The first words of 1 Peter are a greeting from Peter. Sometimes it’s easy to skip over the greeting part of a book of the BIble, because it is like the envelope a letter comes in. We toss the envelope because we think what matters is what’s inside.

Easter is not just good news from the past. Easter is not just a milestone of faith; it is the power to live today. Christ’s death and resurrection change everything.

Let me just say: there are a lot of painful things in life. Some of you are facing pain and hurt right now. So for you this is not a hypothetical question at all. I am going to answer this the best I can but my answer will not be perfect or complete because only God can answer this in a perfect and complete way.

Can the wrongs and sin in your life ever be forgiven? Can they be actually used for good? Do you believe part of God’s story is that God can–and will–set you free?

So far in our sermon series Telling God’s Story, we have looked at Creation and the Fall–when our world became broken and fractured. We want to tackle some questions that are related to these first two parts of the series.

Eventually, as we grow older each of us start to take notice of the world around us….the sky, the sea, the birds, the flowers, the animals, the trees and all of life around us. As we became aware of the world and creation, there is a key question we ask: How did it begin?

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus talks about judging and condemning. But what does it mean to judge and what does it mean to condemn, and how does this all relate to loving our neighbor?

In the verses before Revelation 2:4, the church in Ephesus was commended for several things: Their hard work, their endurance, their desire for truth. But Jesus had one major issue with them - they had left their first love for Him.

God has so much for us to learn and grow in during this pandemic. My goal has been to help my church family navigate the spiritual challenges they are facing.

Biblically, the heart is the center of our life. The test of love is what we choose to live for and die for. Love is an action not an emotion. Love is a decision of the will.

All of us want great relationships.

The pandemic has put pressure on all relationships: Parents, children, marriages, friendships, work relationships, and family relationships. Now is a great time to step back and intentionally look at our relationships and practical ways to reset.

Have you ever found yourself after a long day going home and settling in with a snack and something to binge-watch on TV? We all have go-tos we turn to for comfort and hope when life is challenging. It might be your favorite snack or some streaming drama, where we turn to those things to give us some relief from a difficult day.

“I persecuted the followers of this Way to their death, arresting both men and women and throwing them into prison.” Acts 22:4 (NIV)

The stories are shocking. The largest number of pastors quitting, retiring or moving than ever before. Churches with 30% attendance of pre-Covid numbers. Churches closing.

“The Way” came from Jesus’ words: “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.” The Way referred to this group of people who believed Jesus was who He said He was, and followed His way for their lives. And that began to change everything.

We all need a focus, an intentionality for 2022. The pandemic has caused us all to be inward, reactive and unfocused. So, as we begin a New Year (yea!) we want to be intentional with our family.

One of God’s greatest privileges He entrusts us with is to lead and encourage our family to live lives worthy of God.

But to be intentional with family means we all need strength and faith because the challenge is great and daunting.

Here are three ways to learn from God how to lead my family to be closer to God through all of life.

For all of us our reality is we are living in a disconnected world due to the pandemic. But we are built by God to connect with others and hard-wired for belonging and love.

Until we find our community, we can be loved but not known. To be loved AND known is alot like being loved by God. It is what we need more than anything else.

The Bible definitely gives us all sorts of encouragement toward joy.

“This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24 (NLT)

I think we all need extra doses of hope these days.

We are very used to being in control of things, but the pandemic places us in a reality where we realize we don’t have that control.

Christmas clearly proclaims the message of...hope. Hope that is found in the greatest gift we could ever receive--Jesus. Jesus is the bringer of hope.

So, this Christmas how can we be filled with hope? Here are some thoughts: