Strength to Strength welcomed Renee Miles to discuss how God’s instruction for sisters’ headcovering compliments His design for womanhood.

There is an agreement among Christians that the verses in 1 Corinthians 11 are talking about a head covering, but this is where the agreement ends. Beyond that there is much debate and differences of opinion:

• Is it a practice for today?
• Is it an actual item to wear?
• Do we wear it all the time?
• What should a head covering look like?

The journey to discovering solid answers to the many questions and arguments in this area was a long one but worth the effort. Renee will share the experience of what she and her husband learned that led to their conviction.

An interactive question-and-answer period follows.

Resource: More-detailed testimony by Renee Mills, 2023 (audio MP3).

Resource: YouTube: “Head Coverings: History, Context, and Exegesis” by Carlton C. McLeod

Resource: YouTube: “Headcovering Series” by Finny Kuruvilla:

• Part 1: “Cultural or Counter-Cultural”
• Part 2: “Long Hair or a Fabric Covering? Just in Church, or for Everyday Life?”
• Part 3: “As Modesty, Liberation, and a Gateway to the Spirit’s Power”

Resource: YouTube: “Headship Series” by Matthew Milioni:

• Part 1: “The Order of the Headship”
• Part 2: “Patterns of the Headship Order”
• Part 3: “The Practical Manifestation of Veiling”
• Part 4: “Women Are the Glory of Man”

https://strengthtostrength.org/gods-design-for-headcovering-my-search-for-answers/

Strength to Strength welcomed Josh Wray for a discussion about discipleship modeled after Jesus.

As disciples of Jesus, we are invited to follow Him in fellowship with other believers. Through the joys and challenges of interacting with other disciples, we are being conformed into the image of Christ. In this message, Josh will share what practical discipleship has looked like in his life, and his dream of seeing equipped disciples rise up as mighty men and women in our day.

An interactive question-and-answer period follows.

Resource: “Disciplecast” is a podcast about discipling, which is organized in part by Josh Wray. Join this Telegram group for updates and more! https://t.me/+EPbZDLhSoOhmMmJh

https://strengthtostrength.org/practical-discipleship-in-the-local-church/

Sherilyn Shirk. This delightful children’s book is a full-color, beautifully illustrated treasure for young children aged 2–10. “You Are Precious in His Sight” was designed by a mother of six, and dedicated to foster children. It introduces the child to Jesus as the Creator and Designer of all things good. Further, it assures the child that the hurts they face were never God’s intention, and that their obedience to Jesus’ way will lead to happiness and fulfillment.

Bryant and Lynelle Martin interview Andrew and Sherilyn Shirk to discuss Sherilyn’s new book, “You Are Precious in His Sight.”

https://strengthtostrength.org/you-are-precious-in-his-sight/

Strength to Strength welcomed Renita Petersheim to discuss a biblical view of what it means to be a person and why it is integral to our faith today.

In Genesis 1 and 2, when God created the earth, particularly mankind, He pronounced “very good”. Sometimes that is hard to believe as we experience life through our bodies, personalities, sexuality, and stories. We’ll talk about the incongruence we may feel at times and examine God’s creative design and purpose for us.

An interactive question-and-answer period follows.

https://strengthtostrength.org/gods-design-for-personhood-my-whole-self-unified-for-gods-glory/

Strength to Strength welcomed Glenn Martin for a discussion about the yoke of Jesus. What does it mean that Jesus’ yoke is “easy” and his burden is “light?”

In this Talk, Glenn discusses how our perception of God and the motivations for our obedience affect our joy – or lack thereof.

Many Christians believe there is “pie in the sky by and by when I die,” essentially supposing that while life is depressing now, our joy will finally be realized in heaven. What does the Bible say about that?

An interactive question-and-answer period follows.

https://strengthtostrength.org/is-your-christian-life-hard/

Strength to Strength welcomed Benjamin Harris to discuss artificial intelligence, and how to relate to its implications as it affects everyday life.

Artificial Intelligence is ushering in a new era of questions, both in the workplace and in our lives. We’ll briefly work to separate the reality from the hype. Finally, we’ll touch briefly on how AI can be a double-edged sword in our lives and things we should consider in stewarding our work and lives well.

An interactive question-and-answer period follows.

https://strengthtostrength.org/into-the-ai-flood/

Strength to Strength welcomed Beth Byler to discuss God’s design for women to be nurturing those around them.

Do women naturally nurture? What is God’s call to us as women as we raise children, minister to our husbands, or reach outside our homes? How can we nurture each other as sisters? Can we nurture if we aren’t being nurtured? We want to raise children that are emotionally secure and well prepared to face life. We have a huge part to play in making that happen.

How can we be used of God as women to nurture life and what is our calling in that?

An interactive question-and-answer period follows.

https://strengthtostrength.org/gods-design-for-nurturing-cultivating-life-in-those-around-you/

Strength to Strength welcomed Shawn Miller to discuss how the Gospel’s central tenant has been shaken, and how we can rebuild with a better understanding.

To be a “kingdom person” means to be under the reign of God. Like earthly nations, Jesus’ kingdom has four components including a leader, constitution, domain, and citizens. However, in contrast to the nations of the world, Jesus’ kingdom is international. He came as a King with all the intended consequences of that terminology. His citizens are dispersed among all nations of the world.

While this is the most common and important theme of Jesus’s teaching, it has been largely lost and forgotten. It is of utmost importance to return these foundational concepts and show the whole world what it would look like if we truly lived under the kingship of Jesus. Understanding the emphasis on the kingdom of God will change the way we think, live, and evangelize.

An interactive question-and-answer period follows.

https://strengthtostrength.org/communicating-the-forgotten-foundation-of-the-gospel/

Strength to Strength welcomed Sam Baer to discuss this relevant topic to our time: the proper role of men as God intentioned from the Creation.

For the second installment on God’s design for masculinity we take a look at who we are as leaders. All of us find ourselves in a leadership role whether it is in the church, home, or occupation. How do we respond when we run into problems with people? Let’s take an honest look at how we relate to those who are difficult to lead.

An interactive question-and-answer period follows.

https://strengthtostrength.org/gods-design-for-masculinity-part-2/

Strength to Strength welcomed Sam Baer to discuss this relevant topic to our time: the proper role of men as God intentioned from the Creation.

How does society view masculinity and how does that relate to God’s design? How much has society influenced the church in regards to masculinity?

Join us as we discover God’s design in the scriptures for men. My goal in this talk is to show that only in Christ can a man be the man God created him to be.

An interactive question-and-answer period follows.

https://strengthtostrength.org/gods-design-for-masculinity-part-1/

Resource: Strong Men, Caring Women research article

This is the first part of a two-part S2S Event called “God’s Design for Masculinity” to be held on April 20, 2024.

Also, see part 2 by Sam Baer.

Gary Miller. How can we make this world a better place? We watch with dismay as ungodly leaders are elected and evil advances. What can we do to bring change? What did Jesus do—and what did He refuse to do? Are there opportunities that we, like Jesus, should refuse?

https://strengthtostrength.org/what-jesus-refused-to-do/

Strength to Strength welcomed Anita Yoder to discuss mentoring – an underappreciated opportunity for the older to disciple the younger.

“Could I have your recipe?” Women ask each other this all the time. We are good at sharing tips about laundry and cooking. What if we could be just as eager to learn and share on a deeper level–“recipes” of prayer, relationships, and knowing God’s character? What have you learned from others, and how could you in turn give others what you’ve been given? Let’s explore the possibilities!

An interactive question-and-answer period follows.

Recommended book: “Life is for Living” by Anita Yoder

https://strengthtostrength.org/gods-design-for-mentoring-a-simple-term-for-older-women-teaching-the-younger/

Strength to Strength welcomed four brothers to discuss what their lives look like being a disciple of Jesus. They will share with us ways to pray and partner with them in their work.

The unsung heros of Jesus’ kingdom are the faithful disciples who serve their Lord without fanfare or applause.

Whether you are a warrior in secret prayer, a widow who casts in the last two mites, or a worker advancing the bleeding edge of the kingdom, you can rest assured that deeds of service do not escape the eye of our benevolent King.

An interactive question-and-answer period follows.

Strength to Strength will typically host two Talks a year to spotlight Kingdom initiatives that can be an inspiration to others in the greater community of Jesus’ followers. If you know of a project that you would like to see spotlighted please contact us here.

https://strengthtostrength.org/walk-the-talk-spotlight-on-kingdom-work-part-3/

Strength to Strength welcomed Merle Burkholder to discuss how mankind best thrives in community with others.

God has designed us as social beings. We are relational and function not only as part of families, but also as part of a community. God’s design for community helps us to care for one another and represent the Kingdom of God to a world that has lost its way. In these talks we will look at God’s design for community and how we can use community to bring healing to a broken world.

An interactive question-and-answer period follows.

https://strengthtostrength.org/gods-design-for-community-part-2/

Strength to Strength welcomed Merle Burkholder to discuss how mankind best thrives in community with others.

God has designed us as social beings. We are relational and function not only as part of families, but also as part of a community. God’s design for community helps us to care for one another and represent the Kingdom of God to a world that has lost its way. In these talks we will look at God’s design for community and how we can use community to bring healing to a broken world.

An interactive question-and-answer period follows.

https://strengthtostrength.org/gods-design-for-community-part-1/

Strength to Strength welcomed Bryant Martin to share about practical ways to reach the hearts and minds of those we are called to serve.

Have you ever experienced a “table in the wilderness”? Have you ever created a “table in the wilderness” experience for someone?

We live in a “wilderness.” As our world descends into chaos, we have a powerful opportunity to be “servers of tables.” As many people retreat and defend, Jesus followers step forward and serve. But what does that look like? Join us on for a talk on subject that I believe is close to the heart of our King and our Father in heaven.

“Our primary task is not so much to give answers to impossible philosophical questions as to bring signs of God’s new world to birth.” -N.T. Wright

An interactive question-and-answer period follows.

Strength to Strength Sisters welcomed Rachelle Wenger to discuss why understanding your identity is essential to understanding your life.

Everyone has a story they live in—a narrative of where this universe came from, where it’s going, and how I fit in. The Bible’s long, tightly-woven story from Genesis to Revelation (which I believe is the true one, for reasons we don’t have time to go into in this talk) is more and more astounding the more I understand it. I am one of the (minor) characters in this story. You are too. And the hero of the story is God.

Unless we deeply engage with this story and see the Hero accurately, we end up living by one of the competing (false!) stories. I want to retell a bit of this story and highlight how, in my life and the lives of people around me, the story we live in makes all the difference.

An interactive question-and-answer period follows.

https://strengthtostrength.org/knowing-the-hero/

Strength to Strength welcomed John Byler to encourage healthy dynamics in husband/wife relationships.

God created marriage to be wonderful and beautiful. However, many people’s experience in marriage is sadly disappointing. Is there a way to experience what God originally intended?

An interactive question-and-answer period follows.

https://strengthtostrength.org/gods-design-for-the-home-marriage/

This is the first part of a two-part S2S Event called “God’s Design for the Home” to be held on February 24, 2024.

Also, see part 2 “God’s Design for the Home – Marriage” by John Byler.

Strength to Strength welcomed John Byler to encourage healthy dynamics in raising our children into the fear of God.

Our children are faced with a world of challenges. Let’s take a look at our heavenly Father to understand how we can best prepare our children for life.

An interactive question-and-answer period follows.

https://strengthtostrength.org/gods-design-for-the-home-raising-children/

Strength to Strength welcomed Paul Garber to unpack how the long awaited prophecies have been fulfilled in the Messiah’s kingdom.

“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” Those were the words of Jesus of Nazareth as he began his public ministry two thousand years ago. Could this humble man from the backwaters of Galilee really be the long awaited Messianic King who was to restore Israel and inaugurate a time of universal peace and justice?

How was this reign of God going to come to pass, by military might and power as the Jews expected? Or by laying down his life for his enemies and calling his followers to do the same?

An interactive question-and-answer period follows.

Jesus, not Jerusalem, would now become the central place within God’s purpose, the place around which God’s true people would be gathered.

Peter Walker

https://strengthtostrength.org/thy-kingdom-come-kingdom-promises-to-israel-fulfilled/