January 04, 2026 | Be Connected
BEGINS JANUARY 5, 2026
Over the first three years of these studies, we have taken a sweeping overview of the entire Bible with studies on the four Gospels (“Be with Jesus”), the rest of the New Testament (“Be on Mission”), the Old Testament (“Be God’s Light”). In 2025 we followed that overview by exploring New Testament books written for Jews who saw Jesus as the Messiah (“Be God’s Family”).
Our study in 2026 will be on the New Testament books that focus on books related to the Apostle John. We begin with the Gospel of John and end with the Epistles of John. In between we will explore John’s adopted home of Ephesus by looking at some sections of Acts, the book of Ephesians, and 1 & 2 Timothy which were letters written by Paul to the pastor of the Ephesian Church. As the Gospel was expanding, it was important for John, Paul, Timothy and others to remain connected to the Lord and each other. So, this year’s study is called, “Be Connected.”
Think about it. This theme of “Be Connected” is timeless. Modern believers need to know how to be connected to our God, our church community, our families, our neighborhoods, and our world. Particularly in this technological age, we are longing for deeper real-life connections.
Again this year several people from our church are joining me in writing the devotionals for this study. They will bring fresh insights and perspectives to our devotion time. Each of them is engaged in training by me, a small cohort with one another, and personal prayer as they produce what you will read and reflect on. Make sure to thank them throughout the year as you are impacted by their words.
There are several components to this year-long exploration:
Daily Scripture Readings – Actually, they are five days a week. Consider reading each weekday to anchor your day in Scripture.
Daily Devotions – These are written by others and me, and correlate with the daily readings to help you think more deeply about what you are reading.
Weekly Studies – These studies, written by my colleague Rev. Dr. Ben Greenbaum, are great tools for small groups and classes.
Weekly Sermons – If you cannot attend worship with us in person, you can always watch them HERE.
Weekly Podcasts – Ben and I and some special guests will spend some time each week dialoguing about that week’s readings, listen HERE.
The hope is that we are all drawn to God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in this study as One who is Holy, yet approachable through His kindness and salvation. All Scripture references are NIV unless otherwise noted.
It is my prayer that you will be motivated to embrace the fact that you are a child of God, called by Him to “Be Connected” with Him and others.
Enjoy the journey!
Rev. Mark A. Ellcessor
Senior Pastor, Fishers United Methodist Church
