CareyOPEN

The journey of Elijah and Elisha reminds us that even when faith feels circular or grief lies ahead, God's Spirit is with us, guiding us forward as beloved children and heirs of His promises.

Ahab tried to shape his future and preserve his legacy, but God had the final word. 1 Kings 22 reveals the unmatched authority and sovereignty of God.

1 Kings 21 exposes the danger of unchecked desire. When what we want matters more than the people God has entrusted to us, injustice takes root. Naboth's vineyard becomes a sobering picture of judgment, but Jesus offers a different way: the path from death to life.

God graciously gave Ahab the victory, yet Ahab treated God's gift as his own. Are we any different? What blessings, opportunities, relationships, or abilities has God graciously given that you've quietly claimed as your own?

Baptist ecclesiology fosters agency because it is grounded in covenant participation. The triune God invites persons into covenant relationship with God and one another, reflecting an agency-affirming vision of divine–human communion. Baptism embodies this invitation as the believer’s voluntary “yes” to God and the covenant community. Yet agency extends beyond baptism into shared discernment, mutual accountability, and covenant renewal at the Lord’s Supper. While rooted in Scripture, this vision resonates with social-scientific insights about human flourishing. Science-engaged theology—especially Basic Psychological Needs Theory—offers a lens for evaluating whether Baptist communal practices truly reflect the conviction that God desires the flourishing of our gathered communities.