This Bible study was originally considered during Midweek Connection on November 19, 2014.

This Bible study was originally considered during Midweek Connection on November 12, 2014.

20 Things I Wish I'd Known in My Late Twenties
Well-written and really practical advice! Worth the five minutes it takes to read and consider these key principles the writer wishes she had known when she was our age. At least we all have #19 down! And, here's a sneak peak at one of them: "18. Live loved. — Wake up every morning and—before you put your feet to the floor—let your mind and heart linger on the fact that the Creator of the Universe loves you passionately, completely, unconditionally and eternally. Nothing matters more than this. This one truth can change absolutely everything."

20 Ways to Be Refreshing in the Local Church
Some really good suggestions here! I'd encourage you to read through and highlight 2 or 3 that you could start doing this coming week. Put them on a notecard or on your phone; sticky tac them to your mirror; pray for God to help you refresh your church family in this way; and then work to do so! Here's why — (excerpt) "There are few epitaphs I would rather have engraved on my tombstone than Paul’s words of commendation to Philemon, 'the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you' (Philemon 1:7). Oh, how I love Philemons and want to consistently be one!"

A Christian’s Guide to Reading the News: Five Rules to Remember
"If you have been following the news recently, you probably have noticed a lot of discouraging headlines about war, disease, immorality, and economic uncertainty. People are protesting in streets from Hong Kong, China to Ferguson, Missouri. From Moscow to Washington D.C., leaders seem to be more interested in drinking vodka and playing golf than helping the people they serve. How should a Christian react to all of the bad news in this world? Here are a few thoughts that might help us read the news in a redemptive way. ..." If you are a news-reader or news-worrier, this is a helpful article!

The Deadly Deception of Sexual Atheism in the Church
"The love, sex and dating forecast among adult single believers for the foreseeable future is this: cloudy with a chance of fear and pride." Don't allow your fear of missing out or your pride over knowing better excuse, empower, or embitter you in this crucial area! 

A Letter to the Caliph
Worried about the rise of militant Islam. You have nothing to fear ... really! Read this open letter from Tim Keesee (director of the "Dispatches from the Front" DVD series) to the ISIS commander and self-declared Caliph. "...I think it’s best that you know that you will not succeed. You and your Caliphate are destined for failure. Of course, all empires, caliphates, and reigns of terror eventually come to an end, but something else is happening — another kind of failure in your command over the Islamic world. It’s that Jesus Christ is building his Church, and he said that “even the gates of hell” (which sounds a lot like Mosul right now) cannot stop its advance."