God commanded that a temple be built in Jerusalem where Jews could worship. Because the temple was the dwelling place of God, the place God chose to bear his name and house his presence on earth, it was the focal point of Jewish worship and culture. This is the temple where Jesus worshiped and taught. What can we learn from the design of the temple and what took place there has profound impact on our lives today.

Jesus tells Peter that he would build his church on Peter and that not even the gates of Hades can prevail against it. In our world today would you say the church takes an offensive position against evil or a defensive position? How is it that we can be effective at confronting the evils of this world?

Each of us faces difficulties-financial setbacks, serious illness, catastrophic loss of our home or business, loss of significant relationships, legal problems-all of which we could label as “storms” in life. It’s not if the storms come it’s when. Which “storms” in life frighten you most deeply and how is it that we can obey God in the middle of the storm?

When Joseph becomes the right hand of Pharaoh, he leads Egypt through 7 years of famine with a stockpile of food for everyone from the surrounding region. When his brothers come for food, as they are starving, Joseph is left with a tough decision - should he forgive the very brothers who sold him into slavery? If we decide to be generous when we are angry, what kind of effect can that have on others?

We are surrounded by temptation - shiny, new things, people, experiences...it can be difficult to remember who we are, and set healthy boundaries for ourselves. Joseph faced temptation from Potiphar’s wife and yet he held true to his values and trusted in God, in spite of the consequences he faced.

Sometimes the people closest to us can hurt us the worst. Most of us have been blindsided before, and things can seem dire. Yet, God never gives up on us. Where is God when somebody else's actions leave us in peril?

Once we have understood our strengths and began to appreciate the strengths of our partners, we have a window into the ways they naturally think, feel, and behave. When we think about relating to them in the best way for them instead of ourselves, then our relationships begins to strengthen as we bend our strengths towards theirs.

Lennon and McCartney. Lucy and Ethel. Buzz and Woody. What makes great partnerships are the differences between the parties. Marriage is no different- how can we understand and appreciate the differences between the people we love most?

It doesn't take long for babies to say their first words- of which "mine" is sure to come quickly. So often we seem hard wired to put ourselves first. In the New Testament we see that this mindset isn't the same as "the mind of Christ." How can we go from thinking of ourselves first to looking to the interests of others?

Often it is easier to tear down than to build up. Pointing out problems doesn't take much imagination, offering solutions does. God chose to work most powerfully through a person that went from hunting Christians to starting churches. Being a critic is easy, becoming a champion bears more fruit.