An angel announced “peace on earth” at the birth of Jesus, and yet the season of Christmas can be anything but peaceful. So what was the “peace” that the Angel proclaimed? In what ways can we experience the peace that was promised?

During the Christmas season, some people find it easy to be happy while others struggle with loneliness and sorrow. Yet some who are in the midst of suffering still find joy. How is that possible? What if there was a way to find joy regardless of your situation? There is, and it’s found in God’s favor and grace.

Christmas may be the most loved and most dreaded season all at the same time. People look forward to seeing some family and friends, but dread seeing others. Each of us probably has someone we have bitterness towards, but part of God’s desire for us this Christmas involves trading in bitterness for something far better. 

The Bible did not create Christianity. Christianity is the result of an event (the resurrection) that created a movement (the church) that produced sacred and reliable texts that were collected and bound into a book (the Bible). But how do we approach not being at peace with everything we read in the Bible? Paul—the apostle, Pharisee, author, preacher, and church planter—offers us clarity and confidence to move forward. 

The Old Testament chronicles God’s redemptive, sequential activity in history. It’s a fabulous, gritty, epic history of the Hebrew people in which, over and over, Israel is reminded that they are a divine means to an end. So, maybe instead of seeing the Old Testament as a spiritual guidebook or a storyline that needs to be tidied up, we should see it as something even better: the history of God preparing the world for a Savior.

“In the beginning...” can be a loaded phrase - one that forces us into debate and doubt. But maybe we’re missing the point of Genesis 1:1a point Moses made to a world where the violence and injustice of the gods justified and legitimized the violence and injustice of human rulers. Moses introduced a radically different, unparalleled, and untested worldview. 

Most of us know some Bible stories, but very few of us know the story of the Bible. And
you may be surprised to discover it’s a story that doesn’t actually begin in the beginning. It
begins with the accounts of a few men who sat down to record the death and resurrection
of Jesus. It begins with the words of his followers who were compelled to document the
events that had changed everything for them—because they knew it could change
everything for us.

Long before there were Christian Scriptures, there were Christians—men and women whose faith began with an empty tomb. These eyewitnesses to the resurrection experienced an event so extraordinary that it changed their lives, and what they gave their lives to, forever. But now a generation is walking away from their faith as their confidence in the Bible is dismantled. They assume that as the Bible goes, so goes Christianity. Maybe it’s time we learned from the faith of those early eyewitnesses—faith that’s undeniable and ultimately, irresistible.

Is the church still relevant today? Well, try to imagine a culture without the Church. What would that culture look like? Better yet, would that be a culture in which you would want to live? In this final message of the series, the case was made that Christianity, unlike any other religion or civilization, offers not just a different way of living, but a better way of living. We explored how Christians - and the Church - have been on the forefront for the most positive, liberating advances known to humankind. The gospel of Jesus Christ is not only a message that saves people for eternal life, but a message that restores a broken world. It’s a message that has shaped cultural values and national identities. With that in mind, it’s time for the Chruch to re-engage at every level because our message is a message of life.

People are willing to talk about spirituality, faith, and God. When Jesus is introduced into the conversation, however, the mood generally changes and people are less receptive. This isn’t new. So what are followers of Jesus to do? Just talk about love, peace, kindness, good deeds, and helping the poor? These are all good things, but they can’t bring salvation. This is why can’t keep quiet about the one name that brings salvation to everyone: Jesus Christ of Nazareth.

Your body has many different parts, each with different and unique functions and yet they all work together for the purpose you choose. Did you know that Christians are a part of what the Apostle Paul called “the body of Christ”? As a follower of Jesus, you are a member of his body - the Church. Just as your body has different members with different functions, so the body of Jesus has different members with different functions. As a Christian and a member of his body, his agenda becomes your agenda. You are called to function in his body to accomplish his purposes. He has given you gifts and abilities to be used in building up his body, which includes you!

As Christians, we believe God is calling us to have a positive impact within our
community and around the world and we are committed to clearly communicating the love and grace of God to everyone we meet. There are a lot of things we could focus our efforts upon, but none as important as our ministry to the next generation.

We all believe exercise is good for us, but we don’t always head to the gym or go on a run. But to get in shape we have to exercise. We have to get off the couch and do it. And, isn’t it easier when we have someone to keep us accountable? The same is true of our faith; we can only get so far on our own.

Certain experiences in life mark us and set us on a new path. There are events that impact the world in a similar way. In this message, we will explore one event that stands out more than any other and how it can impact your life.

Life gets busy. Priorities compete. We loose focus on what is most important. About that time, we read the words of Jesus from the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7), and we are called into focus on what really matters. Jesus’ words cut through the noise and cause us to pause and take inventory.

Only one person can ensure that we end up somewhere on purpose. And that person isn’t in the House of Representatives or the White House. They’re in our house. In fact, we look at that person in the mirror every morning. The reality is that we face our greatest leadership challenge every morning when we face ourselves.

The first step to finding peace in a relationship is to repent if you’ve done wrong or to forgive if you’ve been wronged. But no matter how badly you want peace, there are some relationships that may never be fully restored. What do you do to find peace about a relationship when you can’t find peace in the relationship?

When there’s bad blood in a relationship, the easiest thing to do is to let resentment and bitterness grow without addressing the issue. That’s the path of least resistance. It doesn’t make the conflict go away, but it avoids the relational mess of having to deal with the other person.
Jesus calls his followers to a higher standard. He says that if we have a problem with another person, we should go and have a conversation with him or her. But why should you go, when should you go, and how should you go?

What do you do when you have bad blood with someone who owes you something? Bad blood is costly and complicated. It costs you peace and complicates your other relationships. If you don’t find peace in that “bad blood” relationship, your other relationships will suffer. The good news is that you can have peace about the relationship even without peace in the relationship.

Check out this secret to finding peace about a difficult relationship even when you can't find peace in the relationship.

If there's a gap between where you are and where you wish you were, this simple principle can close that gap.

There is something that prohibits many of us from getting to where we want to be, or to where God wants us to be. It is something we all struggle with and most of the time we don’t even realize it. It just happens. Unfortunately, we don’t think we have any control over it … but we do.

How do you get from where you are to where you wish you were... or even where God wishes you were? Even the thought of pursuing the life God wants for you can be scary. It can stir a fight-or-flight response in you. That’s because the greatest obstacle to getting to where God wishes you were is how you see you. You see the problems of your past. But God sees the potential for your future.

Whether blowing out candles or throwing a coin in a fountain, we’ve all made wishes. They seem like fantasies, but some small part of us holds out hope that they could come true. Some of our wishes are silly and frivolous. But some of them are huge. Sometimes we feel stuck in life. We know where we are, but wish we were somewhere else. How do you turn those big wishes into reality? How do you get from here to there?

God promised us that "we would face trials of many kinds", but he also promised us that, "He would be an ever present help in our time of trouble". We were not promised perfect circumstances, or a perfect world. We were promised an imperfect world with imperfect circumstances and a God who would remain perfect to us in those
circumstances. God is who he says he is. He isn’t less God when things are bad at home. He isn’t more God when we have joy and things are going well. You can trust him when it
doesn't make sense.

So you’ve been redeemed. Now what? To answer that question we have to explore the dual intent of Jesus’ grace: Redemption & Transformation. Jesus didn't come to harm us. He came to save us. God's grace is an extraordinary intervention to anyone's story. When we don't allow him to use our redeemed story for the potential benefit of someone else then there is a loss. So what role does God want to you play in someone else's story?

We are all born with dreams and endless potential. Then life happens and our stories become less simple, more dynamic. When it feels like not every day has purpose and not every year produces progress, it’s not uncommon to begin to wonder: does my life really matter, how many times can I fall and still get back up, does my story still have a chance to be a great one? In this message, you’ll be reminded that Jesus – who is full of grace – never backs away from the dynamic patterns in our lives.

When it comes to finances, it’s normal to go into debt so deep that you can’t see the way out. But there’s a better way. If you want to live with financial peace you have to flip the script to your financial story.

What is the wise thing to do? That simple question is very powerful in every aspect of life - even in the area of finances. When it comes to financial decisions, what if you were to simply ask, “Is this the wise thing to do financially?” And how would you know if it were? You might be surprised to know that the best financial wisdom comes from the Bible.

Our financial stress, worry, and obsession is less about our external experiences and more about what is going on inside of us. Is it possible that a shift in internal perspective would greatly reduce – or eliminate – our worry and stress?

Money strikes an emotional response in everyone and plays a significant role in our lives, in our nation, and in every government around the world. In fact, nations have gone to war over it. In our own lives we’ve stressed about it, fought about it, and obsessed over it. Imagine what it would be like to never worry about it again, never fight about it, and have a sense of peace in this area of your life. All of these things are possible with a mindset reset.

Jesus has been dividing people since the days of his ministry. His claim to be the Son of God and to be “the only way” to the Father was and still is startling. Interestingly enough, 42% of the Gospel of the John focuses on Jesus’ last week of his ministry; before the crucifiction. John provides vivid detail of Jesus’ last days. Why, because Jesus was predicting his own death and resurrection. And, anyone who can do this is someone we should pay attention too.

Jesus was a rabbi, but he was different than the rabbis of his day. During his ministry, Jesuswas available to people and was very approachable. The culture of his day avoided peoplethey deemed “unclean” - people who had diseases, despised tax collectors, sinners, andGentiles in general. Jesus broke down barriers and gave free access to all those who wouldcome to him.

Jesus talked a lot about love and forgiveness, but his message was more bold than what people think. He was an equal opportunity offender that challenged the actions of every group during his ministry. And we learn through the scriptures that anytime the Kingdom of God clashes with the kingdoms of this world it is dangerous and costly.

The best way to predict your future is to pay attention to where you’re headed. But sometimes it’s easy to get distracted by what’s on the path. The appeal of money, acceptance, or security can lower your defenses and lead you away from the path you want to be on. So is there a way back? How do we change course when we realize that we’ve chosen a path that leads us to what’s appealing instead of what’s ultimately satisfying?

We all start out life with great intentions. But our intentions aren’t good indicators of our destinations. In fact, our direction trumps our intention every time. That’s why we all need to follow someone we trust. Someone who can make our lives better and make us better at life. So we all have a decision to make. If not Jesus, then who? And if not Christianity, then what?

Nobody gets lost on purpose. But we often find ourselves in places we never intended. If there’s a disconnect between what you hope to be true in the future and the direction you’re headed now, maybe it’s time to take a closer look at your path. Our direction, not our intention, will determine our destination.

We’re all going to end up somewhere in life, but often there’s a disconnect between where we want to end up and the path we choose. So how can we avoid choosing a path that’s guaranteed to get us where we don’t want to be?

Many who have had a near death experience (NDE) calm to have had a “life review.” Although these “life reviews” aren’t the final judgment, they certainly foreshadow what we may experience on the Day of Judgment that comes to all. So, what do the Scriptures say about the final Day of Judgment. You may be surprised!

At the conclusion of this message across all of our services, 71 people placed their faith in Jesus and were baptized into Christ. Please let us know if you have made this decision to follow Jesus. We would love to help you take your next steps in your growing relationship with him.

The research back in the early 1970’s seemed to suggest that all NDEs were positive experiences. As a result, people began to think that everyone went to Heaven. As the research continued over the years, people began coming forward with negative, “hellish” NDE reports. As the plumb line for all of these matters, what do the the Scriptures say?

People from around the globe who have experienced an NDE talk about all the beauty, wonder, colors, mountains, valleys, loving reunions with family and friends … but those things aren’t their most profound experience. Consistently they say that the highlight of Heaven is a being of light and of love. Who is this being of light and love?

Perhaps the most common theme from NDEs is experiencing a beauty that fills the soul and is difficult to put into words. People who get a glimpse of the afterlife encounter a majesty that is beyond their ability to comprehend. Surprisingly, this “heavenly world” looks very much like the one the Scriptures have been describing for thousands of years.

When I die, will I still be myself? Will I have a body or will I be some kind of angel or spirit? Will I see the people I know and love and will we recognize each other? Will I get along with everyone in the afterlife? Many NDEs reveal a lot about relationships in the afterlife, and so does Scripture. You might be surprised how they compliment each other.

Most people want Heaven to be real but struggle to imagine what it will be like. And if Heaven is real, does it have a place for me? It’s a human question because there’s a human longing to know — what happens when I die? How you think about Heaven should affect everything in your life.

Now is a powerful moment. Think about it: you can only enjoy things now. You can only love people now. The past is gone and the future isn’t promised. All you have is this moment right now. If you want to experience the full life Jesus wants for you, you have to learn to be fully present in your life - fully present in this moment. So what keeps you from this moment and how can you maximize every moment?

One of the biggest obstacles of embracing the Wonderlifeis that we often feel a sense of embarrassment over what we like, love and care about. We start doing things that we are “supposed” to do rather than things we really like. Sure we fit in, but we totally lose out. But what are your passions, your interests? At what are you really good and not so good? God gives you your passions, gifts, talents, and skills. When you begin to understand how these things work together, you’ll get a sense of his calling in your life. Don’t settle for a lesser version of the youGod made you to be.

No matter how you feel about you, God delights in you! To say that out loud feels a bit awkward because we know how messed up our stories are. There are entire chapters of our lives that we would like to delete or pretend as if they never happened. But what if those are the very chapters that God wants to use most? God will heal and use whatever you surrender to him.

Life is hard and awesome and no one has it totally figured out. Why? Because life is made up of opposites. It is both sweet and sour; good days and disasters. Jesus said that he came to give us life to the full, and yet he also said that life would be filled with trials. Adequately answering the questions of identity and purpose will help us navigate the ups and downs we experience in life: Who am I? Why am I here?