"Rejoice always" - a beautiful sentiment, and a reality we would all like to experience, but what does this commandment really mean for God's people? Far from a trite cliché, Deacon Cody Bartrug shows us in this homily the great depths of the reality of hope and joy for God's people.

Loving God with all of your heart, soul, strength, and mind, and loving your neighbor as yourself; these are simple commands, but as we all know living them out is a completely different story. In this sermon we confront the true question: what does it mean to be a neighbor to those in need, loving them as we love ourselves?

It is fitting that the conclusion to Colossians emphasizes the need to end well. The Apostle Paul was a fitting model for us all and yet, even he, reminds us we can't do it alone. In the finale to this 12-week series, Pastor Allen introduces us to the Disciple's Dozen: 12 personalities every church member needs to finish well.

Is Jesus king over every sphere of your life? The workplace is one of the areas where we really find out how compartmentalized or comprehensive our faith is. This week, Pastor Allen invites us to fully examine our orientation to those we work for and places we work at.

Children are a blessing from the Lord, but how do we steward this blessing? How do we love them well and prepare them to be men and women who understand and live out the gospel? Scripture guides us in the ways of love, discipline, and the bringing up our children in the way they should go, as families and as a church.

Marriage is already hard without us making it harder. Yet that's exactly what we do, especially in a time when competing views of gender roles abound. And while this topic seems out-of-touch with the culture, it is not out-of-step with God's design for flourishing and joy. Isn't that what we all want? When Jesus is king over our marriage, husband and wife find freedom from harshness and disrespect and are free to love in ways that image the Gospel itself.