Life Group - Study Guides

This week we begin a new series focused on emotions. Not to dismiss them, brush them to the side for later, or put them above the truth, but to understand their purpose. Scripture shows us that emotions are a gift from God. Jesus Himself experienced grief, anguish, compassion, and righteous anger. At the same time, the Bible consistently warns us not to let our feelings become the primary guide for our decisions or morality. In our culture, emotions are often treated as either a problem to manage or a truth to follow, but God offers a better way. Emotions show us what is happening in our hearts and guide us to deeper truths. They should not be in the driver’s seat of our lives. This week we will explore how emotions function, where they can mislead us, and how being rooted in Christ allows us to respond with wisdom, love, and maturity.

This week we pause—not to introduce a new spiritual discipline, but to focus on the outcome of alignment. Over the past few weeks, we’ve talked about prayer and fasting as practices that help realign our hearts with God. But alignment is not the end goal—it’s the starting point. When our hearts are quieted and surrendered, we become more aware of God’s leading in our everyday lives. Life is full of noise, opinions, distractions, and pressure. Learning to recognize God’s voice helps us walk with wisdom, confidence, and peace—even when decisions are unclear. This week, we’ll explore how God speaks, how we discern His voice, and how we respond when He leads.

This week we wrap up our series on prayer and fasting. As we step into a new year, our desire has been to help our church develop essential habits that reset our lives and realign our hearts with the Word of God. Life is a gift—but it is also hard. When we learn to be people who consistently reflect, seek God, and ask Him to reveal our next steps, we find ourselves anchored to His promises rather than overwhelmed by our circumstances. With that in mind, let’s look at a few final truths about prayer and fasting practices, that help align us with God and His plans for our lives.

As we continue this series on prayer and fasting, we are looking closely at the example Jesus gave us in Matthew 6 through what we commonly call The Lord’s Prayer. Many people believe prayer matters yet feel intimidated by it—unsure how to pray or afraid of doing it “wrong.” Jesus did not give us a script to repeat, but a framework, pattern, and guide to shape how we pray. When prayer and fasting are practiced together, they bring alignment—aligning our hearts, desires, and will with God. If we fast without prayer, we’ve missed the point. Together, prayer and fasting create space for God to work in us.

At the beginning of a new year, many people focus on resolutions, goals, diets, exercise plans, or a “word for the year.” Others are completely over all of it. But whether we love or hate resolutions, most of us can agree on this: it's a natural time for a reset. What we need most isn’t just better habits—it's a heart and mind that hunger and thirst for God. Often, we assume nothing needs to change, or we tell ourselves that we will deal with spiritual things later. Over time, that delay can harden our hearts without us realizing it. Together, we want to be a church that intentionally seeks Jesus in 2026—not out of pressure or guilt, but out of desire and trust.

The New Year often feels like a fresh start. For some, it’s a reset in relationships, health, work, parenting, or faith. We set goals and make plans, but like diet and exercise, growth takes time—and sometimes we hit ruts or plateaus. As we approach 2026, what if our biggest goal wasn’t just external improvement, but spiritual growth? King David made it clear that above everything else, there was one thing he truly desired. Join us as we explore what it means to pursue God in a deeper way and how that pursuit can shape every area of our lives.

Jesus turned every expectation upside down. Instead of demanding service, He offered it freely. Instead of elevating Himself, He humbled Himself. Instead of claiming power, He laid it down. His greatness was found in His willingness to serve — and He invites us to follow in that same quiet strength.

Many hoped for a Messiah who would overthrow oppressors and claim a throne with force. Instead, Jesus arrived as a Shepherd — guiding, protecting, lifting up the broken and wandering. His strength was tender. His leadership was personal. His power looked like compassion.

Zacchaeus wasn’t the man anyone expected Jesus to pursue. His reputation was damaged, his choices had hurt others, and the crowd believed he didn’t deserve kindness. Yet, Jesus called him by name, stepped into his home, and changed his life. Grace came where no one expected it — and that’s exactly how Jesus still works.

It’s that time of year—Christmas at the Cove! Over the next few weeks, we’ll turn our hearts toward our Savior and explore key moments from His life and ministry to help us stay focused on Him this Christmas season. Jesus surprised everyone by the way He came into the world. Many expected Him to arrive with force—judging the wicked and rewarding the righteous. They wanted a conqueror on a war horse, but instead He arrived humbly. He came not to crush but to call, not to condemn but to offer repentance. And like we see in the story of Balaam’s donkey, Jesus often sees what we cannot and protects us in ways we often fail to recognize. Let’s explore why these things matter so much.