Blog

Fall 2024

Worship in the Covenant Community “So you will be my people, and I will be your God” (Jeremiah 30:22). God’s covenant—his enduring promise of relationship and presence—is central to the worship of his people. Worship is the act of ascribing worth to and celebrating the glory of something or someone. The truth is, all people worship. For the people of God, the question is, who will receive our worship? Is the triune God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—the only one we will choose to direct our worship toward? Scripture reveals a pattern to the worship of God’s people: God reveals himself, and his people respond through their worship. In the stories of Scripture, we read how they responded: they sang songs, raised their hands, played instruments, danced to music, and did good works of service. The lessons of this quarter examine the worship that God’s people have offered. Although the ways […]

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Summer 2024

Hope in the Lord One dictionary defines hope as “to want something to happen or be true” or “to desire with the expectation of obtainment or fulfillment.” In popular use, a hope is often closely associated with a wish; there is not necessarily an expectation that this “hope” will come true. But Christian hope is based on nothing less than God’s promises and the confidence we have based on his faithfulness to his promises. We do not wish God would honor his promises; we hope he will. This quarter of study traces hope through the generations. Hope and the Church The five lessons of Unit I, “Experiencing Hope,” consider hope through the lens of those whose faith in Christ gave shape to the early church. In Colossians 1:27 (lesson 1), Paul tells the Colossians that the mysteries of God become known to them as their hope in Christ transforms their […]

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Spring 2024

Examining Our Faith The Greek word for faith appears over two hundred times in the New Testament. Its usage can refer to at least two different but related concepts. This quarter will explore the significance of faith and how the people of God live with faith. Community Faith The expression “the faith” refers to the beliefs and paradigms distinct to followers of Jesus (examples: Acts 6:7; 1 Corinthians 16:13; 2 Corinthians 13:5; 1 Timothy 3:9; Titus 1:13; Jude 3). The most central belief and the key to the faith itself is the resurrection of Jesus Christ (see Mark 16:1–8, lesson 5). Without Jesus’ death and resurrection, our faith would be in vain. Following “the faith” consists of being filled with Christ and indwelt by God’s Spirit. The apostle Paul encourages believers to practice self-examination regarding the presence of Christ in their lives and whether or not they are “in the […]

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Winter 2023

Faith That Pleases God This quarter’s lessons examine how individuals from Scripture lived faithful lives that pleased God. Their stories reveal how we can honor God through our lives of faith. Without faith, our attempts to please God will fall short (see Hebrews 11:6). Profiles in Faith This quarter begins by exploring the faith of various people from Scripture. One person who demonstrated unwavering faith is Ruth the Moabite. Because of her faith, she had confidence that the Lord would be with her and her mother-in-law, even in desperate circumstances (see Ruth 1:16–17, lesson 1). Demonstrating faith is not easy; sometimes faith requires that people stand alone. The young shepherd David faced this reality as he confronted the Philistine (see 1 Samuel 17:45, lesson 2). In doing so, David went against the expectations of his people and his king (see 17:31–33). Likewise, it was not easy for Mary, a young, […]

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