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August 30, 2026: Lydia, The Generous Hostess | Acts 16:11-15, 40
Have you ever made plans only to have them changed at the last minute? Paul and Silas meet up with Timothy and eventually Luke, to travel through Asia Minor. It is between 49-52 AD- which takes some doing, so changing plans is not necessarily easy. This is Paul’s second missionary trip. He wants to check on established churches and start up more. God, however, changes the plan! It is good to remember that God, in His wisdom, knows His better plans and purposes. God’s pla
Debbie Barcus & Laura Neal
Aug 275 min read
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August 30, 2026: Lydia, The Generous Hostess | Acts 16:11-15, 40
Have you ever made plans only to have them changed at the last minute? Paul and Silas meet up with Timothy and eventually Luke, to travel through Asia Minor. It is between 49-52 AD- which takes some doing, so changing plans is not necessarily easy. This is Paul’s second missionary trip. He wants to check on established churches and start up more. God, however, changes the plan! It is good to remember that God, in His wisdom, knows His better plans and purposes. God’s pla
Debbie Barcus & Laura Neal
Aug 275 min read
August 23, 2026: A Leader With A Legacy | 2 Timothy 1:1-6, 2 Timothy 2:14-15
But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses. (1 Timothy 6: 11-12). Imagine you are imprisoned and sentenced to death. You know your time left on earth is short. The keepers of the prison pay you little attention; you won’t be alive long. You are cold.
Debbie Barcus & Laura Neal
Aug 236 min read
August 16th, 2026: Saul of Tarsus, The Unlikely Apostle | Acts 22: 3-15
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. (Matthew 5: 16) What does “letting our light shine” actually mean ? People, as a rule, are not interested in a true theological debate. Most simply need to hear about Jesus and understand how having a relationship with Him changes lives. As followers, students, disciples of Jesus, we all have our own and varied stories to tell. We have experienced the love
Debbie Barcus & Laura Neal
Aug 136 min read
August 9th, 2026: The Unwavering Martyr | Acts 6:7-10, Acts 7:54-60
Before the wonders and miracles came service and sanctification. Stephen was chosen to serve tables for the growing church and to settle disputes among the widows, which allowed the disciples to preach, pray, and study unhindered. He was chosen and set aside, using specific criteria: honesty, wisdom, and fullness of the Spirit of God. I doubt it was a position he sought out, but only with 6 other good men he did the job he was asked to do. The word deacon is used today for
Debbie Barcus & Laura Neal
Aug 55 min read
August 2, 2026: Thomas the Hesitant Disciple | John 11:14-16, John 14:5-8, John 20:24-29, John 21:1-2
That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls. (1 Peter 1:7-9). He picked twelve men, specifically chosen for a job they individual
Debbie Barcus & Laura Neal
Jul 298 min read
July 26th, 2026: Mary, the Loyal Mother | Luke 2:15-19, John 2:1-5, John 19:25-27
Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14). Luke 2: 15-19 15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. Shepherds weren’t high on the list of society’s power players. They put their own lives
olivianeal00
Jul 296 min read
July 19th, 2026: Zacchaeus the Repentant Tax Collector | Luke 19:1-10
Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the Lord. (Jeremiah 9:23-24). We have all heard the story. In fact, we know the song by heart. We may not be able to s
Debbie Barcus & Laura Neal
Jul 156 min read
July 12th, 2026: The Restored Disciple | Mark 8:27-29, Luke 22:31-34, John 18:25-27, John 21:15-17
And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. (Matthew 4:19). There is a phrase used in Israel that “God created the seven seas but he created the Sea of Galilee for his delight*” Although the Sea of Galilee is a Lake (often referred to as Lake Kinneret), God’s delight was to choose his disciples from this area. Peter, well known to all of us for his boldness, quick answers, denial, and restoration, was a fisherman living near the Sea of Galilee.
Debbie Barcus & Laura Neal
Jul 126 min read
July 5th, 2026: The Believing Centurion | Matthew 8:5-13
But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. (Hebrews 11:6). Jesus had just finished the Sermon on the Mount. People continued to gather around Him. Whether you are new to church or have been around church a long time, you know that the words “faith” and “believing” are frequently interchangeable. The book of Hebrews defines faith for us: Now faith is the subs
Debbie Barcus & Laura Neal
Jul 46 min read
June 28th, 2026: Amos the Courageous Prophet | Amos 1:1, Amos 2:11-12, Amos 3:7-8, Amos 7:10-15
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. (1John 1: 8-10). How many times as a child did you hear the phrase “You can learn this the easy way or the hard way!” As human beings, we tend to default to the “hard” way! Pridefully, we value our o
Debbie Barcus & Laura Neal
Jun 258 min read
June 21st, 2026: Jonathan and David Resolute Friends | 1 Samuel 18:1-4, 1 Samuel 20:16-17, 2 Samuel 1:6-17, 21:7
Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you. (John 15:13-16) The Bible mentions friendship and being a friend often. Abraham was a friend of God. God spoke to Moses face to face as one does a friend.
Debbie Barcus & Laura Neal
Jun 179 min read
June 14th, 2026: Hannah the Faithful Supplicant | 1 Samuel 1:9-20, 25
Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains: for the Lord hath comforted his people, and will have mercy upon his afflicted. But Zion said, The Lord hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me. Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. (Isaiah 49:13-15). Our lesson today is about Hannah, the mother of Samuel the prophet. Her sto
Debbie Barcus & Laura Neal
Jun 1010 min read
June 7th, 2026: Deborah the Dutiful Judge | Judges 4:4-10, 21, 22
For ye are all the children of God by Faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you has have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, There is neither bond nor free, There is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3: 26-28). People today feel like the Bible discriminates or is somehow against women. This is simply not so. Just as with the men in scripture, there are many accounts recorded of women who faile
Debbie Barcus & Laura Neal
Jun 35 min read
May 31st, 2026: Living in a Christian Community | Matthew 28:18-20, Hebrews 10:22-25
For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul. (Hebrews 10: 37-39). Tis the season for family reunions and weekend cook-outs with friends. Who doesn’t love the togetherness of the summer season? What a joy to share our abundance and blessings
Debbie Barcus & Laura Neal
May 286 min read
May 24th, 2026: The Christian Rhythms of Life | Mark 2:18-28
When I was young, I once believed that if I were more beautiful, then everything would work out right. But now I’ve become friends with many lovely-looking people who struggle as I do, and sometimes even worse. As a young mother, I believed that if I were smarter and more efficient, then my young family would be so much happier. But I know a host of smart and efficient women who still get the blues and deal with disobedient children and disorderly households. Perhaps many
Laura Neal
May 216 min read
May 17h, 2026: Christian Manner of Justice | Deuteronomy 24:14-21, Ephesians 6:5-91 Timothy 6:17-19
Deuteronomy 24:14-21 The book of Deuteronomy sets forth the legal principles that the nation of Israel was built on. Many will claim that religious beliefs should be kept personal and that we should not impose biblical thinking on the culture or bring Christian morals and values into public discourse. From the beginning, God gave human beings stewardship to govern the world that He had created. Being a child of God is an all encompassing position, we are christians in the w
Debbie Barcus & Laura Neal
May 146 min read
May 10th, 2026: Work As Christian Duty | Genesis 2:5, Exodus 20:9, John 5:17, John 9:4 , Acts 20:33-35, II Thessalonians 3:6-12
But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. (1 Corinthians 15:27-28). This lesson requires that we begin by defining our terms. Often, in the church world the word, “work” is associated with an act of earning salvation. This is not the definition of work used in our lesso
Debbie Barcus & Laura Neal
May 77 min read
May 3rd, 2026: Christian Expectation of Grace | Jonah 3:1-5, 4:6-11
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to thi
Debbie Barcus & Laura Neal
Apr 298 min read
April 26th, 2026: Distinct and Obedient | Deuteronomy 6:3-9, Matthew 19:3-9
Hear. Observe. And Do. God’s instructions through Moses were to be heard, not just listened to, but attended to. God’s commands were to be observed; seasons of time and family generations were to be measured by their keeping. In obedience they were to “walk out” the holy practices that pointed to the heart of God and His purpose for His people. Finally, they were to be done. His people were to do what God commanded in obedience and then to live lives founded on the pat
Debbie Barcus & Laura Neal
Apr 267 min read
April 19th, 2026: Gift and Model | Mark 9:36-37, 42 Mark 10:13-16
Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the e
Debbie Barcus & Laura Neal
Apr 176 min read
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