God made Abraham and Sarah wait more than 25 years for the son He promised — and Paul later reveals why, showing that Hagar and Sarah, Ishmael and Isaac, were a hidden picture of two covenants: law and grace, slavery and freedom. In this study, we'll walk through Genesis 21:1–21 and Galatians 4:21–5:1 and show why God waited until no explanation remained but Himself, and why salvation is a gift you cannot help pay for.

Paul tells Timothy to charge the rich in this present age — and if you woke up this morning with breath in your lungs, a mind that works, and something in the cupboard, that includes you. In this message, guest speaker Phil Paulsen walks through 1 Timothy 6:17-19 and makes the case that Scripture's warning was never about the amount in your account; it's about the attitude toward what you've been handed. The love of money is the root of evil, not money itself. Pride is simply independence from God. Every good thing you have — your health, your mind, your opportunities, your protection, the wisdom you've used — came from Him and not from you. So the charge isn't to feel guilty about what you have. It's to hold it rightly: not to be haughty, not to set your hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God who richly provides everything to enjoy. Be generous. Be ready to share. Do good. Store up treasure as a good foundation for the future, and take hold of that which is truly life.

The Parable of the Talents is usually preached as a lesson about using your gifts — but Jesus told it to answer a far more serious question: how do you know you're actually saved? In this study, Pastor Young Song walks through what a talent really was, why the master welcomed the five- and two-talent servants, and why the third servant was cast out for burying his. The difference between them wasn't ability or results — it was what each man believed about his master. One saw a hard, ruthless man to be feared. The others knew him well enough to risk everything on him. Your salvation isn't confirmed by the size of your return; it's confirmed by whether you know who your Master truly is. We are not saved by believing a doctrine, but by trusting a Person.

Abraham had walked with God for over 25 years and had a promise from Jesus Himself — then fear sent him straight back down an old path of sin he'd never bothered to close off. In this study, we'll unpack why we return to sins we thought we'd outgrown, why a half-truth is a whole lie, and what practical steps actually mark the old road "DEAD END."

Peter calls him “righteous Lot” — a drunk, a coward, and a failure as a father whose slow drift in Sodom warped his family’s thinking until the unthinkable seemed reasonable. This study traces the real cost of compromise, the call to hold the line at home, and the staggering grace that credits righteousness to broken people — and ran the line of the Messiah straight through Lot’s family.

Pastor Dave Bechtel gives an encouraging word on how Christians ought to treat each other as the Body of Christ.

Pastor Dave Bechtel explores 1 Timothy 6:11–12, calling believers to turn from worldly pursuits, pursue Christlike character, and faithfully fight the good fight of faith while holding firmly to the eternal life found in Jesus.

SMALL GROUP QUESTIONS:

- What is one of your favorite worship songs? What makes it one of your favorites? What makes it one of your favorites?

- What are the "three C's" we are supposed to flee from (from this passage)? Which is most relevant to your current spiritual walk?

- List the six "pursuits" Paul identifies in our verses. Which of them might be the "strongest" in your spiritual walk today? Which one would our Lord have you pursue in this season of your life?

- Why would Paul command Timothy (and therefore us) to pursue gentleness? Can you give an example of gentleness that you have encountered?

- Who or what is our "fight" against? How can we fight "the good fight"?

- What would be the opposite of "taking hold of eternal life"? Have you ever witnessed someone who lived that way?

- What, for you, is one life application of this passage?

Why did Jesus say the end times would look like "the days of Lot"? This verse-by-verse study walks through the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, the prophetic parallels emerging in our own culture, and the sobering warning of Lot's wife — a picture of a heart that never left the world behind.

At 99, Sarah had quietly stopped believing God would ever keep His promise to her — until He overheard her cynical laugh and asked, “Is anything too wonderful for the Lord?” This study of Genesis 18 walks through Sarah’s unbelief, Abraham’s bold intercession for Sodom, and the God whose character is big enough to do wonders even for you.

SMALL GROUP QUESTIONS:

- Read Psalm 9:10. Has growing in your knowledge and understanding of God's character affected how much you trust Him? How?

- Read Psalm 84:1-2, 10. Where do you experience the Lord's presence? Are you enthusiastic about it, as Abraham was when Jesus and the two angels visited him?

- Read Daniel 3:16-18. How do you reconcile God's goodness with the fact that some prayers for things like healing get answered, while others don't?

- One of the most common apologetics questions is, "If God is good, why do bad things happen to good people?" How would you answer?

- Read 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18. Open your time of prayer by thanking God that we are destined to be with Him in paradise rather than to experience His wrath (which we deserve).

God was never after the mark on Abraham’s body — He was after his heart. In this study, we unpack circumcision, covenant, and the daily battle between flesh and Spirit, and discover why real faith obeys God now — before we have all the answers.

SMALL GROUP QUESTIONS:

- Read Ezekiel 36:26-27. Looking back, where have you seen God soften something in you that used to be hard?

- Read Mark 7:20–23. Are there any changes in behavior that you're trying to work on right now? What wrong beliefs do you think have driven that wrong behavior?

- Read Hebrews 11:8. Tell us about a time you followed God’s leading before you understood the whole plan. What made it hard? How did it turn out?

- Read Ephesians 2:8-10. What do you tend to add to Jesus as proof that you’re really OK with God? How do VV.8–9 and V.10 hold together without turning grace into a checklist?

- Read Joshua 24:14-15. How can husbands and fathers lead their families in a God-honoring way, without compromise, yet not being a dictator?