Listen here as Josh Wall continues our series on The Good and Beautiful Life.
Questions for Reflection from Chapter 4:
The author opens the chapter with the author’s honest account of getting angry during a trip. What aspects of the author’s story can you relate to?
The author gives us multiple “false imperative narratives” (FINs) (p. 73). Which FIN is most common in your life? How does it lead you to anger?
“Jesus’ narrative is that God permits nothing to happen to us that He cannot redeem and use for good. In the kingdom of heaven God is always near. We are never alone and never needed to be afraid. When I live with this reality deep in my mind and heart anger cannot get a grip on me” (p. 77). Do you have any evidence in your life of anger diminishing as you come to know that God is near to us and working for our good? (my addition): If an example doesn’t come to mind, consider taking 2-3 minutes in your group to quietly reflect on something you are (or have been) angry about. As you reflect on that anger, bring in God’s provision and proximity? Can you sense the anger changing as you reflect on the reality that God is with you?
00Teresahttps://thebranchonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/The-Branch.pngTeresa2019-03-26 15:00:102019-03-26 15:00:10The Good and Beautiful Life: Learning to Live Without Anger (3.24.19)
Because we have been invited by God, we are called to be people who extend lavish hospitality. Listen here as Deborah McCreary tells stories of receiving lavish hospitality and encourages us to do the same.
Questions for reflection: 1. How can you offer hospitality to someone this week (a coworker, a neighbor or someone you disagree with)? 2. Review the section “Jesus’ Narrative: The Beatitudes Are Invitations of Inclusion,” on pp. 55-62 of The Good and Beautiful Life. How does the author’s interpretation resonate or differ from what you have been taught about the Beatitudes? 3. How can we, as followers of Jesus, live out the message of invitation to those who are seen by the world as ‘cursed’?
00Teresahttps://thebranchonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/The-Branch.pngTeresa2019-03-19 15:00:302019-03-19 15:00:30The Good and Beautiful Life: The Grand Invitation (3.17.19)
00Teresahttps://thebranchonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/The-Branch.pngTeresa2019-03-11 15:45:322019-03-11 15:45:32The Good and Beautiful Life – Week 1 (3.10.19)
God’s love makes more room at the table, not less. How are we as a church making more room at our table, and how might we do that in the future?
00Teresahttps://thebranchonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/The-Branch.pngTeresa2019-03-05 17:22:302019-03-05 17:22:30Our Hopes for the Future: Week 3 (3.3.19)
Shape. Embrace. Grow. Participate. Listen here to find out what these words mean for the future of The Branch.
00Teresahttps://thebranchonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/The-Branch.pngTeresa2019-02-26 19:15:302019-02-26 19:15:30Our Hopes for the Future: Week 2 (2.24.19)
In this series, we are asking a couple of questions: What is the picture of the future that God is asking us to aim our heart towards? and What unique role is God asking us to play in bringing that future into the present? Listen here as we explore this as we take a look at the history of The Branch and who we are today.
00Teresahttps://thebranchonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/The-Branch.pngTeresa2019-02-18 17:46:432019-02-18 17:46:43Our Hopes for the Future: Week 1 (2.17.19)
Are the liturgies of our lives aiming us in the direction of the Kingdom of God?
00Teresahttps://thebranchonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/The-Branch.pngTeresa2019-02-11 17:03:452019-02-11 17:03:45Recalibrate: Liturgies of the Everyday (2.10.19)
We all have liturgies that shape us everyday. What if we looked at the mundane things of life, like brushing our teeth and eating a meal, with new eyes? How could we make small changes so that these things become formative?
00Teresahttps://thebranchonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/The-Branch.pngTeresa2019-02-05 15:41:492019-02-05 15:41:49Recalibrate: The Liturgies of the Everyday (2.3.19)
We might not always be aware of the liturgies of corporate worship, but they’re there in big and small ways. The over-arching liturgy of corporate worship is radically counter-cultural. It has the potential to recalibrate us towards God.
00Teresahttps://thebranchonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/The-Branch.pngTeresa2019-02-05 15:36:112019-02-05 15:36:11Recalibrate: The Liturgies of Worship (1.27.19)
Who is my first love? Do I spend my time as if God is my first love? “Seek first the Kingdom of God.” (Matthew 6:33)
00Teresahttps://thebranchonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/The-Branch.pngTeresa2019-01-22 18:17:052019-01-22 18:17:05Recalibrate: The Spirit Meets You Where You Are (1.20.19)
How can a trip to the mall shape who we are? Are we aware of the things that are shaping us? And are those things shaping us to be more like God? Listen here as we explore these questions.
00Teresahttps://thebranchonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/The-Branch.pngTeresa2019-01-22 18:03:292019-01-22 18:03:29Recalibrate: What Shapes You? (1.13.19)
As we begin a new year we invite you to join us as we consider how to recalibrate our heart’s desires towards what really matters — to those things that are primary — to true north. Proverbs 4:23 says “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” We encourage you to keep that verse close over the next few weeks, maybe even memorize it. In John 1:35-39 Jesus asks his disciples what they want and we are asking the same question today. What do you desire? What does your heart seek? Listen here for more.
00Teresahttps://thebranchonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/The-Branch.pngTeresa2019-01-08 14:30:382019-01-08 14:30:38Recalibrate: What do you want? (1.6.19)
Listen here as we take our last journey of the Christmas story. Follow Mary, Joseph and Jesus as they travel to Egypt.
00Teresahttps://thebranchonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/The-Branch.pngTeresa2019-01-02 19:11:092019-01-02 19:11:09The Journey of Advent: The Family to Egypt (12.30.19)
We begin our Advent series this week with joy. Look at Luke 1:39-45 with us as find joy through Mary and Elizabeth, even in the midst of uncertainty.
00Teresahttps://thebranchonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/The-Branch.pngTeresa2018-12-12 15:49:462018-12-12 15:49:46The Journey of Advent: Joy (12.2.18)
What if we would look at the parable of The Good Samaritan from a different perspective? What if we would enter in to the story from the perspective of the wounded traveler? Would that change what we think of this story? What could we learn about our enemies?
00Teresahttps://thebranchonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/The-Branch.pngTeresa2018-11-26 17:28:302018-11-26 17:28:30The Parables of Jesus: The Wounded Traveler (11.25.18)
This week we studied Jesus’ teaching from Matthew 13:31-35, the parables of the mustard seed and the yeast. We discovered that these two very short stories teach us much about the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom shows up through ordinary things, is one of abundant potential, and involves our action and trust.
00Teresahttps://thebranchonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/The-Branch.pngTeresa2018-11-21 18:16:412018-11-21 18:16:41The Parables of Jesus: The Mustard Seed and the Yeast (11.18.18)
Listen as we continue to look at the parables Jesus used to teach. This week we looked at the parable of The Pharisee and the Tax Collector from Luke 18:9-14.
00Teresahttps://thebranchonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/The-Branch.pngTeresa2018-11-14 15:26:582018-11-14 15:26:58The Parables of Jesus: The Pharisee and the Tax Collector (11.11.18)
What can we learn from a parable that spans just two verses? We think quite a lot! Listen here as we dig into the Pearl of Great Price from Matthew 13:45-46.
00Teresahttps://thebranchonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/The-Branch.pngTeresa2018-11-04 16:01:052018-11-04 16:01:05The Parables of Jesus: The Pearl of Greatest Price (11.4.18)
