!

Our study today focuses on another time when God came through in a moment when provisions seemed to run out. Elijah had moved to the Jordan River to escape Ahab’s reach. During the famine, God provided for him in extraordinary ways—ravens bringing him food and water from the Wadi. Eventually, the ravens stopped coming, and the wadi began to dry up. The place that had sustained him was no longer enough. [Read more…]

Focal Passage: Luke 1:26-38

Have you ever been caught by surprise? On my 16th birthday, I thought I had figured out that my parents were throwing me a surprise party — I just didn’t know where. When we pulled into McDonald’s and all my friends were standing there wearing McDonald party hats (which was hilarious considering some of them later went on to play Division I college football), boy, was I surprised!

Luke allows us to witness the surprise in Mary’s life when she learned she would soon give birth to a baby. When Gabriel comes to make his heavenly announcement, we find a young woman with an incredible description. We know Mary is young. She is pure. She is engaged to Joseph — a commitment far more binding in their culture than an engagement is today. Most importantly, we know she is highly favored by God. [Read more…]