Sunday Worship - One Service @ 11 AM in the Sanctuary


As we grow so too does our reading of Scripture. Noah's ark at age 5 reads different at 35 and 65. We see different parts of Daniel and the lion's den story at age 10 and 40. We also come to find that God shows up in new ways when we have new lenses and life experiences to see it. In this series we'll relook at some well known Old Testament stories so that we can see how our understanding of them changes as we grow, and how we find Jesus within them - sometimes in the unexpected place. We hope it will help you see our Scriptures with more creativity, faithfulness, and understanding so that it points us to Jesus with more life and hope. 

We call this "reunderstanding." A bit of a made up word to describe our ongoing growth. We may have understood these stories one way, but no Scripture has only one understanding. We can "reunderstand" it. Get new ways to see it that don't disqualify or diminish other understandings, but rather add to the depth and beauty that Scripture offers to us. 

July 5 - Scripture in Light of Jesus

Scripture: Zechariah 9:9-12, John 5:39-40
Summary: As we grow with scripture, God continues to breath life into it shaping us and enlightening us. Scripture in light of Jesus will reframe how we read our scriptures. 

Discussion questions to consider:

  1. What shaped your early understanding of the Bible?
  2. According to John 5, what mistake were people making when they read Scripture?
  3. What does Zechariah’s prophecy look like before and after Jesus fulfills it?

  4. What does it mean that God continues to “breathe life” through Scripture?

  5. What is one passage you’ve misunderstood before that now looks different through Jesus?

  6. Where might we be tempted to treat the Bible as an end in itself rather than a means to knowing Christ?

July 12 - The Other People in the Lion's Den

Scripture: Daniel 6, Matthew 12:1-12, Psalm 22:12-13
Summary: Many of us know the story of Daniel and the Lions den as a story that demonstrates God’s care for his people. But what about the people who are thrown into the lion’s pit after Daniel? In light of John the Baptist and Jesus, we see God cares for the enemies, the faithful, and the helpless. God rescues all of us.

Discussion questions to consider:

  1. What part of the Daniel story did you focus on most growing up?
  2. What happens to the others thrown into the lions’ den after Daniel?
  3. How do we reconcile God’s rescue of Daniel with the destruction of others?
  4. What connection do you see with Daniel and the Lion's Den and the death of John the Baptist?
  5. How does the story of Jesus mimic both of these stories?
  6. What does it mean that Jesus "identifies" with the enemies and helpless in his crucifixion?
  7. How does Jesus reshape the way we see both victims and perpetrators?

July 19 - Jacob's Ladder and Jesus

Scripture: Genesis 28:10-19, John 1:47-51
Summary: In the story of Jacob's ladder, we see Jacob finding that God is among him. Later when Jesus first calls his disciples, he identifies to Nathaniel as this ladder from Heaven. Jesus saw himself as the fulfillment of God's promises and presence. 

Discussion questions to consider:

  1. Have you ever had a moment when you suddenly felt aware of God’s presence?
  2. What places feel “thin” or sacred to you?
  3. What does Jacob realize after his dream? How does Jesus reinterpret Jacob’s ladder in John 1?
  4. What does it mean that Jesus is the “ladder” or connection between heaven and earth? How does this change our understanding of sacred spaces? What does this reveal about where God is present?
  5. How might you become more aware of God’s presence in everyday life?

July 26 - The Kind of People Who Wrestle with God

Scripture: Genesis 31:22-31
Summary: Jacob’s wrestling with God is a story like many people who have wrestled with their faith. From people deconstructing faith to those experiencing suffering to LGBTQ+ persons wrestling with God, the story of Jacob is both a story of Israel and a story about our wrestling with God to find blessing and hardship. Like Jacob, Jesus wrestles in the garden of Gethsemane showing both immense faith and real hardship. 

Discussion questions to consider:

  1. When have you wrestled with a big question about faith? How comfortable are you expressing doubt?
  2. What stands out about Jacob’s encounter with God?
  3. What changes in Jacob after this experience?
  4. Who are the people in our world that demonstrate to you faithful wrestling with God? What stories do they tell you of it's hardship and blessing?
  5. What would it look like to stay engaged with God instead of walking away?
  6. How can the church become a safer place for honest questions and struggles?