Life Group Weekly Audio Lessons
with Julie Kyker
State of the Church & Your Home
January 8, 2023 • Julie Kyker • Genesis 19
Each year, Christ Church’s Lead Pastor, Pastor Charles, gives a “state of the Church” address – much like our nation’s annual “State of the Union” address. As a church, we acknowledge where we have been, celebrate accomplishments and goals achieved, then assesses where we need to be in the coming year if we are to stay strong. Yet, this year, Pastor Charles shares a conviction God placed on his heart through the reading of the One Year Bible. Before giving a “State of the Church” address, we first need to take a “State of Our Home” assessment. Since the Church is the Body of Christ, and we are all members of One Body, one life affects another. We cannot assess the church without first assessing the health and viability of ourselves – our own individual lives, the members of our families, our household. In Genesis 18-19, we read of the remarkable account of Abraham interceding on behalf of his nephew Lot.
New Year's Jumpstart
January 1, 2023 • Julie Kyker • Genesis 1
New beginnings are fun and exciting. Think about a new school year, new clothes, new job, new assignments; maybe a new move, new home. Here we are in a new year making new year resolutions. There is something fresh and hopeful about a new start - new juncture, clean slate, an opportunity for improvement. Think about how beginnings have been meaningful for you. I believe God is also excited about new beginnings. In the beginning, He created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless, meaningless, void. Yet lifelessness gave way to life when God's Spirit began moving over the deep. Something stirs in us when the Holy Spirit begins to move. Darkness gives way to light when God speaks and separates light from darkness. The sky begins to appear as the Lord separates the waters from the heavens from the waters of the earth. Land appears and sprouts seed-bearing vegetation. Fish begin to swim the seas, birds fill the skies - animals begin to roam the earth. All at the Lord's word.
Merry Christmas
December 25, 2022 • Julie Kyker • Zechariah 8, Luke 2
Merry Christmas! For 70 years the bell rang out in Varna. After the rise of the iron curtain, the church was converted to a puppet theater. In order to not lose the bell, the local church members stole the bell and buried it. There it remained for nearly 40 years, until at last a new church was built and once more the bell could ring again.
Getting Past our Bitterness
December 18, 2022 • Julie Kyker • Jonah 1
Have you ever been so angry with someone, so filled with bitterness and resentment that you wanted to see their demise? This is a tough place to find yourself, especially if you have professed faith in God and been a mouthpiece for God. Jonah, son of Amitttai, found himself here when God called him to speak truth to a people he hated. Jonah was a true prophet of the LORD and God sent him to speak God’s word to the people of Israel—prophecies that were fulfilled.