One Single Story

General Theme for the Week: Insights: God's Chosen People Today's Lesson: The Family: The Fabric of Connection On this edition of One Single Story, Pastors Stephen Mizell and Sheryl Daughety discuss the following questions: Americans do not often emphasize family as an important factor to help individuals feel connected to national history. How might families also be important to help individuals...

General Theme for the Week: Our Great Big God Today's Lesson: Leaders Who Fear a Great God On this edition of One Single Story, Pastors Stephen Mizell and Jay Rivenbark discuss the following questions: We have come to expect corruption and compromise in our government leaders. How does this text challenge this? What do we expect when we discover our leaders have been involved in corruption? What d...

General Theme for the Week: Our Great Big God Today's Lesson: A Great God is Worthy of Great Service On this edition of One Single Story, Pastors Stephen Mizell and Jay Rivenbark discuss the following questions: Why is it a distortion to think about worship in terms of how it makes us feel? What other actions of worship can be done outside of worship services? Do you normally think of these action...

General Theme for the Week: Our Great Big God Today's Lesson: Our Great God is Holy! On this edition of One Single Story, Pastors Stephen Mizell and Jay Rivenbark discuss the following questions: Why do modern Christians often forget that God is holy? What does it mean to you that a Holy God speaks to common men? Does God ever talk to you? The reading for the day is Psalm 99.

General Theme for the Week: Our Great Big God Today's Lesson: God's Self-Portrait On this edition of One Single Story, Pastors Stephen Mizell and Jay Rivenbark discuss the following questions: When we speak of God being the God of Israel, we are not attempting to make a political statement but a theological statement. Why do some people confuse our point? When we observe how God dealt with Israel,...

General Theme for the Week: Our Great Big God Today's Lesson: Rejoice, because God is Terrible? On this edition of One Single Story, Pastors Stephen Mizell and Jay Rivenbark discuss the following questions: We often talk about God around church, but seldom in terms like these terrible descriptions. Do you think we have a soft, flimsy view of God? Are these descriptions of God viewed negatively by...

General Theme for the Week: Jesus is Still Working Through the Church Today's Lesson: Unusual Evidence that Jesus' Ministry Continues On this edition of One Single Story, Pastors Stephen Mizell and Alyssa Bream discuss the following questions: The subject of God judging someone by death terrifies many people. Why is this action of God so controversial? Why does this active judgment NOT contradict...

General Theme for the Week: Jesus is Still Working Through the Church Today's Lesson: Another Tripping Stone On this edition of One Single Story, Pastors Stephen Mizell and Alyssa Bream discuss the following questions: Not everyone will receive the ministry of the church, just as not everyone received the ministry of Jesus. Why should the church continue the work of Christ if it is going to be rej...

General Theme for the Week: Jesus is Still Working Through the Church Today's Lesson: Show Them Jesus On this edition of One Single Story, Pastors Stephen Mizell and Alyssa Bream discuss the following questions: How does it change our perspective of our work in the church when we consider that every ministry action we perform should ultimately lead people to hear the gospel and have the opportunit...

General Theme for the Week: Jesus is Still Working Through the Church Today's Lesson: Everybody in the Church Ministers On this edition of One Single Story, Pastors Stephen Mizell and Alyssa Bream discuss the following questions: Our modern culture makes much of equality. However, the Christian religion is frequently accused of creating inequality. Why is the inclusiveness of the church so unclear...

General Theme for the Week: Jesus is Still Working Through the Church Today's Lesson: Jesus' Ministry Continues On this edition of One Single Story, Pastors Stephen Mizell and Alyssa Bream discuss the following questions: We often forget that the ministry of the church is an extension of the ministry of Jesus. Why is this important? How does it change your perspective of your own work for the Lord...

General Theme for the Week: Holiness Each Day Today's Lesson: Does Sunday Interrupt Your Schedule? On this edition of One Single Story, Pastors Stephen Mizell and Chris Rexroad discuss the following questions: Our fast paced society has caused us to cater to our communities through a variety of service times, activities, and seasonal themes. Have we made worshiping God collectively too convenient?...

General Theme for the Week: Holiness Each Day T oday's Lesson: The Priest, the Victim, the Sanctifier On this edition of One Single Story, Pastors Stephen Mizell and Chris Rexroad discuss the following question: Jesus declares us to be holy in an instant. But the process of making us holy can take a lifetime. What has the process of sanctification looked like in your life? The reading for the day...

General Theme for the Week: Holiness Each Day Today's Lesson: Holiness and the Kingdom of Priests On this edition of One Single Story, Pastors Stephen Mizell and Chris Rexroad discuss the following questions: The doctrine that "every believer is a priest" does not mean that every believer should be a pastor or teacher in the church. So how do all believers live out a priest-like ministry in every...

General Theme for the Week: Holiness Each Day Today's Lesson: Holiness and Controversial Issues On this edition of One Single Story, Pastors Stephen Mizell and Chris Rexroad discuss the following questions: What is your reaction at the idea that the following sins require the death penalty?  Dishonoring parents Quarreling or holding a grudge against someone Gossip Pride What is the difference betw...

General Theme for the Week: Holiness Each Day Today's Lesson: Everyday Holiness On this edition of One Single Story, Pastors Stephen Mizell and Chris Rexroad discuss the following questions: Even though we live in a different time and culture, how do our everyday actions reflect the identity of God as a holy God? Actions of modern day "bullying" are mentioned in the text (e.g. don't make workers w...

General Theme for the Week: Who's In and Who's Out? On this edition of One Single Story, Pastors Stephen Mizell and Sheryl Daughety discuss the following questions: Tell a story about someone who accepted Jesus that perhaps you thought would never become a Christian. Before you accepted Christ and came into the Kingdom of God, were you more like a tax collector or more like a Pharisee? What was yo...

General Theme for the Week: Who's In and Who's Out? Today's Lesson: Prayer and the End Times On this edition of One Single Story, Pastors Stephen Mizell and Sheryl Daughety discuss the following questions: What would it look like for a prayer that you have prayed to be answered by the return of the Son of Man? How do we keep ourselves encouraged so that we don't give up before our prayers are answ...

General Theme for the Week: Who's In and Who's Out? Today's Lesson: Jesus' Teaching to Two Groups On this edition of One Single Story, Pastors Stephen Mizell and Sheryl Daughety discuss the following questions: When you hear the concept "the spiritual condition of the Pharisees and that of Jesus disciples were not that far apart from each other," did you feel some resistance in your heart against...

General Theme for the Week: Who's In and Who's Out? Today's Lesson: Religious Pride On this edition of One Single Story, Pastors Stephen Mizell and Sheryl Daughety discuss the following questions: What kind of lessons can we get from reading about the difference between how Jesus responded to sinners and how the Pharisees thought of sinners? Do you think religious people are more susceptible to pr...

General Theme for the Week: Who's In and Who's Out? Today's Lesson: Lost and Found On this edition of One Single Story, Pastors Stephen Mizell and Sheryl Daughety discuss the following questions: The stories indicate that Jesus truly rejoices when a sinner repents. do you think we celebrate sinners coming to Jesus in the same way? How does the older brother in the story of the two brothers symboli...

General Theme for the Week: Insight from Eavesdropping on a Psalmist's Prayer Today's Lesson: Relationship-Based Prayer On this edition of One Single Story, Pastors Stephen Mizell and Wendy Korbusieski discuss the following questions: How does it change the way we think about prayer when we consider that God answers prayer because of his own faithfulness? How does this model of praying reflect on...

General Theme for the Week: Insight from Eavesdropping on a Psalmist's Prayer Today's Lesson: God, Turn it Around! On this edition of One Single Story, Pastors Stephen Mizell and Wendy Korbusieski discuss the following questions: Even though some 85 is a prayer concerning the harvest, we see in it concepts that are fulfilled in Jesus Christ. how do you think these relate to one another? Is it impo...

General Theme for the Week: Insight from Eavesdropping on a Psalmist's Prayer Today's Lesson: Safety and Sacrifice? On this edition of One Single Story, Pastors Stephen Mizell and Wendy Korbusieski discuss the following questions: When we think of "safety" in God's presence, what do we usually picture? Do modern Christians believe that safety and sacrifice can coexist? Why or why not? The reading...

General Theme for the Week: Insight from Eavesdropping on a Psalmist's Prayer Today's Lesson: A Consistent Contradiction On this edition of One Single Story, Pastors Stephen Mizell and Wendy Korbusieski discuss the following questions: How did the death of Jesus satisfy justice for the sinner? How did the death of Jesus allow the sinner to submit to God? How do you think people would have attempte...