L O A D I N G

Genesis Guide

This reading guide was created in the Spring of 2023 for our preaching series, Beginnings, in chapters 1-11 of Genesis.

These chapters not only introduce the Bible, they’re foundational to our understanding of God, ourselves, and the world as we know it. They reveal the goodness of God’s design and decrees, the glory and sin of humanity, and the only hope for a fallen world. They also establish bedrock principles for how we should understand things like work, rest, community, marriage, temptation, ambition, and so much more. Most importantly, these eleven chapters set the stage for the story of the whole world: Creation, Fall, Redemption, and Recreation.

It’s ultimately a story of grace. The God who graciously created all things also graciously provides a way of redemption for all things.  


We have divided these chapters into seven weeks, which represent different sections/movements of the narrative story. For each week, we have given you four days (or touch points) of guided content. The first day is geared towards helping you read and make observations of the text. The next three days are about helping you study and reflect on the passage in a personal way. Go through things at your own pace—the purpose is to think deeply about the scriptures and to take them in.  

We look forward to going back to the beginning of the story with you. This section of scripture will give us greater assurance about our origins, greater confidence in our purpose, greater clarity about the direction of history, and greater hope in Christ (the true Hero of the story). We pray that this guide helps you meditate on the Word of God this summer and that the story of Genesis would be read/seen in a fresh way.

Ecclesiastes Guide

This reading guide was created in the summer of 2021 for our preaching series in the book of Ecclesiastes (Finding God in a Fallen World). The main part of the book presents to us the teaching of a wise sage. He has seen and done it all (really), and now he is here to share what he has learned. But he doesn’t spoon feed us. Like a philosophy professor, he asks questions and creates tension. His words are like goads, provoking and prodding us.

He wants us to ask the question: How do we find God in this puzzling world?

The answer is refreshingly simple, but getting there is a difficult journey. Along the way we will have to confront our false hopes and limitations. We will have to let go of our desire for control. Then, from that place of humility and trust, we will learn afresh how to enjoy our lives with God. 

The purpose of this resource is to help us read patiently and reflectively, because that is the only way to receive the wisdom offered in this book. 

This guide offers a simple plan for reading, studying, and reflecting on the scriptures. Each week there will be three touch points that focus on the passage related to the sermon from the previous Sunday. Here’s the flow for each week:  

  • Day 1: Read the chapter(s) and take note of key words. You could probably read more than once.
  • Day 2: Read the chapter(s) and answer a few questions designed to help you dig deeper into the text.
  • Day 3: Read the chapter and answer a few questions designed to help you reflect and apply what you are learning.

We pray that this guide would help you meditate on God’s word and learn to enjoy him right where you are.

Galatians Devotionals

Paul’s letter to the churches in Galatia is an urgent plea for the centrality of the gospel in all of life (Galatians 1:6-8). Jesus plus anything else is a false gospel (2:3-6). Though our situation is different, the urgency and importance of this message still rings true. 

At the beginning of this letter, Paul says that Jesus has rescued us from “the present evil age” (1:4). That is the old world, the world of fallen humanity. Then at the end of the letter he says that Jesus has ushered in “new creation” (6:15). That’s what is at stake: Two worlds, two ways of relating to God, two ways of defining yourself, two ways of living life. 

We spent three months as a church working through this letter in sermons, small group discussions, and Bible studies. We wrestled with the context in Galatia and how it connects to our own day (e.g. 2:11-14). We too are “prone to wander,” as the old hymn says. We seek assurance and belonging and righteousness apart from Christ, through various kinds of law-keeping and boundary markers and self-justification (2:17-21). We all have a tendency to live according to the values and systems of the old world. 

This letter called us back, over and over, to the foundation of the gospel, our unity in Christ, and our new life in the Spirit. Now that we are free from the old system of seeking glory from one another, we are free to love one another as God has loved us in Christ. That is the true fulfillment of the law. That is new creation. In our terminology, that is the centrality of the gospel in all of life. (1:11-12; 2:17-21; 3:1-3, 27-28; 5: 13-14, 25; 6:14-15). 

This collection of devotionals, written by members of our church, expresses the profound and far-reaching implications of these themes. They were written in real time, two a week, as we made our way through the sermon series. They offer unique insight into the text itself, and also provide a rich variety of personal experience and wisdom. 

This work represents the diversity, creativity, and beauty of our church. In that way, it is a celebration of the freedom that is at stake in this letter. Because of Jesus, we are free to serve one another in love, and to celebrate every evidence of grace in anyone’s life. This is our mission as church: to help each other believe and apply the gospel in every area of life. “For all who walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them (6:16).

Ephesians Devotionals

 Paul’s letter to the Ephesians highlights the power of God at work in us, to the glory of God in the church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:20-21).

We spent six months exploring the riches of this book in sermons, small group discussions, and Bible studies. We expanded our view of God’s eternal plans and divine power, we worked toward a truer understanding of our identity and purpose in Christ, and we gained practical insight into what it means to be the people of God who “walk in a manner worthy of our calling” (4:1). 

This letter uniquely emphasizes the glory of God in the church. We are the body of Christ, “the fullness of him who fills all in all” (1:23), and “through the church the manifold wisdom of God is now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places” (3:10). 

Remarkably, the church grows as each member of the body does its part, speaking truth in love so that the body builds itself up in love (4:15-16).

Nothing could be more fitting for this work that you are now reading—a collection of devotionals in Ephesians written by members of our body.

These devotionals were written in real time, two a week, as we made our way through the sermon series. They offer unique insight into the text itself, and provide such a rich variety of personal experience and wisdom. When we reached the end of our series, we were so impressed by the quality of these reflections that we wanted to compile them into a complete work.

This collection represents the diversity, creativity, and beauty of our body. It is an evidence of God’s grace among us. So, “to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen” (3:20-21).

Life of David Guide

This reading guide was created back in the summer of 2019 when we preached through the life of David (1 Sam. 16 – 2 Sam. 22). David is one of the most familiar people in the whole Bible and really in all of human history. His rise to the throne and his reign as king is a story that is more riveting than anything you could ever read in a novel or see on Netflix. It’s a story that has it all: courage, conspiracy, romance, friendship, heroism, betrayal, unlikely twists, deep lament, soaring worship, battle scenes, acts of compassion, and sacrificial love.

But the point of David’s story is not to entertain us. The point is to instruct us about our own lives, to show us the importance of our character and our heart, to convince us of our need for a Savior-King, and ultimately to lead us to Jesus Christ, the Greater King David. How could God call David a man after his own heart, especially given David’s deep flaws and grievous sin? That’s the question we tried to answer in this series as we looked at David’s story together as a church.

The guide creates three touch points throughout the week leading up to Sunday’s sermon. Here’s the flow for each week: 

  • Day 1: Read the chapter. (That’s it. Five minutes. You could probably read it twice).
  • Day 2: Read the chapter and answer a few questions designed to help you dig deeper in the text.
  • Day 3: Read the chapter and answer a few questions designed to help you reflect and apply what you are learning personally.
  • Following Sunday: Listen to the sermon for that week as our pastors teach on the chapter you have just studied throughout the week.

We pray that this guide would help you meditate on God’s word and that God’s covenant faithfulness in the life of David would speak to you in a fresh way.

Jacob & Joseph Guide

This reading guide was created back in the summer of 2018 when we preached through the lives of Jacob and Joseph (Genesis 25-50). The stories found in these chapters are full of gospel implications, history, theology, and insights into our own lives. This guide is designed to give you a simple plan for reading, studying, and reflecting on the Scriptures. 

Each week there will be three touch points before the leading up to Sunday’s sermon. What day you do each touch point doesn’t matter, as long as you focus on the assigned chapter for that week. Here’s the flow for each week: 

  • Day 1: Read the chapter.
  • Day 2: Read the chapter and answer a few questions designed to help dig deeper in the text.
  • Day 3: Read the chapter and answer a few questions designed to help you reflect and apply what you are learning personally.
  • Following Sunday: Come to gathered worship on Sunday and hear the pastors teach on the chapter you have studied throughout the week.

We pray that this guide would help you meditate on the word of God and that the story of Jacob and Joseph would be read and seen in a fresh way.

Journey to the Cross: Devotions for Lent

As Christians, we know that Easter is perhaps the most important day of the year. But when we wake up on Easter Sunday, we often struggle to grasp the significance of the day and find ourselves on the outside of the celebration looking in.

Journey to the Cross moves us closer to the heart of Easter through forty days of Bible readings, prayers of confession and thanksgiving, and daily devotional readings. WRiThis forty-day devotional takes a deeper look into six central themes of the Christian life: repentance, humility, suffering, lament, sacrifice, and death. Journey to the Cross moves beyond “doing penance” and helps Christians focus on Christ’s sacrifice for us—the real meaning of Easter and the reason we celebrate.

Journey to the Cross serves as a combined liturgical guide and devotional—presenting a call to worship, confessional, gospel reading, and daily devotional with application. This compact devotional guide meets the needs of Christians who want to prepare their hearts for Easter but don’t know how, and it answers the growing desire of many to be connected to the broader history of the church.

At its heart, Lent is all about Jesus—his suffering and sacrifice, all powered by his love for his people. Taking the time to meditate on the cross will give readers the opportunity to re-center their hearts, reframe their lives, and rekindle their love for Christ this Easter.

Life of Abraham Guide

This reading guide was created back in the summer of 2016 when we preached through the life of Abraham (Genesis 12-25). These chapters in the Bible are rich with history, theology, and insights into our own lives. This guide is designed to give you a simple plan for reading, studying, and reflecting on the Scriptures.

The guide creates three touch points throughout the week leading up to Sunday’s sermon. It doesn’t matter what three days of the week you do the reading plan (Monday, Wednesday, Friday perhaps) as long as you focus on the chapter assigned for that specific week. Here’s the flow for each week: 

  • Day 1: Read the chapter. (That’s it. Five minutes. You could probably read it twice). 
  • Day 2: Read the chapter and answer a few questions designed to help you dig deeper in the text. 
  • Day 3: Read the chapter and answer a few questions designed to help you reflect and apply what you are learning personally. 
  • Following Sunday: Listen to the sermon for that week as our pastors teach on the chapter you have just studied throughout the week. 

We pray that this guide would help you meditate on God’s word and that the story of Abraham would come alive to you in new and profound ways.