99 CHURCH

All too often, the beauty that’s in the world is overshadowed by the ugly. How do we find joy in the midst of so much sorrow? We look to Sabbath, a discipline of celebration. Sabbath is so much better than a day off; it’s a day devoted to joy and celebration and beauty. This week, we explore Sabbath as an invitation into delight.

Despite working more and owning more than ever before, we are still unhappy and restless. Rest always seems to be out of reach. How to we break free from the restlessness of our age and the never-ending desire for more? This week, we explore rest as rebellion against the spirit of restlessness, and how Sabbath liberates us to rest.

We are tired. Our bodies are tired. Our souls are tired. How do we tap into the life Jesus promises us? We find the answer in the ancient spiritual rhythm of Sabbath. What is Sabbath and how can we practice it in the modern life?

How often do we miss out on what God is doing because it doesn’t look the way we expected it to? How do we let go of what we pictured to step into what God purposed? Christmas reminds us that God’s greatest gift to the world came wrapped in the most unexpected packaging.

Familiarity kills wonder. Could it be that we have become too familiar with the Christmas story that it no longer stirs wonder within us? Have we sanitized the humanity out of the story of Jesus' birth? We experience God-With-Us in a new way when we realize that Jesus came into the world the same way we did, through a womb.

Guest Speaker Naseem Khalili takes us on an exploration into one of the core themes of Advent: Joy. What is joy and how do we access this joy in the midst of so much sorrow and darkness in our lives? We find that as we seek the face of joy, surround ourselves with the church body, and surrender to the Holy Spirit's work in us, we begin experiencing the joy of the Lord.

Human beings are incredible. We flew to the moon, created highways, mastered flight; yet, with all our achievements and advances, with all the incredible things we've accomplished and created, the one thing we can't seem to figure out is how to find peace. How do find peace in our souls? This week, we remember the peace that came long ago and the peace we continue to anticipate today.

Jesus' arrival sparked more than just a holiday; it sparked a rebellion. He challenged the ways of the world that left us without life and ushered in a new way of living that brought hope, peace, joy, and love to humanity. We begin our Advent collection this year by exploring the theme of hope.

When we intentionally look at our lives through the lens of gratitude and thanksgiving, we’ll be able to see the goodness of God in His provision for us, His presence with us, and what He is producing in us.

What do we do when we come up against disappointment in our lives? What do we do when what we think God is doing is different from what God's actually doing? This week, we look to the story found in the beginning of Mark 2 as we explore how God moves in the midst of our disappointments, and how God often uses people in our lives to carry us through them.