• Put your hope in God, who richly provides us with EVERYTHING for our ENJOYMENT.
• Flee from the love of money, and the ruin and destruction it causes.
• Keep our money moving toward people and things that express and grow our love for God.
• Pursue Jesus and His Kingdom, which overflows in gratitude, contentment, goodness, and joyful generosity.
• Spiritual habits to cultivate: (1) Adopt a daily gratitude practice of some kind. (2) Serve (or give to) people who can give you nothing in return. (3) Invite someone to party with you!

• "Money never stays with me. It would burn me if it did. I throw it out of my hands as soon as possible, lest it should find its way into my heart." - John Wesley

• 1 Timothy 6:6-19 NIV
• Luke 12:33-34
• Matthew 6:31-33

Key Points:

• Who, or what, is our ultimate source of significance, satisfaction, security, identity, and belonging?
• "If you can't fit everything in the 'everything box,' it's not the everything box." - Alan Platt
• When relationship with God is our EVERYTHING, we can receive and steward ALL THINGS with gratitude, joy, contentment, and purpose.
• Why should relationship with God be our everything box?
• Only the Creator of all things can contain everything.
• Only the Reconciler of all things can hold everything together.
• Only the Ruler of all things fills everything in every way.

Reflection Questions:

• What idols have you chosen to make your counterfeit everything box?
• How could you move toward trusting God as your everything box?
• How can you take a step to trust God as the Creator who can contain all things, the Reconciler who holds all things together, and the Ruler who fills all things with life?

Scriptures:

• Ephesians 1:15-23
• Ephesians 3:14-21
• Colossians 1:15-23
• Psalm 115

Key Points:

• Singleness is an opportunity to live a life of undivided attention and devotion to the Lord.
• A life of singleness is an invitation to become more like Jesus.
• A life of singleness is a good and holy thing in the eyes of God.
• A life of singleness is not less valuable or less important than a life of marriage and / or parenting.
• Marriage is not the main goal for those who follow Jesus.
• Singleness is not better than marriage, and marriage is not better than singleness. The Church needs healthy married people and healthy single people.
• Many single people in the Church feel like their singleness is a problem to fix rather than a life to be lived.
• There is no "single experience" of singleness.
• Ways to love single people well:
  • Don't assume that you know what it's like to be us.
  • Invite us into your life.
  • Help carry the load.
  • Value what singles bring to the Church.

Questions:

• What if we could acknowledge that it is possible to love the life you have, and still grieve something you deeply desire but do not have?

Stats:

• Only 23% of active churchgoers are single. (Barna Group)
• 46-47% of adults in the USA are single. (U.S. Census Bureau, 2025)
• On Amazon, there are 298 marriage books for every 1 book on singleness. (Heart of Dating Podcast)

Scriptures:

• 1 Corinthians 7:7-9. 26-28, 32-35
• Matthew 19:8-12
• Isaiah 56:4-5
• 1 Thessalonians 2:19-20
• Ephesians 2:19

Spiritual parenting is an important responsibility for all disciples of Jesus.

Key Points:

• Purposeful friendships are intentional, vulnerable, sacrificial, and spiritual.
• Purposeful friendships are growing from casual to intentional.
  • Deep, meaningful friendships do not happen accidentally. They require regular, intentional investment of our time, energy, and care.
• Purposeful friendships are growing from surfacey to vulnerable.
  • Vulnerability is risky, but it is the only way to experience deep trust that allows for meaningful encouragement, accountability, and love.
• Purposeful friendships are growing from comfortable and convenient to sacrificial.
  • Real friendships are messy and challenging, but the sacrifices are worth the reward of deep connection and joyful satisfaction.
• Purposeful friendships are growing from self-centered (secular) to Christ-centered (spiritual).
  • Christ-centered friendships have transcendent, supernatural quality because we are drawn together by our shared pursuit to know, love, and serve Jesus.
• Biblical Friendships
  • Ruth and Naomi (Ruth 1:15-18)
  • David and Jonathan (1 Samuel 18:1-4, 20:16-17, 20:41-42)
  • Mary and Elizabeth (Luke 1:39-45)
  • Jesus and His Disciples (John 15:9-17 NLT)
  • The Women who followed Jesus (Luke 8:1-3, 23:48, 55-56, 24:1-12)
  • Paul and Barnabas (Acts 9:26-28, 11:19-30, 13:2)

Scriptures:

• Proverbs 27:6

Key Points:

• Forgiveness is a choice that sets us free from the pain of an offense. Forgiveness is a complex transformation in us which involves releasing anger, bitterness, resentment, and pain to replace it with love.
• Unforgiveness is a choice that imprisons us.

Quotes:

• “I don’t know if forgiveness is something you can do on you own unaided will power…It is something you can invite God to do in you, and you just give him consent.” - Ian Morgan Cron

Scriptures:

• Matthew 18:21-22

Key Points:

• A right / healthy relationship with God is the foundation for right / healthy relationships with others.
• Conviction of sin is a gift that reveals God's grace at work in our lives preparing us to change course.
• It is our response to sin that will either quality or disqualify us to be included in God's family and participate in God's purposes.
• When seeking forgiveness, justice is not on our side. Our only hope is to appeal to the mercy and love of God.
• Unforgiven sin separates us from God, robs us of joy and gladness, crushes our bones, and sabotages our purpose.
• Receiving forgiveness restores our relationship with God, increases our joy and gladness, gives life to our bodies, and frees us to fulfill God's purpose.
• God will not forgive what we are willing to tolerate, justify, or hide.
• True forgiveness moves us beyond behavior modification to heart transformation.

Prayer:

• Come, Holy Spirit, and stir in our hearts the gift of conviction. Increase our awareness of any sinful thoughts, attitudes, or actions that are hindering our relationship with you, ourselves, or others. Expose any sins of omission - the good we have failed to do. Holy Father, prepare our hearts to respond and receive by grace through faith your gracious forgiveness in Jesus Christ. Amen.

Reflection Questions:

• What consequences of sin am I noticing in my life?
• How am I experiencing God's gracious conviction of sin?
• How have I been hiding, justifying, rationalizing, or accepting my sin?
• Am I ready to respond to God's invitation with confession and repentance? Am I ready to trust God for cleansing, forgiveness, and transformation?

Scriptures:

• Psalm 51

Key Points:

• God speaks to disciples from the inside out. "Our life is connected to our listening. Our living is connected to our hearing."
• Clarity often follows after obedience. The more we listen and obey, the easier it becomes to discern the Spirit's leading.
• Spiritual discernment is relational and wholistic. It is often more art than science...and it's okay to use your Spirit-infused mind.
• Spiritual discernment is best done in community.
• When the Spirit speaks, He will be aligned with Scripture and pointing toward Jesus.
• Spiritual discernment requires a willingness to be surprised.

Quotes:

• "If it resonates with the character of Jesus ('gentle and humble in heart' [Matt. 11:29]), evidences the fruit of the Spirit, and rings true to God's love and Word, then take a step of faith and see what happens." - Dan Wilt

Scriptures:

• Acts 2:1-4, Acts 8:26-41, Acts 15:22-41
• John 14:16-17
• 1 Corinthians 2:16