Do you think the early church, such as in Acts in the Bible, had it harder or easier in dealing with the culture than we do today? Think about today’s world, with all that’s going on, and consider how God would have you respond.

In the book of 2 Peter in the Bible, Peter says that the story of the Bible and the coming Kingdom of Jesus is the true story of God and humanity. Why do you think it’s important for Christ-followers to be shaped by this story?  And how does this eternal perspective on life guide you through life’s choices, trails, and even joys?

Do you ever find yourself getting distracted and falling into the thinking that your salvation is not relevant to your day or week? If so, consider how you can shift your thinking into becoming more like Jesus — virtue development — which will, in turn, make you more fruitful in your life and more confident in your lavish welcome into His future kingdom.

In those seasons in your life when you’ve been spiritually effective and productive, what virtues were you displaying? In the Bible, we’re encouraged to make every effort to add a number of virtues to our faith including goodness, perseverance, and love. Consider how you can work toward increasing and improving those virtues that will help you live a more Christ-centered life.

What’s the difference between “virtue development,” “rule keeping,” and “you do you”? While these are each ways that we can live, the Bible tells us that we have a big responsibility for our own spiritual formation.  And that formation and the process of becoming more like Jesus is an intentional, lifelong process of virtue development.     

What does it mean to be a Christian in today’s world? Sometimes opposition from the culture around us can be overwhelming. In such an adverse world, we need to be reminded of what it means to be a Christian and ask ourselves: Are we being formed into the likeness of Jesus Christ or influenced by a hostile world?

Do you ever pause to truly reflect on the gospel and what it means for your life? If so, how does that reflection embolden you to share it with others? Consider who in your life needs to hear the gospel, and then share and celebrate the good news with them.   

Do you ever pause and take inventory of the health of your relationships? It’s important to do so because the intentional growth, health, and well-being of your relationships begins with an honest assessment. Then the steps after the assessment are to create and implement a wisely crafted, specific plan for ways to improve your relationships.  

When we consider building intentional families, there are four specific principles we should put into practice — legacy, likelihood, lenses, and learning. Each of these principles require that parents or any person raising a child(ren) be diligent and intentional in the way they parent, with keeping God at the center.    

God designed families and marriage as incubators for children to experience and know Him. In fact, the model for Christian marriage is the relationship between Jesus and the Church.  Whether you’re currently married or are interested in marriage, it’s important to understand and model God’s desire for us to build intentional and Christ-centered marriages.