Week 38
"Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord" (Rom. 12:11). Are you on fire for the Lord, or have you grown "lukewarm"? This week, we focus on fanning the flame of our faith, remembering the grace that made our hearts burn within us and holding fast to our first love.
Week 38
In his final letter, Paul tells Timothy to "share in suffering as a good soldier," while Peter encourages believers with the promise of a living hope. In the Old Testament, we see prophecies of the ultimate suffering servant—the Messiah—in Zechariah, and then begin Proverbs, a book of wisdom for navigating a challenging world.
Week 39
From zeal comes diligence. While we can never earn our salvation, we also can't just coast into eternal life. The Christian life requires our best effort as we "strive to enter that rest" that God has promised (Heb. 4:11). Join us in this week's challenges to grow in diligence!
Week 39
How do you prepare for adversity? This week, Peter gives us the mindset, telling us not to be surprised by trials and to cast our anxieties on God. At the same time, the book of Proverbs gives us the toolkit, dispensing timeless, practical wisdom for skillfully navigating the troubles of everyday life.
Week 40
A successful recipe requires key ingredients. This week, our New Testament readings show how a healthy faith needs ingredients like reverence and belief. In the Old Testament, we finish Proverbs and then begin Job, getting a peek at a key ingredient to understanding suffering: the hidden spiritual world behind our struggles.
Week 40
What are you doing with what God has given you? All that we have is a stewardship, since "the earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof" (1 Cor. 10:26). Join us as we complete our focus on fruitfulness with challenges to help us become better stewards of our time, relationships, and everything else he has poured into our lives.
Week 37
In difficult times, some jobs become essential. In his letters to Timothy, Paul details the "essential" work of elders, deacons, and evangelists in the church. In the Old Testament, prophets like Haggai and Zechariah take on the essential work of encouraging God's people to rebuild the temple, and their hope, after the exile.
Week 37
This week, we're training in a new mark: FRUITFULNESS. It begins with the parable of the fruitless fig tree. God is patient with us, but a day will come when we'll have to answer for our choices and the fruit we bear. This week's challenges are all about embracing our accountability to God.
Week 36
The Bible tells us to surrender to God and "resist the devil" (James 4:7), but it's easy to get that backwards. We need to understand Satan's tactics so we won't be "outwitted" by his designs (2 Cor. 2:11). Join us this week as we strengthen our resolve to resist evil and stand firm with Christ.
Week 36
What makes a great leader? While Paul gives Titus and Timothy a crash course in church leadership, the prophet Micah delivers one of the most famous summaries of leadership for all God's people: "to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God."
Week 35
The Bible tells us to surrender to God and "resist the devil" (James 4:7), but it's easy to get that backwards. We need to understand Satan's tactics so we won't be "outwitted" by his designs (2 Cor. 2:11). Join us this week as we strengthen our resolve to resist evil and stand firm with Christ.
Week 35
After exploring the mind-bending "eternal purpose" of God in Ephesians, the letter pivots to practical application, urging us to "walk in a manner worthy of our calling." The prophet Amos provides a powerful counterpoint, railing against a prosperous kingdom that has failed to walk in justice and righteousness.
Week 34
It's easy to get lulled to sleep spiritually, coasting through our days without much alertness. But what happens when we "wake up"? The book of Revelation says we can then "strengthen what remains and is about to die" (Rev. 3:2). This week's challenges are all about strengthening our spiritual readiness.
Week 34
What has your attention? Paul’s joyful letter to the Philippians encourages us to find peace by focusing on what truly matters. In stark contrast, the prophet Hosea is commanded to marry an unfaithful woman—a dramatic attempt by God to get the attention of His spiritually unfaithful people.
Week 33
It's time to "Think Different." From a prison cell, Paul writes Colossians, challenging us to change our perspective on everything from suffering to relationships. This pairs powerfully with Ezekiel's most famous vision: a valley of dry bones coming to life, a radically different way of thinking about hope and restoration.
Week 33
When we walk by faith and not by sight, we live with an awareness of an unseen spiritual realm. How do you stay alert and keep your perspective anchored in heavenly realities when earthly concerns are so demanding? This week, we begin a new study on WATCHFULNESS, focusing on our spiritual awareness.
Week 32
This week is about seeing the story fulfilled. In Matthew, we reach the stunning climax of the gospel: the trial, the cross, and the glorious resurrection. In Ezekiel, God uses vivid, powerful word-pictures—an unfaithful wife, a sharpened sword—to show the final, fulfilled judgment on a nation consumed by sin.
Week 32
From Nathan's "you are the man!" to Esther's royal requests, the Bible is full of courageous saints who stepped up and spoke up. This week, we're training to join that long line, learning to speak the truth in love "for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear" (Eph. 4:29).
Week 31
We all face problems, but disciples are trained to see every difficulty as an opportunity for growth. This week in Cross Training, we're focusing on Character, because as Paul says, "suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope" (Rom. 5:3-4).
Week 31
It's time to face the test. In Matthew, Jesus masterfully navigates a series of tests from religious leaders before turning the tables and exposing their hypocrisy with seven blistering "woes." In the Old Testament, we move from the fall of Jerusalem in Jeremiah to the wild, exotic, and faith-testing visions of the prophet Ezekiel in Babylon.
Week 30
Nobody knows the trouble I've seen... but Jesus. This week we see Jesus face immense hardship—grief, betrayal, and being misunderstood—yet His compassion never fails. His experience mirrors that of the prophet Jeremiah, who endures persecution that includes having the king himself burn his scroll of prophecy.
Week 30
Jesus said, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God" (Matt. 5:8). Purity isn't just about our outward actions; it begins with guarding our hearts from the inside out. Join us this week as we aim to point our thoughts toward "whatever is pure" (Phil. 4:8) and keep ourselves "unstained from the world" (James 1:27).
Week 29
The Doctor is speaking. In Matthew, Jesus acts as the Great Physician, speaking words of healing to the sick and teaching in puzzling parables. Meanwhile, the prophet Jeremiah speaks words of both warning and incredible promise to the spiritually sick nation of Judah during the last days before its fall to Babylon.
Week 29
This week we begin training in a new mark of the Master: INTEGRITY. It starts with a question: Is it okay to prioritize some of God's commands and dismiss others? Since Jesus wants his disciples "to observe all that I have commanded" (Matt. 28:20), our integrity requires us to bring our entire lives under his direction.