The world is mourning and saying goodbye to Jorge Mario Bergoglio, better known as Pope Francis. Known as the “people’s Pope,” he was chosen in 2013 to lead the Catholic Church. His leadership was different from what most anticipated. Not long after taking office, the...
She turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. John 20:1-25 Questions for Life Groups Read John 20:1-25. Where are you in this story? Do you connect with Mary or one of the two disciples? Are you a bystander? What emotions come...
As we come to the final episode of our series, Who dunnit?, it’s time to wrap up. Ending a story is a challenge all storytellers face. How should we end our mystery? Our investigation into the case of who killed Jesus concluded last week with naming the governor,...
Beginning the first Sunday after Easter, we’re embarking on a new series titled Lifeboat. This series is inspired by Mitch Albom’s novel The Stanger in the Lifeboat. Mitch Albom is the founder of SAY Detroit, a nonprofit that provides pathways to success for...
Pilate handed Jesus over to them to be crucified. John 19:16-22 Questions for Life Groups Read John 19:16-22. What comes to mind as you read this text? Who is guilty in this story? Read the article in this week’s Circuit Rider titled The Governor. What are some...
The U.S. wields substantial economic and military power, and U.S. presidents are authorized to use this power to defend our nation and its constitution. Since taking office on January 20, the current president has signed over 100 Executive Orders, several of which...
Judas went off and spoke with the chief priests and the officers of the Temple guard about how he could betray Jesus to them. Luke 22:3-6 Questions for Life Groups Read Luke 22:3-6. What are some of the emotions that you feel when reading this text? Read the article...
The story of Judas Iscariot is heartbreaking. You likely recall that Judas betrayed Jesus by turning Him over to the authorities. He is the disciple everyone loves to hate. Why? Perhaps we worry that there may be too much Judas in us. What happened? Like the others,...
Today, this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing. Luke 4:20-23 Questions for Life Groups Read Luke 4:16-30. Is this a familiar story? What do you suppose the people turned against Jesus? Read the article in this week’s Circuit Rider titled The Neighbors. Who...
The Bible doesn’t tell us much about the village of Nazareth. Most of what we know comes from archeologists, who tell us that Nazareth was hardly a village at all. In Jesus's time, Nazareth was a collection of huts, two-room houses that often consisted of a cave in...