The goal of discipleship is to be like Jesus. That's the message John has for the church in 1 John 2:6. It's one thing to claim to follow God, but if we're sincere in our devotion, we'll follow through with obedience.

When God told Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac, it didn't make any sense. Isaac was supposed to be the child of the promise. How could that be if he was sacrificed? When God finally intervened and provided Abraham with an alternative sacrifice, Abraham named the site "Jehovah-Jireh," the Lord Will Provide.

Jesus is the bread of life, the sustainer of our souls. Bread was a necessity for the people of Israel and represented the staple food in their diet. Jesus fills our spiritual hunger the way nothing else can, but we spend a lot of time trying to fill that hunger with the things of the world instead of Jesus himself.

Christians are called to live in fellowship (koinonia) with one another. Are we united because we are all identical? Or have the same opinions? Or does our unity start with something deeper? The book of 1 John points us to the gift of fellowship: a deep connection to God and others that's built on the foundation of the Gospel.

Hagar was mistreated, abandoned, and cast out to wander alone in the desert. When she was at her lowest, the Angel of the Lord appeared to her to bless her and the baby in her womb. She felt so loved that she gave God a new name: El Roi, the God Who Sees Me.

Jesus teaches us to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow him. What does this mean for followers of Jesus today?

God has given us everything we need to follow Jesus faithfully. The question is, are we taking full advantage of the spiritual resources at our disposal?

God is known by dozens of names in the Bible, but the three most common ones in the Old Testament are YHWH (Yahweh), Elohim, and Adonai. In our first session of this new Bible Study, we'll describe what each name tells us about God's character.

What is the most important priority on our life? Are we investing in temporary things that will eventually fade away? Or eternal things that will stand the test of time? For tonight's class we'll take a look at Jesus' teachings on treasure in heaven, choosing between God and money, and why we won't have to worry.

Following Jesus means pushing past our fears and taking bold steps in our faith. That's not always easy--in fact it rarely is! But we can be confident in our bold steps of faith because Jesus is our firm foundation. He is trustworthy and dependable throughout all the adversity we face.