One Single Story

General Theme for the Week: Freedom From Performance-Based Living. Today's Lesson: Freedom from the Old Self. On this edition of One Single Story, Pastors Stephen Mizell and Alyssa Bream discuss the following questions: Why do Christians think that the thing that makes them a "Christian" is whether they keep the morals and obey the rules? How does it free us when we no longer depend on our own per...

General Theme for the Week: Insights from the story of a righteous man. Today's Lesson: God chooses the man. On this edition of One Single Story, Pastors Stephen Mizell and Sheryl Daughety discuss the following questions: We live in a world that believes in fairness. How does it make you feel to know that God chooses people based on His mercy, His grace, and His freedom to choose? Discuss this: If...

General Theme for the Week: Insights from the story of a righteous man. Today's Lesson: God chooses and uses the unwanted. On this edition of One Single Story, Pastors Stephen Mizell and Sheryl Daughety discuss the following questions: Does it bother you that Joseph created a system of economics and government very different from our American society? Why do you think that people are so quick to t...

General Theme for the Week: Insights from the story of a righteous man. Today's Lesson: God chooses and uses the unwanted. On this edition of One Single Story, Pastors Stephen Mizell and Sheryl Daughety discuss the following questions: Why does God consistently choose and use the unwanted and despised? What does it say about God's ego but he does not have to choose the rich, the wise, or the succe...

General Theme for the Week: Insights from the story of a righteous man. Today's Lesson: The incredible perspective of a righteous man. On this edition of One Single Story, Pastors Stephen Mizell and Sheryl Daughety discuss the following questions: None of us are Joseph. He was a key player in God's plan for the world, specifically for the survival of the nation of Israel. How can we adopt his pers...

General Theme for the Week: Insights from the story of a righteous man. Today's Lesson: Unanswered questions about a righteous man. On this edition of One Single Story, Pastors Stephen Mizell and Sheryl Daughety discuss the following questions: Sometimes the most interesting way to study scripture is simply to ask questions of the text. Even when the answers to the questions are not clear, they ce...

General Theme for the Week: City Life! On this edition of One Single Story, Pastors Stephen Mizell and Jay Rivenbark discuss the following questions: What do these three concepts mean to you: God knows the future before the enemy attacks; God provides safety that is impenetrable; God provides an inner circle of safety for His children? What are some things that God protects us from? The reading fo...

General Theme for the Week: City Life! Today's Lesson: A New City!  On this edition of One Single Story, Pastors Stephen Mizell and Jay Rivenbark discuss the following questions: God's promises with Abraham, David, and Israel are ultimately fulfilled in the New Jerusalem. How does that change the way we read Old Testament passages like Psalm 48? Instead of thinking of heaven only as the place wher...

General Theme for the Week: City Life! Today's Lesson: God and Politics? On this edition of One Single Story, Pastors Stephen Mizell and Jay Rivenbark discuss the following questions: Looking at the psalms from the perspective of national politics does not mean that we think of God as being with one nation and against another. It means we are on God's side, not that he is on our side. How does thi...

General Theme for the Week: City Life! Today's Lesson: Submitting to God. On this edition of One Single Story, Pastors Stephen Mizell and Jay Rivenbark discuss the following questions: What does it look like in our modern day to "be still"? Does the idea of submitting to God bother you? Do you feel like submitting to God might mean that your life will be more difficult? What does submission mean?...

General Theme for the Week: City Life! Today's Lesson: God Provides And Protects His People! On this edition of One Single Story, Pastors Stephen Mizell and Jay Rivenbark discuss the following questions: How does knowing that God protects and provides give us hope in everyday life? Why is a river a great symbol for God's protection and provision? What are some specific examples of God's provision...

General Theme for the Week: What Will You Do With Jesus? Today's Lesson: What Will You Really Do With Jesus? On this edition of One Single Story, Pastors Stephen Mizell and Chris Rexroad discuss the following questions: What will you do with Jesus when you realize that something on his list is present in your habits? What are some things on this list that we do not consider as bad as other things...

General Theme for the Week: What Will You Do With Jesus? Today's Lesson: There Are Times When It's Tough To Believe In Jesus' Words And Works. On this edition of One Single Story, Pastors Stephen Mizell and Chris Rexroad discuss the following questions: Can you think of some examples when Jesus spoke through someone you did not expect him to speak through? Can you think of some examples of when Je...

General Theme for the Week: What Will You Do With Jesus? Today's Lesson: Jesus Reaches The Social Spectrum. On this edition of One Single Story, Pastors Stephen Mizell and Chris Rexroad discuss the following questions: What can we learn from Jesus about how to reach people that are at the extremes of our social spectrum? What will you do with Jesus' message? The reading for the day is Mark 5.

General Theme for the Week: What Will You Do With Jesus? Today's Lesson: Are You An "Insider"? On this edition of One Single Story, Pastors Stephen Mizell and Chris Rexroad discuss the following questions: Why is it that some people are "insiders" and others are "outsiders"? Is it fair that some people will hear the teaching of the word and not understand it? What is the difference between hearing...

General Theme for the Week: What Will You Do With Jesus? Today's Lesson: There Are Many Reactions To Jesus. On this edition of One Single Story, Pastors Stephen Mizell and Chris Rexroad discuss the following questions: We can draw practical applications from these various reactions. Why do you think the person of Jesus causes such different reactions, even in our current culture? Does the way Jesu...

General Theme for the Week: Dealing with Dysfunction. Today's Lesson: Esau's Wages - Forgiveness and Dysfunction. On this edition of One Single Story, Pastors Stephen Mizell and Alyssa Bream discuss the following questions: Is it naïve or oversimplified to suggest that the cure for dysfunctional relationships is total forgiveness? Do you think that Jacob's submissive attitude demonstrated to Esau...

General Theme for the Week: Dealing with Dysfunction. Today's Lesson: God's Wages - Dysfunctional Characters. On this edition of One Single Story, Pastors Stephen Mizell and Alyssa Bream discuss the following questions: We often use the metaphor of wrestling with God when we talk of things that God is changing in our character. What are some things God has wrestled out of you? Why does God begin t...

General Theme for the Week: Dealing with Dysfunction. Today's Lesson: Laban's Wages - Dysfunctional Finances. On this edition of One Single Story, Pastors Stephen Mizell and Alyssa Bream discuss the following questions: What are some other examples of how we can misplace value systems on our loved ones? How does greed and stinginess reflect our desire to control whether another person is blessed,...

General Theme for the Week: Dealing with Dysfunction. Today's Lesson: Rachel's and Leah's Wages - Dysfunctional Siblings On this edition of One Single Story, Pastors Stephen Mizell and Alyssa Bream discuss the following questions: How can choosing to praise God in the midst of family dysfunction help to heal that dysfunction? Why is it so common that we turn to bitterness and blame when we are fac...

General Theme for the Week: Dealing with Dysfunction. Today's Lesson: Jacob's Wages - A Dysfunctional Family. On this edition of One Single Story, Pastors Stephen Mizell and Alyssa Bream discuss the following questions: When we read a story like Jacob's, does it give us hope to face our own dysfunctional relationships? Why? Why does God's plan for Jacob include such dysfunction? The reading for th...

General Theme for the Week: Believers are connected to one another. Today's Lesson: Believers are Connected in Ministry. On this edition of One Single Story, Pastors Stephen Mizell and Wendy Korbusieski discuss the following questions: Forming partnerships with ministers and ministries allows a Christian believer to indirectly affect the world through their giving, their prayers and their personal...

General Theme for the Week: Believers are connected to one another. Today's Lesson: Believers are Especially Prepared for Sharing. On this edition of One Single Story, Pastors Stephen Mizell and Wendy Korbusieski discuss the following questions: What does lavish giving look like? We use God's lavish blessings for "every good work", how does that promote connection between believers? The reading fo...

General Theme for the Week: Believers are connected to one another. Today's Lesson: Believers Connect with Others Through Giving. On this edition of One Single Story, Pastors Stephen Mizell and Wendy Korbusieski discuss the following questions: Do you believe that Christ is manifested (incarnated) in the lives of other people when believers give generously? Why do you think Paul suggests that rece...

General Theme for the Week: Believers are connected to one another. Today's Lesson: Unified with God and His People, Separated from Sin. On this edition of One Single Story, Pastors Stephen Mizell and Wendy Korbusieski discuss the following questions: What does it mean to be "set apart" for? Sometimes we tend to think of a Christian lifestyle in terms of specific things believers should or should...