John 20:1-9 Lead in #1: John 20 tells us of the Easter story. The Jesus crucified has been raised to new life. How do we make the Easter story our story? Reflect on your lived experience. There are the setbacks and the comebacks, the times you’ve been brought low, and...

Matthew 26:14-27:66 Lead in #1: At the Last Supper as Jesus sat at table with his disciples, it would be the last time that they were all together before his death. It was that very night that one of his disciples, Judas, would betray Jesus. Prompt #1: Reflect on and...

John 11:1-45 Lead in #1: Lazarus was a dear friend of Jesus. So when he heard that Lazarus was gravely ill, it seems odd that Jesus would put off going to see Lazarus for two days. Why would he do that? The answer may be found in John 1:4 when Jesus says, “This...

John 9:1-41 Lead in #1: “Jesus spat on the ground and made a clay with the saliva.” Improvising on the fly, Jesus responded to a need and the blind was able to see. Every day we are faced with situations where there is no textbook manual to tell us what to do. So,...

Lead in: In Matthew, the summits of mountains are places of spiritual encounter. Jesus encountered the devil in the mountains of the desert (Mt. 4). Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount on a high hill (Mt. 5). Now in Mt. 17, on Mount Tabor Jesus is transfigured in the...

Lead in: It’s interesting to recall that God showed His power by the flood for forty days and forty nights and afterward a new people rose up. Christ also manifested his power in the desert and defeated the devil so a new people would rise up victorious in Christ. The...

Lead in: In Matthew 5, Jesus makes demands that seem radical. What Jesus sometimes says is not always meant to comfort us but to lead us to greater conversion in Christ.Prompt: Where is it in your life that the Spirit is leading you to greater conversion? Lead in: “If...

Lead in: How do we make God real? In Matthew 5:13-16, Jesus tells us. Be salt seasoning that brings out the flavors of God’s goodness in the world.Prompt: Name three people who have made God real to you by being a seasoning of goodness that has helped you taste the...

Lead in: In the Beatitudes, Jesus turns conventional wisdom on its head. While the world clamors for power, prestige and status, Jesus tells us that true freedom comes when we humbly let go of our need for anything that elevates us to higher status in the eyes of the...

Lead in: That sunny day so long ago as Jesus walked along the beach of the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers (Peter and Andrew) casting their nets into the sea. Jesus then cast a net of His own. He called out to them, “Follow Me!” In that moment it was as if they...