As a church, most of our teaching is expository, meaning we go through a text in the Bible, normally a whole book, and examine it chapter by chapter and verse by verse. The lessons below are different. For these, we start with a topic and look throughout the Bible to see what God has revealed to us through His Scriptures about it. In addition to these topical lessons, we have also tagged the key topics that are discussed in our expository lessons. To find lessons (either topical or expository) that address a specific topic, click here.
Image credit: 1 Chronicles 4:39 © Annie Vallotton
Most Christians are quite familiar with the story of the star of Bethlehem, the visit of the magi, the three gifts, and the treachery of King Herod. In this lesson we seek to go deeper by asking probing questions, listening to insights from early Christian writer Origen, and considering little-known connections between this story and
Many of us come from very different church backgrounds with various views as to how we ought to engage with Christmas. Bring Christ back into Christmas? Reject Christmas as a pagan holiday? For some, this can be a confusing and troubling season! This lesson helps us sort out how to think about Christmas. It also
What is the most important thing for a Christian? Many of us place great importance on various teachings of Christ in our day-to-day lives. Yet, what did Jesus say was the most important thing? This lesson can help us consider this important question, remaining humble and focused on what the Lord would have us focus
The Two Most Imortant Things in the Christian Life View Lesson
The Two Most Imortant Things in the Christian Life View Lesson
Our congregation is currently wrestling with what the Scriptures teach about the Lord's Supper, including the emphasis and priority we should give to it. We are recognizing we have fallen short of what we see in Scripture. This lesson examines Jesus' and New Testament teachings, the foreshadowing of the Eucharist in the Old Testament, how
In Genesis 1 we learn that God created man in His image. Over the centuries, Christians have wrestled with what this means and the implications for our lives. This lesson explores how we are made in God's image and what is our role in conforming to the image. Teaching Notes The Image of God -
Why did the early church pray so much? How were their prayers so effective? Could it be that they simply prayed as Jesus taught and showed them? May we experience this type of prayer! This lesson is built on a short devotional taught by Chuck Pike in 2020, adapted from Tertullian's work "On Prayer". Teaching
This is an unusually challenging message that could disrupt your spiritual life! In it, we make the case for memorizing extended passages of Scripture, then meditating on that day and night. While this is hard work, it will produce wonderful blessings for those who persevere. We begin by reviewing Bible passages that encourage this, then
I Have Hidden Your Word in My Heart: Memorizing Scripture! View Lesson
I Have Hidden Your Word in My Heart: Memorizing Scripture! View Lesson
One of the great challenges to Biblical unity is unresolved conflict between Christians. Fortunately, in Matthew 18, Jesus not only gives us a process to revolve conflict with one another, but also the heart we are to bring to conflict resolution. In this second of a two-part series on unity, we cover Jesus' simple, challenging,
Before going to His death, Jesus prays for the unity of His followers. He promises that by this unity the love and glory of God will be revealed, and the world would believe that God sent Him. In this first of a two-part lesson, we examine why this unity is so difficult and how to
Most of us are familiar with Luke's account of the birth of Christ. However, this message adds insights from early Christian writers and little-known prophecies that can encourage our faith, add greater significance to certain details of this story, and equip us to rebut critics of the account of the virgin birth in Bethlehem. Also, we address