October 12, 2025 – Thriving in Exile
Prepare (This section is preparation for the leader, not content meant for the group.) In this passage, we find the Israelites deep in the Babylonian Exile. The Assyrians had conquered the northern kingdom of Israel. The southern kingdom, Judah, held...
October 5, 2025 – The Faith to Do What Needs to be Done
Prepare (This section is preparation for the leader, not content meant for the group.) The first part of this week’s gospel lesson is a familiar passage—though most of us probably recall its counterpart in Matthew 17:20, where faith the size...
September 28, 2025 – Living as the Rich Man’s Brothers
Prepare (This section is preparation for the leader, not content meant for the whole group.) Narrative context helps shed light on this parable. In the short passage between last week’s parable and this one, we learn that the Pharisees are...
Serving God or Wealth? Wrestling with the Parable of the Dishonest Manager
Prepare (This section is preparation for the leader, not content meant for the whole group.) Our gospel reading for this week is not an easy one. Taking some time to remember the narrative context and who Jesus is speaking to...
Longer Tables for the Lost and Found
Prepare (This section is preparation for the leader, not content meant for the whole group.) The heart of this passage is the pair of parables about the lost sheep and the lost coin. Yet the two sentences before them provide...