It is really easy to get caught up in work and forget about the worth of the people around us. People become distractions to our plans. As Jesus followers, there are good works that we are called to, but we cannot forget what comes first: Love! Gospel amnesia is when we forget that our identity in Jesus is all a result of God’s love. Jesus promised life-giving fruit to those who remember to love.

Everyday, there are opportunities to compromise God’s principles. Shortcuts are a great way to cut short the blessings of God in our lives. If you want to be around people of integrity, you need to be a person of integrity. How do we follow God in a “bow down” culture? The three young Jewish men believed in God’s power, love, and control. A genuine relationship with God is our foundation to stand up and stand out for Jesus.

We all face problems. In fact, Jesus said that in this world we WILL have trouble! Problems can be yours or Gods - they can’t be both. Jesus has overcome what we face. We are invited to surrender our problems to God. Trusting God with the problem means we trust God’s perspective, presence, plans, and power.

Too often we can feel like the victory for our battle depends on how hard we believe. We put insane amounts of pressure on ourselves to believe. It is the Leader of our faith, not the level of our faith, that saves us! Joy in the battle is found in discovering Jesus is there!

Because of one small act of obedience, thousands of people were fed. A little boy brought the little that he had, but in Jesus' hands it became great! We don't have to understand completely, to obey immediately. God takes the least likely ones who are willing to give what they have in their hands. Extraordinary acts of God begin with ordinary acts of obedience.

You cannot acquire, consume, and exercise your way to happiness, but you can serve your way there. This seems so counterintuitive, but research shows over and over that when we live selfless lives, we are healthier and happier. Jesus gave Peter a “why” to his belonging: Serve others. Peter passed that on to all believers. You were created to serve. We are happiest when we are serving others.

In most cases, the refrain “you cannot choose your family” leaves us feeling unhappy and stuck in our relationships. If we step out and try to establish an emotional family with friends, colleagues, or other people, we may still feel lost or let down as life inevitably changes. Our Creator has invited us to a new family: The Family of God. Because of the mercy of God, everyone is invited to belong with Jesus. The life of Peter is an amazing story of a man who understood what it meant to belong!

When it comes to our finances, most of us believe that the connection between happiness and money is determined by the amount of money we have. If money hasn’t made us happy so far, it’s only because we don’t have enough. But if your goal is to find happiness in money, no amount of money will ever be enough. It’s not about how much money you have; it’s about how you manage it.

The common factor that all happy people have is peace. Peace with God is possible because God has made peace with you! What separates us from God is sin. We make peace with God by placing our faith in Jesus. We live at peace with God by obedience. God has offered you peace and forgiveness!

Happiness is not immediately accessible, but it’s not out of reach. It’s a result. It’s sowing and reaping. Jesus began his ministry with a sermon about happiness. Holiness and happiness do not stand in opposition to each other. God has the greatest plan for your happiness because He is the one who created you! Jesus gives us eight ways we can sow into being happy.