We are diving into a new series for the next few weeks: Children’s Bible stories. This week we are talking about the Shad, Rack, and Benny. The trio are put against the fiery furnace as they stand up for their faith. Does God require absolute faith in the face of death and danger? How do we talk to kids about this?

Discussion Questions:

1. What do you remember being taught about this story as a kid?

2. What was the theological message for you growing up about professing your faith unto death?

3. Where do you see God showing up in the hard places?

4. What do you think is the moral of this story?

5. What does this tell us about God?

We are diving into a new series for the next few weeks: Children’s Bible stories. This week we are talking about the story of Joseph. It’s a long story that gets boiled down to two pages in our preschool Bible. But what about all the family dynamics? Parents choosing favorites? Sibling rivalry? And that doesn’t even cover attempted rape, attempted murder, and slavery. Dive in with us as Pastor Jealaine and Pastor A.J. attempt to tackle this difficult children’s story.

Discussion Questions:

1. What do you remember learning about this story as a kid?

2. What family dynamics do you see at play in this story?

3. What is your theology about forgiveness and reconciliation?

4. What do you think kids should get out of this story?

5. What does this tell us about God?

We are diving into a new series for the next few weeks: Children’s Bible stories. We tell these nice rosy stories to our kids, but what about the hard stuff in all these stories? Like when God kills everyone. Let’s dive in and find some good news as we shatter the rosy glasses.

Today we dive into Noah’s Ark, which is roughly Genesis 6-9.

Discussion Questions:

1. What do you remember about the Noah’s Ark story as a kid?

2. When did it start to sound different to you?

3. How does this lens of looking at the flood story change your perspective of God?

4. What do you think the message in the flood story is for us?

5. What does this tell us about God?

Hola from Mexico! Pastor A.J. is just south of Ensenada on the west coast in Baja California, Mexico. She is sitting down with Pastor Elizabeth Villegas while they are on Spring Break with their college students working with an organization in Mexico for mission work. They are unpacking “the Great Commission” and how we do mission work in the world. **Once again, sorry about my travel audio quality!

Discussion Questions:

1. What do you understand about mission work by churches?

2. How does your church engage in mission?

3. What do you think Jesus intended for us when we go out into the world for mission?

4. How do we live into this in our lives?

5. What does this tell us about God?

Hello from Wittenberg, Germany! Site of Castle Church where Martin Luther nailed the 95 Thesis to the church door. Pastor A.J. is talking with Pastor Bridget, who is the director of the ELCA Wittenberg Center. We will learn a bit about the German church, some history, and impacts on East Germany before and after WWII. **apologies for my travel audio quality.

Discussion Questions:

1. How do we process the Lutheran influence on the Nazi persecution?

2. What does this mean for the church today?

3. What do you think about the German Church's response in WWII?

4. How do you think our church history influences what the church looks like today in the United States?

5. What does this tell us about God?

The reading from Romans talks about the idea of Original Sin and the abundance of grace given in Jesus Christ. Can God’s love and grace overpower all sin? If so, what does it mean for our life in Christ? This is the New Testament lesson for Sunday, February 22, 2026.

Discussion Questions:

1. What have you been taught about the Doctrine of Original Sin?

2. Where do you think sin originated?

3. What role did we have in that versus God?

4. Do you feel like you need to have all the answers for your faith?

5. What does it say about the grace of God if God loved even the worst of people?

6. What does this tell us about God?

We dive into 2nd Peter in today’s episode. It takes some weird turns about faith and is scripture true. What does it mean in our faith to believe or not believe in the factual-ness of the Biblical narrative? This is the New Testament lesson for Sunday, February 15, 2026.

Discussion Questions:

1. Does the meaning of this message matter if Peter wrote it or not?

2. What is your understanding of how we interpret the Bible?

3. Is the Bible up for interpretation?

4. Does it matter in your faith if the stories in the Bible are “true”?

5. What does this tell us about God?

Salt, light, and the law. “Sometimes the Gospel is comforting and sometimes its afflicting, it depends where you are in the story.” In this episode we dive into the Gospel where Jesus talks about what it means to be a disciple. What does it mean to be the salt of the Earth or the light of the world? This is the Gospel lesson for Sunday, February 8, 2026.

Discussion Questions:

1. Where do you see yourself in the reading?

2. How have you heard “the salt of the Earth?” used before? What does it mean to you?

3. How were taught about Jesus “fulfilling the law”?

4. What do you think this “fulfilling the law” has to do with our call to be a follower of Christ?

5. What is the salt of the Earth or the light of the world?

6. What does this tell you about God?