When my daughters were small, the Advent season carried a spirit of gleeful anticipation. They couldn’t wait for Christmas!
Connections 12.03.2023: Mental Health
November 26, 2023 by
I had a phone call with my cousin and lifelong best friend last night. We discussed personal struggles and mental health issues.
Formations 11.19.2023: Completing the Work
November 12, 2023 by
I’ve never been a member of a church that built a new facility. But I have been a member of a church that renovated older buildings.
Connections 11.12.2023: Just Be Nice
November 5, 2023 by
Anyone who has been around small children probably speaks a familiar refrain: “Be nice.”
Formations 10.29.2023: Our True Sacrifice
October 22, 2023 by
Some of today’s lesson text deals with animal sacrifices to God, a practice we (hopefully) no longer do.
Connections 10.22.2023: What We Owe
October 15, 2023 by
My husband and I have decided to buy a used car from a friend for our daughter to use. The friend is offering us a deal we can’t refuse for a vehicle that should last at least a couple of years.
Formations 10.08.2023: Offering the Tithe
October 1, 2023 by
The Ten Commandments tell us not to covet or steal or murder and so on, and we could probably think of many actions and behaviors that fall under those ten laws.
Connections 10.01.2023: The Guest List
September 24, 2023 by
Verse 31 of our passage, which is the “Verse to Remember” for today’s study, is one of those difficult sayings of Jesus that bewilder us: “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you.”
Formations 09.17.2023: Subject to Every Human Authority
September 10, 2023 by
Verses 18-25 of today’s text are often discussed in conflicts over how to interpret the words about slaves being subject to their masters.
Connections 09.10.2023: God’s Justice and God’s Love
September 3, 2023 by
Today’s lesson text highlights the responsibility of the prophet Ezekiel: he must preach repentance to the people.
Formations 08.27.2023: Legacy
August 20, 2023 by
“Legacy” is a hefty word. We connect it with death, since many people’s life goal is to leave a legacy behind when they die.
Connections 08.20.2023: Salvation
August 13, 2023 by
People from certain Christian traditions may remember sermons and lessons about “being saved,” “asking Jesus into your heart,” or “walking the aisle” to make a public profession of faith before the church.
Formations 08.06.2023: When We Suffer
July 30, 2023 by
Naomi has lost everything: her husband, her sons, her security, her support, and—she is certain—her two daughters-in-law.
Connections 07.30.2023: Jacob and Laban
July 23, 2023 by
As we modern readers study Genesis 29, we might be struck by the way Laban uses his daughters, Leah and Rachel, to bait and trap Jacob.
Connections 07.23.2023: Jacob and the Lord
July 16, 2023 by
Esau was angry enough to kill Jacob, and when their mother Rebekah heard about that, she told her beloved son to leave home.
Formations 07.16.2023: Isaiah’s Impossible Mission
July 9, 2023 by
In Isaiah’s version of “mission: impossible,” there are no car chases, gunfights, or threats of nuclear war. There is no handsome movie star to save the day.
Connections 07.09.2023: Isaac and Rebekah
July 2, 2023 by
In today’s lesson text, a servant of Abraham does the patriarch’s bidding. He goes to Abraham’s people to “get a wife” for Isaac, the beloved miracle son (v. 38).
Connections 06.18.2023: Bodies and Souls
June 11, 2023 by
In our lesson text, we read about Jesus fulfilling his mission of bringing God’s kingdom to earth. How does he do this?
Formations 06.04.2023: The Samaritan Woman
May 28, 2023 by
We don’t have to be biblical scholars or master interpreters to understand what’s going on in today’s lesson text. John tells us everything we need to know.
Connections 05.28.2023: Receive the Holy Spirit
May 21, 2023 by
Our lesson title, “Receive the Holy Spirit,” comes from John 20:22, when Jesus breathes on his frightened disciples and blesses them with a new power that will remain even after he is no longer physically present.
Formations 05.14.2023: Body vs. Spirit
May 7, 2023 by
Sometimes passages like this one from Paul encourage unhealthy perspectives. If we read this text at face value, we might develop mistrust of our bodies.
Connections 05.07.2023: “Believe in Me”
April 30, 2023 by
Our lesson text encapsulates what, for me, are the two sides of the coin of faith: hope and doubt.
Formations 04.23.2023: The Power of Belief
April 16, 2023 by
There is really no way to win an argument against someone’s faith. Atheists and agnostics and others have tried for centuries to discount the beliefs of those who follow Jesus.
Connections 04.16.2023: The Hope of Christ in Grief
April 9, 2023 by
What’s the most powerful sermon you can remember? I remember one in particular. I was still in high school and had slept over at a friend’s house on New Year’s Eve.
Formations 04.02.2023: Welcome
March 26, 2023 by
I have always loved the images describing Jesus’s entry into Jerusalem. It truly is triumphal. Crowds of excited people lined the street.
Connections 03.26.2023: Restoration
March 19, 2023 by
As I grew up, skeletons always made me think of Halloween. Whether it was a homemade costume, flexible paper decorations hanging on school walls, or plastic bones sticking out of the yard.
Formations 03.12.2023: Consider the Cost
March 5, 2023 by
Jesus says some difficult words to the “large crowds” in our lesson text. We may wonder if Jesus was really as callous as he sounds.
Connections 03.05.2023: Movement
February 26, 2023 by
When we feel comfortable somewhere—we know the layout of the place, the character of the people, the dependency of the routines—it’s hard to think about leaving.
Formations 02.19.2023: Solomon’s Charge
February 12, 2023 by
In today’s text, a father’s death approaches, and he thinks of the legacy he will leave to his son. Has he taught his son enough?
Connections 02.12.2023: Partners with God
February 5, 2023 by
I grew up in First Baptist Church of Warm Springs, Georgia, a very small town with a huge amount of history.
Formations 01.29.2023: Israel’s King
January 22, 2023 by
In this passage, we see the regal David coming into his reign as Israel’s king. He is a strong, popular, comforting leader who makes his people feel safe.
Connections 01.22.2023: Jesus’s Ministry Begins
January 15, 2023 by
It must be a sobering moment for Jesus. He has just spent time on his own in the wilderness, enduring and overcoming the devil’s temptations. Now he comes back to civilization to learn that his cousin John has been arrested.
Formations 01.08.2023: Jesus’s Humility
January 1, 2023 by
Many leaders in our world, past and present, have come with fanfare and promises, conceit and power, riches and tailored suits. They’re surrounded by bodyguards who will protect them at all costs.
Connections 01.01.2023: Beginning a New Year
December 25, 2022 by
Jesus’s life began in great drama. His earthly parents rushed to be counted for the census only to get stuck in Bethlehem as Mary started having labor pains.
Formations 12.18.2022: The Blame Game
December 11, 2022 by
David used Bathsheba for his own gain, and Scripture doesn’t mince words about this. Most of the action verbs in 2 Samuel 11:1-4 are attributed to David: “David rose,” “sent,” and “lay.”
Connections 12.11.2022: Having Patience
December 4, 2022 by
We are often a backward-looking or forward-looking society. It’s hard to stay in the present. Many of us spend lots of time thinking about past decisions, memories, or events that we wish we could do over.
Formations 11.27.2022: Tamar, Seeker of Justice
November 20, 2022 by
While the past few decades have brought revolutions in the treatment and perception of women—especially in industrialized nations—there is still so far to go.
Connections 11.20.2022: A Promise of Home
November 13, 2022 by
Imagine being exiled away from your homeland—from all you know, all that feels familiar, all that makes you comfortable.
Formations 11.06.2022: Rebuilding
October 30, 2022 by
It’s easy to put off the things of God. Many of us struggle to make it through each work week, longing for the weekend only to watch it fly by once it arrives.
Connections 10.30.2022: So Stay Faithful
October 23, 2022 by
If we think about just the past decade in our world, we might feel inclined to say with Habakkuk, “Destruction and violence are before me; strife and contention arise.”
Formations 10.16.2022: Giving for a Cause
October 9, 2022 by
In our household, I usually take care of the monthly bills and budget. Our regular payments include mortgage, vehicle, cell phone service, Internet, streaming services, water and sewage, and electricity.
Connections 10.09.2022: Practical Steps in Tough Times
October 2, 2022 by
This passage from Jeremiah contains some of the most quoted and most hopeful verses in the Bible. If you ever feel discouraged about where you are in life, just read Jeremiah 29:11-14a.
Formations 09.25.2022: Faith’s Foundation
September 18, 2022 by
I grew up in a small Southern Baptist church that felt like a safe place to ask questions, express doubts, and wonder about the Christian faith. Even so, our leaders encouraged a firm foundation.
Connections 09.18.2022: Financial Shrewdness
September 11, 2022 by
Last year, my husband and I decided to take on the expensive project of replacing the siding and windows of our home. We were unable to pay the company the entire amount upfront, and we didn’t want to take out a loan and pay interest to a bank.
Formations 09.04.2022: Spiritual Gifts
August 28, 2022 by
Have you ever taken a spiritual gift inventory? Some churches or ministry events offer these to help people determine the ways God has gifted them.
Connections 08.28.2022: Advice for the Ages
August 21, 2022 by
The writer of Hebrews knew what tempts, troubles, and tantalizes human beings. And those things haven’t changed much over the centuries since these words were recorded.
Formations 08.14.2022: A Humble Witness
August 7, 2022 by
Over the years, I’ve encountered many different types of witnesses for Christ. There was the screaming street preacher who promised eternal torment if we didn’t repent.
Connections 08.07.2022: By Faith
July 31, 2022 by
How many times in your life have you taken on a new venture, stepped into an unfamiliar experience, or made a decision that seemed like a choice between two undesirable paths?