People of the Bible
Studies exploring the
lives, choices,
struggles, and triumphs
of the men and
women whose lives
are recorded in Scripture,
and the lessons
we can learn from them
Biblical meditation can foster a closer relationship with God and a better understanding of His word. This week one of our contributors shares her personal experiences with meditation.
The Bible is clear: Meditation is an important tool for knowing the mind of God. This week we jump into a 21-day biblical meditation challenge and discuss how biblical meditation differs from Eastern or secular meditation.
Parables about the kingdom of heaven often fall into one of three categories: the unexpected nature of the kingdom, the questioning of human values and status systems, and the crisis of decision.
The Songs of Ascent aren't peppy, shallow songs disconnected from reality; they are often determined, realistic, and occasionally dark. This week we discuss the choices we can make to rejoice, even in the dark places.
How does fasting loosen our bonds and redirect us to God and His purpose for our lives? We look at questions we can ask in moments of hunger and weakness to get the most out of this commanded day of afflicting our souls.
The ancient Songs of Ascent speak to timeless themes that resonate through the ages. They provide a beautiful preparation for your journey to the Feast of Tabernacles.
Lindsey admits she’s struggled in the past to connect with the Psalms–but her recent deep dive into the structure and purpose of the Psalms of Ascent has her nerding out over God’s design for these special songs of pilgrimage.
Our relationship with boundaries has a direct impact on our capacity to serve joyfully and faithfully rather than shutting people out or people pleasing until we burn out.
What if the things keeping us from serving effectively aren't necessarily bad things—but an inability to differentiate between good things and better things?
This week we discuss a key practice of Bible study—one of exegesis (getting understanding out of scripture) rather than eisegesis (inserting meaning into scripture).
Have you ever withheld service because the would-be recipient seems unworthy or unrepentant? We challenge mindsets that might contribute to this attitude, in light of Jesus’s example.
Our willingness is overlook offenses is a huge step in loving others (and serving them) well. Is it easy? Nope. Is it necessary? Absolutely.
When we develop eyes to see others as God sees them, we will look past their flaws to remember that they are children of God who are still worthy of our service, and that their weaknesses also come with inherent strengths.
Perfectionism is a barrier to joyful, sustained service. We’ll discuss the difference between perfectionism and pursuing excellence, three sinful attitudes that lead to perfectionism, and the spiritual antidotes for these attitudes.
How should we as Christians go about renewing our energy to serve others? Most types of modern self-care only address our physical and mental/emotional needs, but true renewal is only possible when we also attend to our spiritual rest.
Is the idea that “You can’t pour from an empty cup” supported scripturally? Does accepting this philosophy guard our energy and therefore our ability to serve, or is the choice between service and energy a fool’s choice?
As Christians, we are mandated to serve others. Not sure where to start? This week’s study is a “how to” on getting started coordinating service for your family and congregation and how to avoid common barriers and hangups.
This week’s study compells us to follow Jesus' example in the words He speaks about us, His younger brothers and sisters.
When we speak of taming the tongue, we often focus on how we shouldn’t be using our tongues, but this week we examine how we should be using words, shifting the conversation away from basic self-control into truly speaking words of life.
Matthew 5:16 tells us that we should let our lights shine so that others will see our good works and glorify God. What does that look like in practical terms?
There are many reasons to study the Bible, but they aren’t all equal. The biggest“why” that should underscore our study efforts isn’t a desire to understand ourselves better, but a desire to genuinely understand the mind of our Father.
Leading up to Pentecost, we consider how God’s Spirit produces growth in Christians. Can times of wasteland actually be an incubator for the spiritual wonder God is quietly moving us towards?
The early church would have thought of grafting as an agricultural concept, but this week’s study examines it through a medical lens and draws deeply meaningful spiritual insights from this metaphor.
How can we listen to God and become truly attuned with Him when our lives are so loud and distracting? This week we examine five ways to hear His voice better.
This week we examine three ways the Holy Spirit transformed people in the New Testament: a softening, a radical life change, and an amplification of one’s existing strengths to better align with God’s purpose.
In part two of our Unexpected Meanings series, we examine what biblical meditation actually looks like. (Spoiler alert: It’s very different than what the world thinks of when they hear this term!)
In part one of our Unexpected Meanings series, we examine the biblical concept of a “helper” to determine whether the societal connotations associated with this term are bibical, or if God intended a helper to be so much more.
Just as the Israelites were hesitant to leave slavery in Egypt, we can delay making positive life changes because we’re afraid to create a void. In this study we meditate on God’s promise to the Israelites that He would not send them out empty.
The natural human tendency is to avoid pain, and to shelter those we love from feeling it as well. This week we challenge that inclination, and instead embrace suffering as a necessary and profitable part of the Christian walk.
The Bible has a ton to say about how we speak. This week we'll focus on the things we should not do—specifically gossip and slander. We outline three types of behavior that can be incredibly damaging, and the Biblical antidote to them.