My favorite nut is the cashew. I could eat an entire jar of them without a second thought. As I get older, though, I have taken steps to eat in a more healthy way. So at one point I bought me a jar of unsalted cashews. I knew that they wouldn’t taste as good, but I still thought they would be a huge snack. I became quickly discouraged though. I found that what I loved about the cashews was apparently less about the cashews and more about the salt. To me, eating unsalted cashews was pointless. Without the salt, they had lost their appeal. Jesus told his disciples that they were the salt of the earth. This is a powerful metaphor. Salt was used in the ancient world for preserving food, and it was also used for flavor. Salt was a valuable commodity. When Jesus tells his disciples that they are the salt of the earth, he is saying that they have a preserving and flavoring impact on the world around them. As we look ahead to the launch of our Summer GO Teams, it is a great time to consider our impact on the world. We are not meant to remain cloistered and safe in our homes. We are meant to proclaim Jesus far and wide. And a big part of how we do this is by living out our calling to be the salt of the earth.

I don’t read books about alcoholism. This is not because I don’t think it is valid to have books on this subject. It is simply because alcoholism is not a problem that I have. I have many other problems, but I don’t typically spend a lot of energy focused on problems that don’t apply to me. This is how most of us live. We seek to solve problems that we have, but we show little interest in subjects that don’t seem to concern us. When it comes to abortion, it can be easy to assume that it is not a problem for those of us who are Christians. The reality, though, is that the majority of women who have abortions identify as either Catholic or Protestant. This is not a “them” problem, but an “us” problem. And the problem is not simply that pregnant women decide to have abortions. The problem is multifaceted. Why are so many Christian women becoming pregnant outside of marriage? Why are so many Christian men not giving proper support and care for women they impregnate? Why are unmarried pregnant women afraid of being shamed by their churches? Why are so few parents encouraging their sons and daughter to save sex for marriage? All of these questions point toward the fact that when it comes to abortion, those of us who are part of the church need to begin by setting our own house in order. This lesson walks through a passage that does not directly deal with abortion, but does deal with an issue that surrounds a motivation that often leads to abortion. The passage deals both with the powerful call to holiness, and also with the grace that provides us a safe place to land when we fall short. As you approach this lesson, take time to think not only of how you are dealing with sin in your own life, but also with how you are fostering an atmosphere of both holiness and grace for those around you.

This past Summer I had the privilege of participating in a mission trip to Haiti. On the final day of the trip, our team got to attend a church service in order to dedicate a well that we had installed. At the service we got to listen to a choir of Haitian Christians. It was one of the highlights of the trip. Several of us recorded part of the singing on our phones and we still listen to it from time to time. The funny thing is, though, that we didn’t actually understand a word of what they said. They sang in a style that was not our preferred style and they sang in a language that was not our preferred language. Yet we experienced oneness with those who sang because we knew that they were singing praises to the same God that we worship. When it comes to singing in church, we all have our preferences. Some of us love for the band to be loud and energetic, while others of us like a quiet and acoustic set. Some of us love newer songs, while others of us prefer older hymns. Some of us prefer piano, while others of us like the guitar. It is easy for us to decide that we can only really worship if we find ourselves instinctively connecting with the music. But full appreciation of the music is not a prerequisite to worship. Just as our Haiti team worshiped along with our brothers and sisters in the choir, we all can worship God whether we enjoy the music or not. The reason for this is that worship is focused not on us, but on the God we are worshiping. The passage that this lesson explores is a psalm of worship. The psalmist powerfully invites us all to worship God because of his power, his grace, and his worthiness. The invitation is not focused on method or style of worship, but rather on the great God who is the object of our worship.

I enjoy watching baseball all by myself. I am fully satisfied to take in a game in my living room with no one else around. But there is something special about getting to attend a baseball game, surrounded by thousands of like-minded fans. I’m still a fan when I am at home watching alone, but when I am with others, I am reminded that I am part of a bigger fan base, and this is an exhilarating experience. In a similar way, it is possible for a Christian to worship God alone. God is present everywhere, so a Christian can experience one-on-one worship in anyplace at anytime. That said, there is something powerful that happens when God’s people gather together as one to worship. This brings about unity and encouragement. This is also important because it has been the pattern of God’s people all throughout history. In this lesson, you will be invited to explore the impact that happens when God’s people worship together. There are certain benefits that can only take place when many are gathered. As you walk through this lesson, allow yourself to rethink not only your attitude toward Christian worship, but also your approach to how you participate.

In most trials in the United States, a person is judged by a jury of his peers. However, under certain conditions the defendant can waive his right for a jury and instead request a bench trial, which means that the jury will be replaced with a single judge. Now, instead of trying to convince twelve people, he is only trying to convince one. This means that the entire courtroom, or the entire country, could consider him to be guilty, but as long as the judge believes him to be innocent, he will go free. He stands before a single judge who will determine his fate. In our lives we can sometimes feel that we are living before many judges. We are live before our employers, for our family members, our friends, our teachers, our co-workers, and the world in general. It is a burdensome task to try to please all of those judges. How much would our lives change if we believed that there was only one judge whose opinion mattered? Everyone else could feel free to give their evaluation and judgment, but none of that would matter if there was only one true judge. In this lesson we explore a passage that presents Jesus as the only judge. And Jesus’ role as judge is linked up with his promised return. Throughout the Advent season we celebrated Jesus’ first coming. In this lesson we look ahead to his second coming, placing our hope in him as the only and final judge

Very few people doubt the significance of love. It is the constant subject of songs, of stories, and of our conversations with one another. The words, “I love you,” whether they are from a parent, a spouse, a child, or a friend fill our hearts in a way few other words can. We all anticipate being loved in a way that rescues us from loneliness and sadness. Love is also connected to pain. Sometimes we lose people that we love. Sometimes we give our love to people and they don’t give their love back to us. Love transforms us, but unrequited love breaks our hearts. Love is right at the center of the Christmas story. When God wanted to demonstrate His love, He didn’t just send us things. He didn’t just send us protection. He didn’t just make promises from far away. God showed His love by sending us His Son to be God-with-us. God showed His love by sacrificing what was most precious to Him in order to make us His children. This fourth week of Advent we rejoice in Jesus as our love. We celebrate God’s great love in sending His one and only Son to make us safe and secure as God’s children forever.

We are all chasing joy. When we chase a new job, a new romance, a new home, or a new friend, we are ultimately chasing joy. We want our hearts to explode with euphoria because of how wonderful our lives have turned out. We all chase joy. But the greatest experiences of joy are not when we have made something happen on our own. The greatest joy is almost always in response to something that we have discovered. We experience joy when we find out that the person we love loves us back. We experience joy when we get the news that our team won or a gift has arrived or a disease has been cured. Joy almost always comes in response to news. When the angels proclaimed the birth of Jesus, they called it good news that would bring great joy for all the people. They told the shepherds that they now had a reason to rejoice. A Savior had been born! Now despite this news, the shepherds were still poor and they still were among an oppressed people. Their immediate surroundings had not changed. But they had just received news that God had drawn near to them through His Son. They just received news that they could have peace with God through a Savior who would deliver them from their sins. They just received news that the joy for which they longed was now available to them through Jesus. This third week of Advent we honor Jesus as our joy. We remember that the joy we chase is often short-lived. But the joy brought by the news that Jesus, our Savior, had come is a joy that abides and that strengthens our hearts each day.

On the day that Jesus was born, the angel proclaimed, “Peace on earth.” These words stir our hearts because we long for peace to come to a wartorn planet. The idea of peace brings relief to our hearts. Relief from the physical danger that could at anytime overtake us. Relief from the strain of the constant vigilance that is required in order to keep ourselves safe. Relief from the strain that war brings between people, and the death that comes as a result. The thought of peace on earth is a thought worth celebrating. Jesus’ appearance on the earth not only initiated the promise that one day all wars would cease. It also addressed our deeper need for peace: peace with God. Peace with God means relief from the fear that one day we will be condemned and cast out because of our sin and guilt. It means relief from wondering whether or not God is for us. It means relief from the uncertainty of life because we can be assured that God is working all things for our good. Jesus appeared to bring us peace with God through His sacrificial life, death, and resurrection. All of that began on that first Christmas day. This second week of Advent, we celebrate Jesus as our peace. We joyfully anticipate that Jesus, the Prince of Peace, will one day bring a final and global peace. We also celebrate that Jesus’ appearance on this earth brings peace with God and peace with one another to all who embrace Him.

Whenever I am sick, I have a hard time remembering what it was like to feel healthy. It always seems that the lousy way that I currently feel will be the way that I feel for the rest of my life. Inevitably, though, the sickness passes and I feel well again. It is always a reminder to me that my current situation is not necessarily going to stay the same down the road. One of the reasons why we find it so difficult to handle suffering well is because when we suffer we often believe that our current suffering will never end. If, however, we believed that our future status would not only change, but that our suffering would bring about beauty, we would find ourselves much more capable to suffering with grace and patience. In the passage covered in this lesson, Peter encourages believers to suffer well by reminding them that Jesus’ resurrection and glory came only after he had endured horrific suffering. First comes suffering, and then comes glory.

In the film Braveheart, William Wallace gives a famous and stirring speech to try to convince Scottish soldiers to fight for their freedom. Many are tempted to abandon the fight, but he motivates them by telling them to think of their future selves and what dying words they will have for their children. Do they want to be the kind of men who say, “We ran away and thus we lived”? Or do we want to be the kind of men who say, “We risked everything, faced mortal danger, but fought for our freedom”? The implication is clear. Avoiding suffering is safe and yet not admirable. Choosing to face suffering is admirable and yet dangerous. But at the end of the day, we all would rather be people who faced suffering courageously instead of running away. It is normal and understandable to want to avoid suffering. Every time we take medicine or turn on air conditioning we are taking actions to avoid suffering and discomfort. But while it is normal to seek to avoid suffering, Christians are called to prioritize their calling over their desire to avoid suffering. This is why Christians over the centuries have been willing to go to prison, lose their property, and suffer physical violence in order to stay true to their faith. When Peter speaks to Christians about suffering, his message is that the Christian priority is not to avoid suffering, but to suffer well.