1 John 3:1 Summary: The GEMS theme this year invites us to consider how much room we have to grow in our understanding of God’s unconditional love for us. Together we’ll consider some of the lies we’re tempted to believe about God (e.g. He only loves me when I’m good)...

John 13:1-17 Summary: Washing the disciple’s feet was really a picture of Jesus’ entire ministry…humbling himself to the lowliest of places in order to wash away the sins of his people. And he famously tells us to follow his lead. The Spiritual Discipline of service is one of the most...

Mark 14: 32-42 Summary: What could possibly motivate a Father to say “No” to the pleading of his son on this occasion? The cup to which Jesus refers (v.36) is one the prophets spoke about–a cup filled with the righteous wrath of God at the sins of the nations. And...

1 Corinthians 15: 50-58 Summary: 1 Corinthians 15 is the great resurrection chapter of Paul’s writings in which he addresses the doubts and skepticism of some in Corinth who’d begun denying that “resurrection” included our physical bodies. Paul famously teaches that the bodily resurrection is a non-negotiable cornerstone of Christian...

Psalm 93 Summary: In one sentence, the theme of Psalm 93 is that Jesus Christ is the eternal King of the universe, and therefore we need not be afraid of anything. Psalm 93 uses the metaphor of raging floodwaters–a symbol of chaos and uncertainty and vulnerability and fear–to illustrate God’s...

Isaiah 40 Summary: Sometimes there’s great comfort in being small…like the child who snuggles into her mom’s lap, or the employee who gets to pass all the really difficult matters on to the boss. Much of Isaiah’s preaching wouldn’t really hit its mark until the people of Israel sat weeping...

Luke 5:1-11 Summary: You’d think a professional fisherman like Peter would be thrilled to have Jesus around after a catch like this; yet his reaction is exactly the opposite: “Go away from me, Lord.” What dawned on Peter in that moment is that he was in the presence of staggering...

Isaiah 6:1-8 Summary: Though Isaiah was likely a pretty righteous man in comparison to many of his fellow Israelites, when brought into the presence of God’s holiness, he becomes overwhelmed by the ugliness of his sin by comparison. Holy literally means “separate” or “apart” and is a description of God’s...

Mark 1:29-39 Summary: Jesus regularly modeled the spiritual discipline of withdrawing away from noise and busyness in order to be quiet and alone in the presence of God, regardless of how many other good things he could be doing instead. This is the discipline of solitude. There are things that...

Zechariah 8:1-3 Summary: The longest and arguably the most difficult of the minor prophets, Zechariah has numerous themes and images making it hard to summarize. Perhaps the most recurring theme is that of the coming Messiah. Chapter 8 is just a sampling of the book that pictures future hope for...