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At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.) All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for this census. And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. He took with him Mary, to whom he was engaged, who was now expecting a child. Luke 2:1-5 ESV

And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. She gave birth to her firstborn son. 

Luke 2:6 ESV - - While they were there!? 

Sometimes waiting is actually more work, but when it’s God’s will, it’s worth it. - - - Don’t push!!!

The Messiah in a manger! Has there ever been a more significant treasure found in a less impressive packaging? - The omnipotent, omniscient creator of the universe came to earth in the most vulnerable way to very young parents who had little or no significant earthly possessions. He was born in a stable & spent His first night, on the planet He set in orbit, sleeping in a manger! - Sounds just like Jesus.

That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! Luke 2:8-11 ESV

V 8 - Where are the self proclaimed spiritually elite / prideful? - We still have Pharisees and they’re not who you think they are. - the new dignified. Fruit starts with Grace and Mercy for one another. When Jesus grew up He only ever picked a fight with the religiously prideful. - Aggressive Reach! The King of creation didn’t announce His arrival to Kings in a Castle, but to pauper princes sitting serving in a hillside sanctuary.

And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.” Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying, “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”

Luke 2:12-14 ESV 

Jesus has a history of being obvious in unexpected places. 

Don’t miss Him today! - - It’s easy to miss what you don’t know you’re looking for…

In the middle of all the craziness that is Christmas make sure you don’t miss the Messiah

When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” “Well,” they replied, “some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.” Then he asked them, “But who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Matthew 16:13-16 NLT

When God is God to us He will be God through us in every season and circumstance.

The single greatest cause of atheism in the world is Christians: who acknowledge Jesus with their lips, walk out the door, and deny Him by their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable. Brennan, Manning - DC Talk 

While Zechariah was in the sanctuary, an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the incense altar. Zechariah was shaken and overwhelmed with fear when he saw him. But the angel said, “Don’t be afraid, Zechariah! God has heard your prayer. Your wife, Elizabeth, will give you a son, and you are to name him John. You will have great joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great in the eyes of the Lord. He must never touch wine or other alcoholic drinks. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even before his birth. And he will turn many Israelites to the Lord their God. He will be a man with the spirit and power of Elijah. He will prepare the people for the coming of the Lord. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and he will cause those who are rebellious to accept the wisdom of the godly.” Luke 1:11-17 NLT

The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the LORD; Make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted and every mountain and hill brought low; The crooked places shall be made straight and the rough places smooth; The glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.” Isaiah 40:3-5 NKJV

Zechariah said to the angel, “How can I be sure this will happen? I’m an old man now, and my wife is also well along in years.” Luke 1:18 NLT

Then the angel said, “I am Gabriel! I stand in the very presence of God. It was he who sent me to bring you this good news! But now, since you didn’t believe what I said, you will be silent and unable to speak until the child is born. For my words will certainly be fulfilled at the proper time.” Luke 1:19-20 NLT

It’s up to you to silence the voices of doubt and choose to believe in the good plan God.

In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!” Confused, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!” Luke 1:26-33 NLT

And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” Luke 1:34 ESV

And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” Luke 1:35-37 ESV

And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her. Luke 1:38 ESV

Knowledge about God is no substitute for simply seeing and knowing God as God. 

When the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children. And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.” Now you are no longer a slave but God’s own child. And since you are his child, God has made you his heir. Galatians 4:4-7 NLT

What I love most about Christmas is that’s is all about Immanuel God with us.

The Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’). Isaiah 7:14 NLT

The capacity to care about people the way God cares about people is a clear sign that Immanuel is not only God with us, but also God through us.

What is the price of two sparrows, one copper coin? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows. Matthew 10:29-31 NLT

God has proven with action that we are of immeasurable worth. 

For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. John 3:16-17 NLT 

You were bought with a price. 1 Corinthians 6:20 ESV

In the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. Luke 2:8-20 ESV

Immanuel came to be God with us and God through us! 

The ultimate cause for every Christ follower has to be the cause of Christ!

For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost. Luke 19:10 ESV

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. John 13:34 ESV

If God loved us like this, we certainly ought to love each other. No one has seen God. But if we love one another, God dwells deeply within us, and his love becomes complete in us. 1 John 4:11-12 MSG

The great compassionate commission has no expiration date. 

This is the way to have eternal life, to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth. John 17:3 NLT

A real relationship with Jesus will result in redemption, restoration and healing for any heart!

What if the monotonous is actually miraculous!

What does the term Rhythm mean? - It's a strong, regular, repeated pattern of movement or sound. Rhythm is music’s pattern in time.

God is our life’s metronome. He sets the rhythm and without him we can’t play the song he created us for.

God’s favor is a force to be reckoned with, and it starts with us choosing Him.

Walking with God everyday doesn’t mean life will only be easy, but it does mean that when it’s not, we will be ok because we have God to help us.

The weight of our situation may very well be heavy. Life can be hard. But though the weight of the problem doesn't change its is easier to carry when we allow our very big God to carry it with us.

What I love most about Christmas is that’s is all about Immanuel! 

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. Isaiah 7:14 NIV

As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet: “Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.’” Matthew 1:20-23 NLT

Jesus came as Immanuel to personally deliver the present of God’s presence. 

Advent - - The arrival of someone or something.

Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord! Psalm 27:14 ESV

Immanuel is God with us in our waiting!

We find hope in the prophets promise that Jesus is coming!

Maintaining hope in your waiting is huge for your heart! 

If we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. Romans 8:25 ESV

He’s not just God with us, He’s God through us.

It is a huge blessing to represent the heart and hope of Immanuel in our world.

We’re so glad you are here! Thanks for checking out Sunday's message titled Greater Love!

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SERMON NOTES:

The only thing we never get enough of is love; and the only thing we never give enough of is love. Henry Miller

The word love is so loosely applied and recklessly referenced that it’s lost much of its meaning and impact.

See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. 1 John 3:1 ESV

A longing for love is a longing for God.

This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. John 15:12-13 NLT

God’s Love is Real

This is how we’ve come to understand and experience love: Christ sacrificed his life for us. This is why we ought to live sacrificially for our fellow man, and not just be out for ourselves. If you see some brother or sister in need and have the means to do something about it but turn a cold shoulder and do nothing, what happens to God’s love? It disappears. And we made it disappear. Let’s not just talk about love; let’s practice real love. This is the only way we’ll know we’re truly living, living in God’s reality. 1 John 3:16-19 MSG

Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into friend. - Martin Luther King Jr.

Let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. 1 John 4:7 NLT 

We love because he first loved us. 1 John 4:19 ESV

This is real love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. 1 John 4:10 NLT

God loves because of who God is, not because of who we are. Phil Yancey

God’s love is Relational

God loves each of us as if there were only one of us. Augustine

When Jesus got to the tree, he looked up and said, “Zacchaeus, hurry down. Today is my day to be a guest in your home.” Zacchaeus scrambled out of the tree, hardly believing his good luck, delighted to take Jesus home with him. Everyone who saw the incident was indignant and grumped, “What business does he have getting cozy with this crook?” Zacchaeus just stood there, a little stunned. He stammered apologetically, “Master, I give away half my income to the poor—and if I’m caught cheating, I pay four times the damages.” Jesus said, “Today is salvation day in this home! Here he is: Zacchaeus, son of Abraham! For the Son of Man came to find and restore the lost.” Luke 19:5-10 MSG

God’s love is Relentless

Even if we are faithless, he remains faithful. 2 Timothy 2:13 ESV

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 1 Corinthians 13:7 ESV

God’s love can bear the weight of your life and history and never break!

God loves and believes in you even when you don’t love or believe in you!

We are good at running and rebelling but His love is even greater at pursing and redeeming. 

Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?” “No, Lord,” she said. And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.

John 8:10 & 11 NLT

Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? Romans 8:35 NLT

I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. Romans 8:38 NLT

But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. Romans 5:8 NLT

Jesus relentlessly loves the rebellious, contemptuous, hatful, hurting and hiding, the lost.

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We’re so glad you are here! Thanks for checking out Sunday's message titled His Vision His Voice!

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SERMON NOTES:

If people can’t see what God is doing, they lose their way; But when they attend to His word, they are most blessed. Proverbs 29:18 MSG 

God’s ability to make Himself known is even greater than our inability to see and hear!  

When you notice someone doing well in following Jesus, you’ve simply found someone who’s figured out who to look for and listen too!

Words alone will not discipline a servant; the words may be understood, but they are not heeded. Proverbs 29:19 NLT

Words heard but not headed will leave you confidently lost and arrogantly off course. 

Balak’s messengers, who were elders of Moab and Midian, set out with money to pay Balaam to place a curse upon Israel. They went to Balaam and delivered Balak’s message to him. “Stay here overnight,” Balaam said. “In the morning I will tell you whatever the LORD directs me to say.” So the officials from Moab stayed there with Balaam. Numbers 22:7-8 NLT 

That night God came to Balaam and asked him, “Who are these men visiting you?” Balaam said to God, “Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent me this message: ‘Look, a vast horde of people has arrived from Egypt, and they cover the face of the earth. Come and curse these people for me. Then perhaps I will be able to stand up to them and drive them from the land.’” But God told Balaam, “Do not go with them. You are not to curse these people, for they have been blessed!” Numbers 22:9-12 NLT

If it’s obvious and we still don’t see it, we need to reevaluate where we’re looking for insight!

Balaam answered Balak’s servants: “Even if Balak gave me his house stuffed with silver and gold, I wouldn’t be able to defy the orders of my GOD to do anything, whether big or little. But come along and stay with me tonight as the others did; I’ll see what GOD will say to me this time.” Numbers 22:18-19 MSG

We fall to foolish temptation when we allow things into our lives God has already rejected. 

Numbers 22:22-27 NLT

God is gracious enough to put all sorts of obstacles in the pathway to our destruction!

Then GOD gave speech to the donkey. She said to Balaam: “What have I ever done to you that you have beat me these three times?” Balaam said, “Because you’ve been playing games with me! If I had a sword I would have killed you by now.” The donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your trusty donkey on whom you’ve ridden for years right up until now? Have I ever done anything like this to you before? Have I?” He said, “No.” Numbers 22:28-30 MSG

When God speaks in your rebellion, you should stop and choose to listen.

Then GOD helped Balaam see what was going on: He saw GOD’s angel blocking the way, brandishing a sword. Balaam fell to the ground, his face in the dirt. GOD’s angel said to him: “Why have you beaten your poor donkey these three times? I have come here to block your way because you’re getting way ahead of yourself. The donkey saw me and turned away from me these three times. If she hadn’t, I would have killed you by this time, but not the donkey. I would have let her live.” Numbers 22:31-33 MSG

Balaam said to GOD’s angel, “I have sinned. I had no idea you were standing in the road blocking my way. If you don’t like what I’m doing, I’ll head back.” But GOD’s angel said to Balaam, “Go ahead and go with them. But only say what I tell you to say absolutely no other word.” Numbers 22:34-35 MSG

Obedience to God’s vision and voice results in a life of strength, passion, and purpose. 

When the servant of the man of God got up early the next morning and went outside, there were troops, horses, and chariots everywhere. “Oh, sir, what will we do now?” the young man cried to Elisha. “Don’t be afraid!” Elisha told him. “For there are more on our side than on theirs!” Then Elisha prayed, “O LORD, open his eyes and let him see!” The LORD opened the young man’s eyes, and when he looked up, he saw that the hillside around Elisha was filled with horses and chariots of fire.

2 Kings 6:15-17 NLT

Sometimes we have to be shielded or redirected from what we’ve been seeing, so we can start seeing, what to this point, we haven’t seen.

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Purpose - The reason someone or something exists.

Through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see, such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him. Colossians 1:16 NLT

The more we devalue and marginalize God, the more we devalue and marginalize ourselves.

Our ultimate purpose is to you know Him and to make Him known.

And this is the real and eternal life: That they know you, The one and only true God, And Jesus Christ, whom you sent. John 17:3 MSG

You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments. Matthew 22:37-40 NLT

What you do is either a part of your call and assignment or it’s a diversion to keep you from it!

For God’s gifts and his call will never be withdrawn. Romans 11:29 NLT

A life that’s lived with purpose is a life that’s lived on purpose! - -

In late autumn, in the month of Kislev, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes’ reign, I was at the fortress of Susa. Hanani, one of my brothers, came to visit me with some other men who had just arrived from Judah. I asked them about the Jews who had returned there from captivity and about how things were going in Jerusalem. They said to me, “Things are not going well for those who returned to the province of Judah. They are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem has been torn down, and the gates have been destroyed by fire.” When I heard this, I sat down and wept. In fact, for days I mourned, fasted, and prayed to the God of heaven. Nehemiah 1:1-4 NLT

God’s passion is awakened in the heart that chooses to embrace God’s purpose.

The king asked, “Well, how can I help you?” With a prayer to the God of heaven, I replied, “If it please the king, and if you are pleased with me, your servant, send me to Judah to rebuild the city where my ancestors are buried.” The king, with the queen sitting beside him, asked, “How long will you be gone? When will you return?” After I told him how long I would be gone, the king agreed to my request. Nehemiah 2:4-6 NLT

But now I said to them, “You know very well what trouble we are in. Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire. Let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem and end this disgrace!” Then I told them about how the gracious hand of God had been on me, and about my conversation with the king. They replied at once, “Yes, let’s rebuild the wall!” So they began the good work. Nehemiah 2:17-19 NLT

So on October 2 the wall was finished, just fifty-two days after we had begun. When our enemies and the surrounding nations heard about it, they were frightened and humiliated. They realized this work had been done with the help of our God. Nehemiah 6:15-16 NLT

The work of God gets done when the people of God are willing to work.

Our beleaguered age stands in need, not so much of ten talent men, but God conquered commoners.

So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life, your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life, and place it before God as an offering. Romans 12:1 MSG

Greater - of an extent, amount, or intensity considerably above the normal or average.

Still - referring to something that could or will happen in the future.

Greater Still - refers to something that will happen to an extent, amount, or intensity considerably above the the normal or average or expected.

When Israel planted its crops, Midian and Amalek, the easterners, would invade them, camp in their fields, and destroy their crops all the way down to Gaza. They left nothing for them to live on, neither sheep nor ox nor donkey. Bringing their cattle and tents, they came in and took over, like an invasion of locusts. And their camels past counting! They marched in and devastated the country. Judges 6:3-6 MSG

Lostness will leave you working hard with nothing that matters to show for it.

The People of Israel, reduced to grinding poverty by Midian, cried out to GOD for help. Judges 6:3-6 MSG

When you exclude God from the equation the outcome will always be less than intended.

When they cried out to the LORD because of Midian, the LORD sent a prophet to the Israelites. He said, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: I brought you up out of slavery in Egypt. I rescued you from the Egyptians and from all who oppressed you. I drove out your enemies and gave you their land. I told you, ‘I am the LORD your God. You must not worship the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you now live.’ But you have not listened to me.” Judges 6:7-10 NLT

Disobedience leads to an uncovered, vulnerable life.

One day the angel of GOD came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, whose son Gideon was threshing wheat in the winepress, out of sight of the Midianites. The angel of GOD appeared to him and said, “GOD is with you, O mighty warrior!” Gideon replied, “With me, my master? If GOD is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all the miracle-wonders our parents and grandparents told us about, telling us, ‘Didn’t GOD deliver us from Egypt?’ The fact is GOD has nothing to do with us—he has turned us over to Midian.” But GOD faced him directly: “Go in this strength that is yours. Save Israel from Midian. Haven’t I just sent you?” Gideon said to him, “Me, my master? How and with what could I ever save Israel? Look at me. My clan’s the weakest in Manasseh and I’m the least of the lot.” GOD said to him, “I’ll be with you. Believe me, you’ll defeat Midian as one man.” Judges 6:11-16 MSG

The God who called you is able to do what the God who called you has called you to do.

But Joash shouted to the mob that confronted him, “Why are you defending Baal? Will you argue his case? Whoever pleads his case will be put to death by morning! If Baal truly is a god, let him defend himself and destroy the one who broke down his altar!” From then on Gideon was called Jerub-baal, which means “Let Baal defend himself,” because he broke down Baal’s altar. Judges 6:31-32 NLT

So Jerub-baal (that is, Gideon) and his army got up early and went as far as the spring of Harod. The armies of Midian were camped north of them in the valley near the hill of Moreh. The LORD said to Gideon, “You have too many warriors with you. If I let all of you fight the Midianites, the Israelites will boast to me that they saved themselves by their own strength. Judges 7:1-2 NLT

We can at times overcome temptation or difficulty for a moment or a season, but lasting deliverance always comes by the hand of God.

Therefore, tell the people, ‘Whoever is timid or afraid may leave this mountain and go home.’” So 22,000 of them went home, leaving only 10,000 who were willing to fight. Judges 7:3 NLT

Fear is a response based on self-assessment rather than faith in God.

But the LORD told Gideon, “There are still too many! Bring them down to the spring, and I will test them to determine who will go with you and who will not.” When Gideon took his warriors down to the water, the LORD told him, “Divide the men into two groups. In one group put all those who cup water in their hands and lap it up with their tongues like dogs. In the other group put all those who kneel down and drink with their mouths in the stream.” Only 300 of the men drank from their hands. All the others got down on their knees and drank with their mouths in the stream. The LORD told Gideon, “With these 300 men I will rescue you and give you victory over the Midianites. Send all the others home.” Judges 7:4-7 NLT

So Gideon collected the provisions and rams’ horns of the other warriors and sent them home. But he kept the 300 men with him. The Midianite camp was in the valley just below Gideon. Judges 7:8 NLT

When Gideon heard the dream and its interpretation, he bowed in worship before the LORD. Then he returned to the Israelite camp and shouted, “Get up! For the LORD has given you victory over the Midianite hordes!” Judges 7:15 NLT

When little or nothing is surrendered to God it becomes everything we need to walk in victory.

Recap take aways:

There is a graced rhythm to relationship with God; to stay close is to learn that rhythm!

Being with Jesus will make you more like Jesus!

Until who He is transforms who you are, you’ve missed on the impact of His presence.

When what happens isn’t what you hoped, you learn a lot about the condition of your heart.

You’ll be disillusioned by God’s sovereign decisions if you proudly predetermine that you know best.

Set aside God time is priceless, but everyday life together with God is the goal.

Everyday closeness is not only possible, it's God’s plan!

Todays message:

“Now listen! Today I am giving you a choice between life and death, between prosperity and disaster. For I command you this day to love the LORD your God and to keep his commands, decrees, and regulations by walking in his ways. If you do this, you will live and multiply, and the LORD your God will bless you and the land you are about to enter and occupy. “But if your heart turns away and you refuse to listen, and if you are drawn away to serve and worship other gods, then I warn you now that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live a long, good life in the land you are crossing the Jordan to occupy. 30:15-18 NLT

You can’t live an adulterous relationship with the world and expect to have a healthy relationship with Jesus.

Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live! You can make this choice by loving the LORD your God, obeying him, and committing yourself firmly to him. This is the key to your life. And if you love and obey the LORD, you will live long in the land the LORD swore to give your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” Deuteronomy 30:19-20 NLT

We frequently find ourselves having to choose between a friendship with our feelings and a friendship with our future?

If you want close healthy human relationships, closeness with Jesus is the key.

The LORD is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed. Psalm 34:18 NLT

This command I am giving you today is not too difficult for you, and it is not beyond your reach. It is not kept in heaven, so distant that you must ask, ‘Who will go up to heaven and bring it down so we can hear it and obey?’ It is not kept beyond the sea, so far away that you must ask, ‘Who will cross the sea to bring it to us so we can hear it and obey?’ No, the message is very close at hand; it is on your lips and in your heart so that you can obey it. Deuteronomy 30:11-14 NLT

The LORD is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. The LORD is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made. Psalm 145:8-9 ESV