Whether life’s changes are good or bad, not knowing outcomes and not yet having answers can lead us to question God. We might feel lonely, uncertain, and anxious and even wonder if God cares or hears our cries. Yet, turning to scripture in the storms of life can provide the comfort and reassurance we long for. Join Groundwork as we study passages in both the Old and New Testaments that remind us and give us examples of just how much God cares about us and the details of our lives. Discover again how his constant, reliable presence and character can encourage us in our discipleship and give us strength to cope with life’s changing circumstances. 

Groundwork: Biblical Foundations for Life

God Always Cares and Never Leaves

After the Apostle Paul started the church in Corinth, others came after him that began to teach the Corinthian Christians differently. These false teachers were challenging Paul’s teaching on the resurrection, a crucial and important truth at the heart of the Christian faith. Influenced by the culture around them, they suggested that Christ’s resurrection was not a true, physical, bodily resurrection. As Paul responds to these false teachings, he is adamant that it is necessary to believe in the truth of Christ’s bodily resurrection. Discover what Paul says are the consequences for our faith if Jesus is not raised from the dead and why this truth is crucial to the gospel message. Learn from Paul’s message to the Corinthians why you can continue to stand firm today on the truth and reality of Christ’s resurrection. 

Stand Firm in the Reality of Christ's Resurrection

Every church is made up of broken, sinful believers redeemed by the blood of Christ. But far too often our human condition gets the better of us and we argue, disagree, inflict pain on one another, and sometimes even experience a break in a relationship.  This reality is not unique to the modern church. The Corinthian church struggled with unity too. They did not care for one another as they should have and the church had an almost clique-like mentality. In 1 Corinthians, the Apostle Paul calls their behavior unacceptable and instructs them to make Christ-like love their guiding principle for their thoughts, motives, and actions. He also gives them further teaching on spiritual gifts so they can better understand the value of each of their members. Studying Paul’s instruction to the Corinthian Christians provides guidance for us still today as we seek to worship and live well together in community.

Love: the Guiding Principle for Christian Living

Understanding Christian Freedom

How does faith in God affect the daily choices you make? Sometimes, it’s easy or clear to see how faith influences a decision. Should I steal? No, that wouldn’t be the choice of a faithful Christian. But other things are less clear. Can I enjoy sex or is it sinful? Can I eat anything I want or do I need to be more discerning? The early Christians in Corinth had many questions about how they should best honor God through their choices and they sought advice from the Apostle Paul. Let’s study Paul’s guidance to the Corinthians so that we can glean his wisdom and gain a better understanding of God’s vision for how we honor and glorify him through our choices and how our faith informs how we act—in our personal lives, in our relationships, and in our communities. 

Sex, Food, and Faith-Informed Choices

The early Christians in the Corinthian church had many questions about how their faith impacted various aspects of their lives. You might be surprised that many of the topics the Apostle Paul advised them on in his letter are things we’re still wrestling with today: sexuality and sexual immorality, accountability in the life of the church, and lawsuits or disagreements among believers. Discover why in each of these situations Paul admonished believers to remember their identity as those baptized in Christ and to act accordingly.

You Belong to Jesus! Act Like it.

As humans, we almost can’t help but make comparisons. But when comparing distracts us from what’s true and what’s important, then it becomes unhelpful and even problematic. The Christians in Corinth struggled with a comparison problem. As Paul addresses their problem in 1 Corinthians, he offers not only the Corinthians, but us too a valuable perspective on power, authority, and leadership in the church, and a vital reminder that Christ is the foundation upon which we should build all things. Together, let’s study Paul’s guidance to the Corinthians to gain a better understanding of what it means to dwell in Christ and live and work as believers today.

Only Glorify Jesus

The Apostle Paul opens his letter to the Corinthian church by addressing those sanctified and called. But we quickly discover that much like ourselves, the Corinthian church was full of imperfect believers sorting out the impact of their faith on how they lived in the world. In the opening chapters of this letter, Paul reminds believers that God’s wisdom may not make sense by the world’s standards, for “For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength” (1 Corinthians 1:25). Join us in digging into Paul’s reminder that when we are confused or need help discerning God’s way, we should return back to the basics and the heart of the gospel message.

Holy People, God's Wisdom, and the Power of the Cross

There are so many unexpected situations in life that are beyond our control and that have a profound impact on our faith: the death of loved ones, natural disasters, lost jobs...How do we respond with faith when we suffer? What happens to our discipleship while we experience grief, pain, frustration, and anger? How can we be sure that tragedy and trauma don’t shatter our faith? Join us as we study scriptures together and receive assurance that God cares about all your experiences and emotions, good and bad. Find out what the Bible says it takes, and what God provides, to stay the course of discipleship in the midst of life’s tragedies. 

Discipleship During Life's Tragedies

Sometimes the things we do and say are out of sync with the faith we profess to believe as disciples of Jesus Christ. Sometimes we make mistakes and consequently experience setbacks in our discipleship journey. These seasons of stagnation in our spiritual growth are not necessarily evidence of weak faith or failure. Even the Apostle Peter experienced setbacks in his journey of discipleship. Scripture is clear that God is with us even during these seasons, guiding and helping us understand what he expects and what he is doing for us. Join us as we study the scriptures to better understand the value of repentance and the ready abundance of God’s grace and forgiveness for reinvigorating our own discipleship growth. 

When Discipleship Growth Stalls

We should expect to grow and mature as disciples of Jesus Christ. What does that growth look like? What is this “solid food” the Apostle Paul says is for mature followers of Jesus? How can we be sure we’re maturing? Thankfully, we don’t need to figure it all out on our own. By his grace, God provides his Holy Spirit to guide us, teach us, and supply what we need for spiritual growth. Find out how to live as a maturing disciple of Jesus and discover the signs of dynamic discipleship already apparent in your own life. 

Grow as a Disciple of Jesus Christ

So you’ve accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, now what? While Jesus Christ has done the heavy lifting of salvation for us, that doesn’t mean we are fully formed disciples of Christ at conversion. In fact, our discipleship journey is a lifelong one. So, what do Christians mean by the term discipleship? When does discipleship begin?  What does it look like? The Apostle Paul talks about spiritual milk, what is that?  Explore these questions with Groundwork as we look to scripture to help us understand what it means to live as disciples of Christ today and as we explore the importance of community in our discipleship journey.

Be a Disciple of Jesus Christ

Change is inevitable. Sometimes it’s good, sometimes neutral, and sometimes downright awful. Any type of transition in life can create uncertainty and anxiety in us. But one thing scripture assures us over and over again is that our God is faithful and constant. No matter what we’re going through, God is with us. We may feel distant from him or wonder what he’s doing, but through it all, we can trust that he’s with us because the Bible assures us this is true. Today, we’ll examine some of those promises in scripture as we recognize a significant change here on Groundwork. Together, we’ll say goodbye, thank you, and God bless you to our co-host, Dave Bast, as he retires and we’ll also welcome his successor, Darrell Delaney, to the co-host seat alongside Scott Hoezee. While one voice behind the mic may be changing, God’s Word endures and so does our commitment to dig deeply into scripture to lay the foundation for our lives. 

Our Faithful God and His Enduring Word

During any season of rebuilding, it’s vital to reacquaint ourselves with God’s word. Whether we’ve been faithful to God all along or whether we’ve strayed from him long ago, we can only rediscover our place in God’s story by reading and retelling it in community. Discover how Ezra led the Israelites in reading God’s word during their rebuilding of Jerusalem and be reminded that when life’s challenges feel insurmountable, when the guilt of the past overwhelms, when loneliness and a temptation to give up creep in, we don’t need to rely on our own ability to cling to God. Because of his great love for us, God—in his grace—has already given us the antidote we need to carry us through.

Lean Into God's Grace

When we are rebuilding after our life has fallen apart, even the smallest opposition can feel like an insurmountable force. Sometimes people mean well but derail our progress. Other times people purposely thwart our efforts, simply because they don’t want to see us succeed. Whether our opposition comes from external pressure or even our own internal fears, doubts, and shame, we can learn a lot about the essential building blocks for biblical success from Ezra and Nehemiah. Their response to the external and internal opposition that threatened their progress while rebuilding Jerusalem and the temple, model for us how prayer, work, compassion, and grace can align us with God’s will and help us maintain forward momentum as we rebuild against all odds. 

Building Blocks for Biblical Success

Groundwork is a half-hour conversation that digs deeply into Scripture, the foundation for our lives. Each week, pastors Dave Bast (president of Words of Hope) and Scott Hoezee (director of CEP at Calvin Seminary) cultivate our understanding of God's Word by unpacking the richness of the Bible and applying it with insight to today's world.

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Groundwork: Biblical Foundations for Life

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