Samuel told the people who were asking him for a king how a king treats you…A king will make soldiers of your children…A king will take your best fields, vineyards, and olive groves…You will become slaves. And when that time comes, you will complain bitterly because...
Lee Greenwood was pleasantly surprised when Universal Studios decided to release his new song, God Bless the U.S.A., as a single. This iconic song lifted the spirits of Americans after each national crisis, including Desert Storm, Hurricane Katrina, and the terror...
An angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph and told him to take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Matthew 2:1-23 Questions for Life Groups Read Matthew 2:1-23. What images come to mind as you read this text? Do you sometimes feel like you’re...
Our companion book for our new worship series is David Leonhardt’s book, Ours was the Shining Future: The Story of the American Dream. Amazon’s website describes his book this way: Two decades into the twenty-first century, the stagnation of living standards has...
We end our series, Letters, on the last day of 2023, realizing that 2024 is a presidential election year. On January 7, we begin our new series, Country, based on a book titled, Ours was the Shining Future: The Story of the American Dream. We transition from Hall Mark...
What does the “American Dream” mean to you personally? A common description of the American Dream “Was the ability of people to rise above the circumstances of their birth.” Does it still exist? So far this century, campaign slogans promise to restore the American...
The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. Isaiah 9:2-7 Questions for Life Groups Read Isaiah 9:2-7. What images come to mind as you read this text? Do you sometimes feel like you’re walking in darkness? Describe your feelings. What brings light for...
This week’s chapters from our companion book, Letters to Santa, ends with Polly’s arrival on Christmas Eve. Polly loves the store, but she didn’t go to Evergreen to buy a store. Instead, she offers Lisa and Oliver jobs in Boston. Her offer further complicates the...
God has anointed me to bring good news to the suffering and afflicted… to tell those who mourn that the time of God’s favor to them has come… Isaiah 61:1-4 Questions for Life Groups Read Isaiah 61:1-4. What images come to mind as you read this text? In what ways do...
In this week’s chapters from Letters to Santa, Lisa picks up the Christmas Globe at Kringle’s Kitchen and shakes it as she says, “Please work.” The snow globe was famous in Evergreen for people shaking it and making a wish as the snow settled on the couple in front of...