Join us online! - Next online service starts Sunday at 9 AM • Watch Live 

    The Story | What is Real Friendship Like? | Chapter 9
    November 3, 2024
    The Story | What is Real Friendship Like? | Chapter 9

    Beginnings: How God Got Things Started, A Chosen People.

    The tiny book of Ruth in your Bible is all about friendship. The name Ruth actually means friendship. Two women lash themselves to each other, wondering what God might do for them during a bleak time in their lives. It’s the story of hard work, courage, and God coordinating the needed pieces behind the scenes.

     

    Listen to an audio version of the message

     

    Songs for this week: Spotify

    Chapter 9: Ruth 1:1-22

    1. What’s the best friendship you’ve ever had or have in your life? What has made it so life-giving for you?
    2. Reflect on a time you experienced an unhealthy friendship (without naming names!). What attitudes or behaviors have you noticed that can undermine or damage friendships?
    3. What stands out for you in Ruth’s vows to Naomi? Is making such vows even wise? Explain.
    4. Can you describe the covenant that Jesus has made with believers? What promises has he made? Is this a covenant that you have entered?
    5. How might the story of Ruth help you share the hope you have in Jesus with a friend who doesn’t yet believe?
    Share with a friend

    Recent Sermons

    February 9, 2025
    Ezra 3:10-13 - The book of Ezra tells the story of the return of God’s people from exile. The account details the extra care that was taken by the returnees in doing their best to reproduce what they once had. Very quickly, they got the old altar operational and began to rebuild the temple. Our story is about what they chose to do on the day the foundation of the new temple was in place. There was a party that didn’t feel like a party for everyone, and that’s just honest!
    February 2, 2025
    Daniel 6:1-24-The book of Daniel is all about the Sovereignty of God. The God of Israel proves himself sovereign even in faraway Babylon: boys receive foreign favour and are released from having to eat rich and potentially unkosher food. Young men are saved from a fiery furnace, and old man Daniel doesn’t get eaten by a den of hungry lions. God proves he’s not limited by international borders, arrogant kings or wild beasts. All of this points forward to Jesus, who demonstrated his sovereignty (he is God, after all!) in different ways.
    January 27, 2025
    Ezekiel 36:22-28- The people of God deserved to be in exile in Babylon. They had betrayed their relationship with God by worshipping idols and committing horrible acts of violence. But instead of giving up on his people, God goes with them into exile. He shows up with a message of hope: he will bring them back, clean them up, and make them new. It was good news for the Israelites, and it’s good news for us today.
    January 19, 2025
    Isaiah 6:1-10 - Most of Isaiah’s writings don’t have a timestamp on them, but one event does. The day that he had his most profound encounter with God was shortly after King Uzziah died. King Uzziah would have been on the throne long before Isaiah was born and would have been the only king that Isaiah knew. That’s a big loss. Sometimes, God is able to meet us best when we’re tender from loss or grief.
    January 12, 2025
    1 Kings 18:16-39 - Elijah lived at odds with his culture. An evil king (and queen!) wanted him dead, so he went into hiding. After 3 years, God prompted him to set up a showdown: Yahweh vs. Ba’al, good vs. evil, a battle to the death. Sadly, good’s triumph barely left a mark on the life of his country. Thankfully, there was another good vs evil showdown years later, and its impact is still being felt around the world.
    January 5, 2025
    1 Kings 12:1-16: King Rehoboam continues the descent that has been the story of the kings since the throne was established. No one seems to be able to get it right. Leadership is tough. It requires listening to God and keen self-awareness. Rehoboam’s legacy is that he divided the people of God. May that never happen again.
    All Sermons
    Share by: