Of all the seven churches Jesus writes to in Revelation, Laodicea might be the most relatable for 21st century Americans: they weren't facing significant persecution and they found security in their health and wealth. Jesus described them as "lukewarm." We identified what that means, as well as Jesus' prescribed solution.

The small church in Philadelphia didn't receive any correction from Jesus, but it did receive a lot of encouragement to continue doing what they were doing. We considered how Jesus' words of encouragement to them can also encourage us as well. We also considered if Jesus' words of encouragement require us to believe in the idea of "the rapture," popularized by books and movies like Left Behind.

The church at Sardis was good at keeping up appearances, but not at actually following Jesus. We considered how easy it is to fall into the trap of faith as performance, and how to break free from "sleepy hypocrisy."

The church in Thyatira was commendable in so many ways, but it had one dangerous flaw: it had become too tolerant. In a culture where tolerance is often viewed as one of the most important virtues, we considered what this means for us.

This week guest speaker Peter Scalzo returned (his last visit was in early 2018) to talk more about what God has taught him through his 15-year (ongoing) struggle with cancer and his 12-step recovery journey.

This week we looked at the message to the first century church in Pergamum. Jesus saw much to commend, but was concerned about a subgroup that had embraced two dangerous sins - both of which are big temptations in our culture today. He promised that those who overcome will be given "hidden manna" and "a white stone with a new name." We considered what these intriguing promises might mean...

In Smyrna refusing to worship anyone but Jesus could result in imprisonment or even death. For many people today, "Smyrnan faith" doesn't make sense. We identified several reasons why, and what's missing in many people's understanding of faith.

This week we began our new series on the seven letters written to the churches in the Book of Revelation, starting with the letter to the church in Ephesus. Jesus commended this church for many things, but said that it suffered from one critical flaw that could forever destroy its witness.

The story of Daniel and the lion's den is a Sunday School favorite: good triumphs and obedience is rewarded. It's an encouraging story, but we have to be careful not to understand it too simplistically. This story teaches not only that God saves, but also that the way of faith can be difficult and costly.

This week we continued our series in Daniel by looking at the story of King Belshazzar, where the expression "the writing's on the wall" originates. Unlike Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar never humbled himself before God. He saw God as dead, because he failed to pay attention to the evidence of Nebuchadnezzar's transformed life.