We wrap up our study of the days of Passion Week with the culmination on Easter Sunday (and beyond). We'll take a look at several of the appearances Jesus made on that day and the days following; as each reveals something to us about the heart of God.

You may have never thought about it, or heard a lesson on it, but what Jesus was about on the Saturday was of eternal significance. What happened in that time between "It is finishied" and "He is risen!"? We'll examine it in today's lesson.

The Friday of Passion Week is known now as "Good Friday", but that day had it's roots all the way back to the time of Moses. We take a look at some of the meaning and symbolism wrapped up in "Good Friday" in this lesson.

Maundy Thursday as it is known, was an eventful day in Passion Week. We'll focus in on the intimate dinner conversation Jesus had with His disciples on the night He was betrayed and arrested.

The Tuesday of Passion Week was filled with important teachings and parables from Jesus...perhaps the most prolific recorded day of his ministry years. We'll dive into what He said and what it means to us today in this session.

We continue our Easter season series in which we're studying each day of Passion Week. This session looks at the events of the Monday following Palm Sunday.

We begin our Easter season series where we'll study each day of Passion Week and the events of that day. Today's lesson begins with the Sunday prior to Easter Sunday, known as Palm Sunday.

We wrap up our study of Psalm 23 with the final verse, and also cover what it means to "pray Scripture" by praying through this beloved Psalm.

Why would the Good Shepherd set a table for us "in the presence of my enemies"? We'll take a look at what this means in this week's lesson.

This study looks at Psalm 23:4 and what it means to "walk through the valley of the shadow of death".

Join us as we examine Psalm 23:3 and what it means for our Good Shepherd to restore our souls, and lead us in pathes of righteousness.

Check it out! NEW LOGO!! Go Chuck Go!!

In today's session we dive into Psalm 23:2 and what it means to lie down in green pastures and be led beside still waters.

Join us as we launch a new series for the New Year based on the beloved passage, Psalm 23.

David, who was a shepherd as a young man, penned this incredible section of the Psalms that has inspired and blessed so many across the generations.

In this special Christmas Eve Life Group, our Minister of Small Groups & Discipleship Jordan Cramer, is joined by this wife Lori; and they share their personal testimonies as well as some key verses that have shaped (and continue to shape) their lives and spiritual growth.

The final installment in our Christmas series wraps up with a focus on "Love". Christmas is the ultimate expression of love from God to mankind, and guest leader Seth Buckley examines this in our concluding session.

Our third installment in the Christmas series covers the topic of "Joy" in the Christmas story. The Wise Men rejoiced with exceedingly great joy...and the birth, life and resurrection of Christ invites us to do the same today.

We continue our Christmas series with a focus in this session on "Peace". Jesus came as the Prince of Peace, and to make peace between those of us who were "far off" due to our sin.

We begin a four-part Advent series with this first lesson based around the theme of "hope". In our world today, many suffer from a lack of hope; but 2,000 years ago, God spoke His ultimate statement of hope into the world with the arrival of our Savior.

This special lesson time features guest speaker, Messianic Jewish Rabbi Andy Myerson. Rabbi Andy shares what it will take for peace to ever come to the Middle East, and what Christians can do every day to help bring it to fruition.

This final lesson in this series looks at the "rest of the story"; the attitude and perspectives of the "older brother", and what it means if we adopt his attitudes in our faith walk.

In this third lesson in this series, we look at this important parable of the Prodigal from the perspecitive of the father figure...and what he reveals to us about the heart of our Heavenly Father for those who wander.

In this lesson, we take a deeper look at this famous parable from the perspective of the “prodigal”, the wayward younger son who left home and moved far away from the Father.  God’s Word speaks to us all in this story and the young man’s struggles.

We launch a new series based on one of the most famous parables that Jesus told, the Parable of the Prodigal Son.  We are ALL represented by one (or more) figures in this incredible story, even God our Heavenly Father.  Join us as we begin a deep dive into Luke 15 with this first lesson

In this final session in our “one another” series, we take a look at what may be the hardest of all the “one another” admonitions of Scripture…forgiving one another.  What forgiveness is, and what it’s not, and our model for how to extend it.

We continue our “one another” series with two more admonishments to “love one another” and “restore one another”.  We’ll take a look at what the Bible has to say about both of these imperatives for believers, and how we can put them into action.

There are two distinct, but interrelated “one another” commands in Scripture that have to do with our responsibilities to each other in the family of God.  Do you have people in your life that will provide loving accountability to you and your actions and walk with the Lord?  Are you such a person for others?  We’ll examine the instructions to “spur one another to love and good deeds” and also to “admonish one another” in this session.

Everyone craves acceptance, and if we don’t find it in right, godly relationships and places; we’ll find it somewhere else.  Jesus was a master at accepting people…for change.  Today we look at why we are called to replicate His ministry in our day as we follow Paul’s instruction from Romans 15:7 to “Accept one another…”.

Landon Powell, Head Baseball Coach of the North Greenville University Crusaders, shares his personal testimony of how God brought him through much adversity in both his pro career (with the Oakland Atheletics) and his personal life (with his family).  You will be blessed and challenged as you listen.

One of the key commands of the New Testament to believers is that we “encourage one another”.  In this session, the 2^nd in our series on the “one another” commands of Scripture, we look at what it means to be an encourager, and what it means to be encouraged.

We begin a new series together in which we’ll be looking at various “one another” statements from the New Testament.  We start today with Paul’s admonishment to “Bear one another’s burdens and thus fulfill the law of Christ” (Gal. 6:2).

Our last week in the You Asked For It series

One of our most requested topics for this summer, and we look at this question and the ramifications for believers (whether these are the last days or not).

Ever find yourself asking, “what’s going on in our country”?  And perhaps the bigger question, as a Christian, how should I get involved and/or respond.  Special guest Chad Connelly (President of Faith Wins organization) addresses these and other questions in this special Life Group session.

Again, several members of our Life Group submitted requests for a lesson on hearing the voice of God.  We’ll cover does He still speak today, and if so, how does He speak; and most importantly, how we can tune in and hear what He has to say to us.

Feeling like everyone has lost their moral and logical compass, other than you?  Wondering if things can get any worse in our culture?  We’ll take a look at where the “moral madness” of our day stems from, the effects of it, and how a Christian should respond to it in this session.

Every one of us has (at one time or another) been a “prodigal”…and many of us have prodigals in our immediate circle of those we know and love today.  We’ll take a look at what Jesus had to say about prodigals, and how to love them, pray for them, and hopefully welcome them home.

A lot of folks requested a lesson on overcoming bad habits, long-term hang-ups and even addictions.  We recruited Shawn Parker from our Life Group, who runs FBC’s Celebrate Recovery ministry each week, and he addresses this topic for us today, along with several personal testimonies!

As a follow-up to our first session, we take a deeper look at the principles of biblical stewardship by studying the three levels of giving described in Scripture.

We begin our summer series with a topic that was one of our most requested ones (believe it or not!).  We’ll take a look at what both the Old and New Testaments have to say to us today about a subject near and dear to all of us!

Ruthi Neely along with several other moms from our Life Group share testimonies and encouragement for all moms and women of influence on this special Mother's Day Sunday.

We conclude our series on spiritual warfare with a final lesson that looks at where our spiritual battles come from, and four things the believer can do to “win the battle”.

In this second installment of this series, we take an indepth look at the “spiritual armor” that we’re to equip ourselves with every day for battle.  Each of the pieces are vital and all for a gift from God to the believer.  Don’t neglect to “get dressed spiritually” every day, and whatever you do, don’t fight “naked”.

We begin a new lesson series on spiritual warfare with this introductory session that covers who our enemy is, how he works, and the resources we have as believers to do battle with him.

Special guest speakers Jacob & Seth Buckley share how the biblical principle of hope changes people’s lives; and specifically how many lives are being changed by the hope they share with 5^th-12^th grade boys through their Fire Pit Ranch ministry.

We conclude our Easter season series with the last two of Christ’s seven sayings from the Cross, and how they speak both hope and triumph into our lives, even on our “bad days”.

This session covers two more of the 7 “sayings” from the Cross by Jesus; one dealing with how to handle it when we feel abandoned in our questions; the other with the power of acknowledging our need.

In this week’s session, we cover the next two “sayings from the Cross” of our Lord; both dealing with how when we care for others who are having a “bad day”; it helps us deal with our own struggles.

We begin a new 4-week series today, leading into Easter Sunday, focused on the “seven sayings” of Jesus from the Cross.  These not only demonstrate His mission and heart for us; but also serve as encouragement for us on how to survive bad days, broken relationships, and unfair circumstances.

Seeds of Revival & Awakening (Seth Buckley)

Our dear friend (and former Youth Pastor of our church) returns to our Life Group to give us an update on his personal experiences at the Asbury College “awakening”, and what it means to the Church in our day.

What’s In a Name? (Guest Speaker: Joel Sellers)

A look at just a few of the many “name changes” that took place in Scripture, and what they mean to us today.  This lesson is taught by Rev. Joel Sellers, a retired pastor who is a member of our Life Group.

We conclude our Winter study series with this eighth installment featuring our special guest speaker, Dr. Alex McFarland.  Alex is a nationally recognized apologetics and biblical worldview statesman, author and radio commentator.  In this final lesson, he addresses six things that cannot stand against the truth of God’s Word.  A brief Q&A session follows the teaching time as well.

In this session, we look at the relevance of God’s Word to our culture, our government, our educational systems, and our values of today.  Because “This Book Is Alive!”, it speaks across the generations to all of these areas and more.

This Book Is Alive #6:  The Weapon of the Word of God

God’s Word is not only breath to the believer, and offers encouragement and hope to the Christian; it is also a powerful weapon for both our defense against spiritual attack, as well as our weapon it mounting an offensive against the Enemy.  In this lesson, we take a look at the “Sword of the Spirit” which is the Word of God.

This Book Is Alive #5a:  The Life-Changing Power of God’s Word

This is a repost of 2/5/23's lesson. The first attempt used the file from1/29/23

Powerful, supernatural, even miraculous things happen when we don’t just “read” God’s Word, but we spend time in it…reviewing it, reflecting on it and ultimately revealing it through our lives.

This Book Is Alive #5:  The Life-Changing Power of God’s Word

Powerful, supernatural, even miraculous things happen when we don’t just “read” God’s Word, but we spend time in it…reviewing it, reflecting on it and ultimately revealing it through our lives.

We’ll look at several more ways through which we can know that the Bible is both accurate and reliable for our every need, and across the centuries to our lives today.

Join us as we examine how the Bible is put together, and the first three (of seven) “tests” that validate the accuracy, reliability and eternal nature of God’s Word.

Our focus passage for this study is 2 Timothy 3:16.  We’ll look at what it means that the Bible is “God-breathed” with a review of what the “breath of God” does in our lives.

THIS BOOK IS ALIVE #1: LOVE IT, LEARN IT, LIVE IT:

The first installment in our Winter lesson series entitled “This Book Is Alive!”.  We’re taking a deep look at the power and authority of the Word of God in our lives as believers and why it should have pre-eminence.

We kick off the New Year (literally on New Year’s Sunday!) with a challenge for 2023 to get you moving forward with the Lord in the coming year.

The CIRCLE MAKER Session #10: Connecting & Dis-Connecting In Prayer

Ever wondered why you aren’t receiving a “breakthrough” in some area of your prayer life?  Or just feel that your prayers are lacking something?  You may need to both improve your connection in the right way and also disconnect from the world at the same time.  Jesus shares the solution to accomplishing both through prayer and fasting in this lesson.

The CIRCLE MAKER Session #10: Connecting & Dis-Connecting In Prayer

Ever wondered why you aren’t receiving a “breakthrough” in some area of your prayer life?  Or just feel that your prayers are lacking something?  You may need to both improve your connection in the right way and also disconnect from the world at the same time.  Jesus shares the solution to accomplishing both through prayer and fasting in this lesson.

The CIRCLE MAKER Session #9: Be Careful What You Pray For

Sometimes, the most gracious answer God can give to our prayers (even well-meaning ones) is to NOT answer them!  We’ll examine the importance of praying circles around things that are God’s will, not just ours.

The CIRCLE MAKER Session #8: What Does It Mean To Pray “In Jesus’ Name”?

It’s not some “magic” phraseology that mysteriously works in our prayer life, but it is the true “secret” to praying for results; but it is important that we understand what Jesus meant when He gave us the authorization to use His Name with the Father in our requests.

The CIRCLE MAKER Session #7: Why Doesn’t God Answer My Prayer?

There may be no question that frustrates and even angers God’s children more than when Heaven seems silent to our prayers we pray.  We’ll look at six reasons why it sometimes seems that our prayers go unanswered by God.

The CIRCLE MAKER Session #6: Praying Circles Around Your Family

There is perhaps no more important area to draw your “prayer circles” around than the area of your family.  We apply a prayer of the Apostle Paul to draw six things we should pray for our family (all generations).

The CIRCLE MAKER Session #5: The Power of Praying Through

Have you ever found yourself “waiting” on God for an answer to your most earnest prayers?  We’ll look at five reasons why God sometimes (oftentimes!) delays His answer to us.

The CIRCLE MAKER Session #4: Praying Long & Hard

Most of us are not very effective at praying for anything persistently over a period of time (praying long) or even making great and bold petitions (praying hard).  Jesus offers some encouragement as He teaches us (His disciples) how we should pray…

 

The CIRCLE MAKER Session #3: Don’t Stop at Six

The conquest of the heavily fortified stronghold of Jericho by Joshua & the children of Israel gives us a powerful illustration of how we are to “pray circles” around strongholds, challenges and dreams in our lives.

The CIRCLE MAKER Session #2: When God Shows UP & Shows OFF

We examine how God prepared Israel to “draw prayer circles” around the city of Jericho in preparation for their overwhelming victory as they began their conquest of the Promised Land.

The CIRCLE MAKER Session #1: Prayer Principles

We launch our new Fall series (based on the best-selling book by Mark Batterson) that looks at how to breathe fresh energy into our prayer life and make us (and it!) more effective.

The Power of Perseverance

Father/son ministry team Seth & Jacob Buckley share a powerful presentation on the urgent need for the men (and women) of God’s Church to step up and help in the development and discipleship of young men, even and especially at elementary school ages.  You eyes will be opened to many principles and truths, all that challenge us to step up and assist in these areas with young people in our sphere of influence.

ONE AT A TIME-Session 11      Breakfast In Galilee

Everyone is familiar with the “Last Supper”; but have you ever looked at the “Last Breakfast”?  Jesus did something incredibly important for one of his disciples (and ALL of US!) that morning.

ONE AT A TIME-Session 10      Empty the Jar

What is it that elicits an extreme response from us to the love and forgiveness of Jesus?  It is when we find ourselves at a place of brokenness over our sin.  In this session, we examine just such an experience in one of the one at a time encounters Jesus had with a woman in His day.

ONE AT A TIME-Session 9      Desperado(s)

It’s when we get “desperate” for God that He shows up strongest in our lives; just ask two very desperate people who met Jesus one-on-one in the same day.

Nothing is too difficult for Jesus…from commanding a paralyzed man to walk, all the way up to making a person lost in their sin…forgiven! 

ONE AT A TIME-Session 7      One Thing Lacking

One day Jesus was approached by a “man who had everything”…but he found that he was lacking the one thing most crucial.  The real question for each of us is…what is the “one thing” for us? 

ONE AT A TIME-Session 6      Marriage On the Rocks

Jesus meets a woman who has made a lot of bad choices, and is now facing the consequences of those choices.  As only He can, He delivers her from the penalty and judgment to a fresh start.

ONE AT A TIME-Session 5      Jerusalem Pool Party

When Jesus encounters a man who has been crippled for almost 4 decades, he seems to ask an unnecessary and possibly even hurtful question; but Jesus never asks anything unnecessary or hurtful. 

ONE AT A TIME-Session 4  A Sinful Dinner Party

We continue our study in the one-on-one encounters Jesus had with people as recorded in the Gospels.  This week’s study looks at how such an encounter literally changed the entire direction of a man’s life, and in turn, affected the lives of all those around him.

 

FATHER’S DAY LESSON

Today is Father’s Day, and while we had planned for a father/son team to lead our class today; both are sick this morning.  So Chuck pinch-hits (at the last minute) with a look at the Five C’s of Fatherhood that really apply to us all.

ONE AT A TIME-Session 2  The Most Important Conversation In the History of the World

We continue our study in the one-on-one encounters Jesus had with people as recorded in the Gospels.  This week, we look at a conversation Jesus had one night with a deeply religious man and what it means for us today.

We begin our summer series today as we introduce the concept of the 'one at a time' life and ministry of Jesus.

Shaken, Not Forsaken #10: Two Last Tests

Joseph’s story ends with two final “tests”, which may well have been the hardest ones he faced.

Shaken, Not Forsaken #9: Keep Your Appointments

The “prison life” of Joseph gives us a great illustration of God’s chain of development as reflected in Romans 5; see how trials and tribulations can ultimately lead us to hope.

Shaken, Not Forsaken #8: How To Handle a Temptation

Joseph gives us six steps on how to handle it when you’re tempted.  These are not “easy steps”; but they provide us a guide on what to do when temptation comes our way.

Joseph’s life was not only marked by his dreams; but also by numerous starts and stops, setbacks and comebacks.  In this session we look at what “the pit stop” (at the hands of his brothers) taught him.

Shaken, Not Forsaken #6: Livin’ the Dream?

We begin the second half of our series by turning our focus to lessons we can learn from the life of Joseph, the 11^th son of Jacob; starting with the importance of a dream…

Seth Buckley joins us with a special message for Easter from the Book of John.

We wrap up the first part of our Spring series, with a look at when Jacob journey’s back to Bethel, and the final years of his life.  There are rich lessons for us there from God’s Word!

Jacob always walked with a limp after his encounter with God at Peniel; and you may have a limp or a scar that you carry the rest of your life as well.  With God, brokenness always proceeds breakthrough!

Anne Graham Lotz calls the events recorded in Genesis 32, the “most significant encounter with God recorded in Scripture”.  We begin our look at the night Jacob wrestled with God in this week’s session

It reads like a Hallmark movie (only far more interesting!)…Jacob gets caught in a love triangle and web of deception; but it offers great lessons for each of us today.

This is the initial study in a new series that looks at the life of two key figures from the Old Testament.We'll examine how Jacob and his son Joseph were both shaken by their circumstances and choices many times in their lives , but they were never forsaken!

We conclude this series with a final session on how to put down your baggage…and never pick it up again! 

 

Many people struggle with a specific stronghold, often referred to as an “addiction”.  Something they have tried repeatedly, without success to try to put down and walk away from.  In today’s lesson, we deal with this type of baggage, and four ways to “check this baggage” once and for all. 

Do you find yourself plagued by fear, worry and anxiety?  It’s time to “check that baggage” and discover God’s remedy for our fears and worry. 

 

Many people, even Christians, often carry much baggage of guilt, shame and condemnation from their past. God has given us a new identity in Him and has given us great spiritual weapons with which to fight the stronghold of an unresolved past

Check Your Baggage #2: The Baggage of Unhealthy Relationships

We pick up with our second session in this series as we look at the effects “relational baggage” can have on both our horizontal relationships with others, and our vertical relationship with God.