The valley of the reassembled

 

One of the strangest images in the Bible is decaying bones reassembling into living soldiers in Ezekiel 37. The image might remind us of the day of Pentecost (Acts 2), when God united believers from various backgrounds by His Spirit. Like the bones reassembling, the Church assembled from what once was a single group (Gen 11). Also like the bones, we find that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

We want more

 While the book of Luke gives a lot of information about Jesus and His teachings, it also leaves us wondering what wasn't recorded. It might be tempting to over-examine the Bible looking for what's not there, instead of immersing ourselves in the stories that point to Jesus, His ministry and His mission. Can you see how Jesus is featured in every scripture? Luke 24:25-27

What is Jesus doing HERE?

 When Jesus entered an 'unclean' place, he encountered a man besieged by a legion of demons (Luke 8). These spirits controlled him and they could not be constrained, but Christ was able to name the man's afflictions and channel them out of his life. Can you think of a surprising place you have met Jesus? Can you name the underlying afflictions you carry and can you give yourself permission to let them go?

BigGuy Hank and the heart

 The single virtue of love, specifically, our love for others, defines our relationship with God (1 John 4). Our love of others not only demonstrates our true relationship with God but also alleviates our fears and insecurities. What if our love for others was so sacrificial it kept us from accusing and vilifying each other? How could you demonstrate your redemption by loving those around you?

Laying down your life...one cookie at a time

 1 John 3:16 defines love in the strongest terms possible. The verse tells us that God loved us enough to die for us, and we should do the same for each other. We might do well to consider how we do this in our everyday lives. As we give our time and treasure to others, are we slowly, bit by bit laying down our lives for others or are we hording our rights and privileges for our own?  

Where do you go when you are disoriented

 Psalm 4 reminds us that times of confusion or disorientation are likely to take us to places of fear and closing off. Can you think of times that you closed yourself off from God and others out of fear for what might happen next?

Be Afraid, be very afraid

 Many Christians deem certain actions or beliefs as necessary and then use fear to scare others into obeying those actions. When Christ appears to His disciples, He tells them NOT to be afraid (John 20:19-31). He even reassures the group by offering to let them touch His wounds. How do you dispel fear from those you encounter? Do you show them a God who reassures them?