“And He was also telling them a parable: “No one tears a piece of cloth from a new garment and puts it on an old garment; otherwise he will both tear the new, and the piece from the new will not match the old. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins, spilled out, and the skins will be ruined. But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins. And no on...  Read More

Ezekiel 36:26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.A new heart has been promised to us, which is a new wineskin. My wife and I have had issues with our hearts, but hers was much more pronounced than mine. S...  Read More

It is in our very nature to try and put this new wine into our old wineskins. Why? It is because of our fallen, broken nature that we seek out more without making sacrifices. My wife and I bought my mother's house a few years ago. The only issue was that my mom decided to move and not take her things. The good news is that we love much of her stuff. The bad news is that we had quite a bit of stuff...  Read More

INTRODUCTIONThe following is a guide to help facilitate discussion. Feel free to add, subtract, or change questions to fit the conversation, and pray for the Spirit to lead in all things.OPENIf you make New Year’s resolutions, share one with the group, along with how the group can encourage you.  If you don’t make them, share what you’re hoping for in 2024.HEADRead Luke 5: 36-39 and Colossians 3:1...  Read More

Please read Colossians 3 today. I won’t do it for you, as it is a bit long. But take some time to read it, as it pertains to what we have discussed this week. Well, I will give you just a peek: Colossians 3:3 : “For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.”Jesus is a master storyteller. So, it is no surprise that the analogy gives us profound and agitating truths about life. The a...  Read More

The Greek words for “new” and “old” don’t merely denote age but “nature” or “essence.” Old wineskins are already stretched, thin, rigid, cracked, and brittle. New wineskins, by nature, are elastic, full of oils, supple, thick, and can be sewn and shaped. "And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins, spill it, and destroy it. But new wine must be put i...  Read More