The Banner
11/22/2024
Your Questions about Christmas
Did the Christmas story really happen? Wasn’t Christmas originally a pagan holiday? Why do some churches celebrate Advent? Dig into Scripture with us to answer commonly asked questions about Christmas and Advent.
play_arrow
Play
11/15/2024
The Day of the Lord
Have you ever wondered what will happen when Jesus Christ returns? Whether you call it the Day of the Lord, Judgment Day, or the Second Coming, all these titles refer to the time and events of Christ’s return to earth. The early Christians waited expectantly for Christ’s second coming, but when he d
play_arrow
Play
11/08/2024
Be On Guard: False Teaching and Its Consequences
We will always experience pressure to compromise our faith in Jesus Christ. The apostle Peter urged the early Christians to remain vigilant against deceptive influences and trust that God would ultimately hold false teachers accountable for their deceit. In our world today, we continue to deal with
play_arrow
Play
11/01/2024
Growing in Our Salvation and Recognizing Truth
Do you ever feel like God asks the impossible of us? The apostle Peter reminds us that we need to rely on God’s divine power to live godly lives.
play_arrow
Play
10/25/2024
How to Live as Christians
In closing his first letter to the early Christians, Peter offers some final advice that remains valuable for us today. Peter urged his readers to remain vigilant in their faith and act with love and humility. Speaking to their anxiety, he assured them that God indeed cared and that he would ultimat
play_arrow
Play
10/18/2024
Encouragement When We Suffer for Being Christians
Have you ever been tempted to hide your faith for fear of judgment or ridicule? By studying the words of the apostle Peter, we’ll find courage in the grace of Jesus Christ to remain faithful to the gospel in the face of injustice and suffering. In his letter to the early Christians, Peter reminds us
play_arrow
Play
10/11/2024
What it Means to be God's Chosen People
As humans, we long for significance and the sense that our lives have value. This is especially acute when we’re experiencing suffering. When we’re through challenging times, we may find ourselves wondering: “Does my life matter? Am I making a difference?” But the apostle Peter confidently proclaims
play_arrow
Play
10/04/2024
Live a Holy Life Set Apart for God
Learn what it means to live a holy life, set apart by God for his purposes, and how dwelling in God’s Word provides the spiritual sustenance needed for an active faith that flows naturally from us in all circumstances.
play_arrow
Play
09/27/2024
Praise God for Our Living Hope
Discover the incredible value of our faith as Peter opens his letter by praising God for the living hope and inheritance we receive as a direct result of our faith in Jesus Christ.
play_arrow
Play
09/20/2024
Dry Bones and God's Promises of Restoration
Have you ever felt so hopeless that the idea of experiencing or attaining anything remotely good seemed impossible and out of reach? It’s during similar moments of hopelessness in the book of Ezekiel that God interrupts his messages of judgment with powerful images of restoration. In Ezekiel, God fa
play_arrow
Play
09/13/2024
Understanding God's Judgment
Judgment and consequences can feel unfair. They can even feel mean, especially when we don’t understand why they’re occurring. The prophet Ezekiel received many messages of judgment for Israel—so many that, at times, when reading the book of Ezekiel it can feel like God’s judgment is relentless. But
play_arrow
Play
09/06/2024
God's Presence with His People
God delights in dwelling among his people, but in a vision, God shows Ezekiel one of the most painful consequences of Israel’s unholy ways: God’s glory must depart from Israel’s midst. Studying this vision gives us the opportunity to reflect on the relationship between our behavior and God’s reputat
play_arrow
Play
08/30/2024
Dramatic Messages from God
One defining characteristic of Ezekiel’s prophetic ministry is the visual nature of the messages he received from God. In the book of Ezekiel, God repeatedly gives his prophet both a verbal message and instructions on how to also convey that message visually. God goes to these lengths because he wan
play_arrow
Play
08/23/2024
Called to be God's Prophet
It can be hard, even shocking to follow God’s call on our lives.  Join Groundwork as we study the story of Ezekiel’s call to ministry as a prophet of God. We’ll see Ezekiel wrestle with his calling and listen as God warns of the difficulty Ezekiel will face speaking truth to an audience of people th
play_arrow
Play
08/16/2024
God Makes All Things New
Join us as we study biblical passages that describe a future where God’s presence eradicates suffering and evil, and brings justice and eternal joy.
play_arrow
Play
08/09/2024
God Redeems
Join us as we trace God’s story of redemption from Genesis through the Old Testament to the ultimate sacrifice of our Savior Jesus Christ.
play_arrow
Play
08/02/2024
Humanity Falls
Just after the story of creation, the Bible tells us the story of humanity’s fall. The immediate result of Adam and Eve’s disobedience in the Garden of Eden was alienation from God and relational discord. It released sin and brokenness into the world with all the strife, suffering, and decay we see
play_arrow
Play
07/26/2024
God Creates
Join us as we study the creation theme and discuss what it reveals to us about God’s character, love, and intentions.
play_arrow
Play
07/19/2024
The Trinity in Worship, Prayer, and Daily Life
The Christian belief in the Holy Trinity significantly influences our worship, prayer, and daily living. As we reflect on the Lord’s Prayer Jesus taught his disciples, the Great Commission he gave them before he ascended to heaven, and other apostolic teachings in the New Testament, we can see how t
play_arrow
Play
07/12/2024
The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
Within the triune nature of God, each person of the Trinity is distinct from the others. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit each have important traits, attributes, and roles. Three persons, united as One. As followers of Jesus Christ, we must accept the Trinity as a mystery. Yet, we can study Scriptur
play_arrow
Play
07/05/2024
The Triune God of the Bible
Christians believe there is only one God. Since its beginning, the Christian faith has always been monotheistic. But after Christ’s death, resurrection, and ascension, early Christian teachers recognized the divinity of Jesus and the work of the Holy Spirit and formulated the doctrine of the Trinity
play_arrow
Play
06/28/2024
Adopt the Mindset of Christ
As Christians, many of us long to make the world a better place. When we want to effect real change in the world, we may be tempted to seek the power or position to make it happen. Whether or not we serve in the public sector, turning to Scripture to weigh our motivations and guide our methods will
play_arrow
Play
06/21/2024
Christian Engagement in Societal Issues
Should Christians engage in politics? What about issues of social justice? Together, let’s delve into the complexities of Christian engagement in societal issues. We’ll examine Scripture to uncover practical wisdom that empowers us to stand for righteousness while navigating the intricacies of gover
play_arrow
Play
06/14/2024
Christian Civility Defending Our Faith without Being Defensive
Even when our faith is challenged, the Bible urges Christians to respond differently than the world would expect. Join us as we seek biblical wisdom for navigating a divisive culture in faithful and Christlike ways.
play_arrow
Play