Most of us have heard the word “mission” and felt one of two things: a quiet guilt that we’re not doing enough of it, or a vague sense that it’s something other people do. The particularly bold, the cross-culturally gifted, the ones who pack up and move overseas. Either way, mission tends to feel like something outside our ordinary lives rather than something woven into the fabric of them. If that...  Read More

INTRODUCTION: The following is a guide to help facilitate discussion between you and the person you’re studying with or with your Connect Group. Feel free to add, subtract, or change questions to fit the conversation, and pray for the Spirit to lead in all things.OPEN:  Think of a time when you were absolutely certain something was true — and later discovered you were wrong. How did that realizati...  Read More

2 Kings 23:26–27 (NLT) "Even so, the Lord was very angry with Judah because of all the wicked things Manasseh had done… The Lord said, 'I will also banish Judah from my presence just as I have banished Israel.'"I’m hopeless when it comes to cars. A few years ago, I tried to replace a broken taillight. I watched the YouTube video, it looked straightforward enough, so I went out to the car feeling c...  Read More

2 Kings 23:25 (NLT) "Never before had there been a king like Josiah, who turned to the Lord with all his heart and soul and strength… and there has never been a king like him since."A friend told me about her grandmother, someone she didn't particularly like growing up. She seemed cold, a bit harsh, not the warm grandmother type. It was only later, as an adult, that she found out her grandmother h...  Read More

2 Kings 23:1–3 (NLT) "The king took his place of authority beside the pillar and renewed the covenant in the Lord’s presence… The king and all the people pledged themselves to this covenant."A member of my church told me once that the worst day of her life wasn't when she found out her son was an addict. It was the day she finally said no to him. He'd done well for a stretch, long enough that ever...  Read More

2 Kings 22:18–19 (NLT) "You were sorry and humbled yourself before the Lord when you heard what I said against this city… You tore your clothing in despair and wept before me in repentance. And I have indeed heard you, says the Lord."For years, Lance Armstrong, seven time Tour de France winner, didn't just deny the doping allegations, he went after people. Journalists, former teammates, anyone who...  Read More