Family Service. We cannot become like the world nor remove ourselves from the world. We must live among the world, faithfully. We must seek its welfare and pray for it.

This message reflects on what it means to "live the truth". A. W. Tozer posits that Bible doctrine is wholly ineffective until it has been digested and assimilated into one's life.

Wisdom entails choosing the best among multiple options. Daniel exercised wisdom in navigating the cultural climate of his day. We need that same kind of wisdom to navigate our days. We cannot conform to the times, nor escape the times. We must seek to be a faithful influence in our times.

To survive and thrive in personal trials and the chaos of our times, we must have a confidence in God’s sovereign control over all things. Daniel’s hope was not in any earthly king or kingdom, but the coming kingdom of God. Because we know God, we know the end. Because we know the end, we can endure the path.

Times change. But God doesn’t change and his plans remain the same. God is sovereign even when life seems to be spinning out of control. He works in the mess, and sovereignly uses His servants to make a difference in difficult days.

Scripture calls us, in very powerful ways, to share the Gospel with others so to expand and grow the faith community.

Although man originally stumbled via food (fruit), the Bible teaches that food is a gift of God and is, interestingly, featured prominently throughout both the Old and New Testaments. Jesus explained His own sacrificial death with a special meal, and the Bible culminates in Revelation with the “wedding supper of the Lamb.” Our bodies can be nourished and our community grown deeper around a table.

Humans all share a need for relationship but because we are all different and all broken, relationships are often hard. Nevertheless, our differences and brokenness can be the very things that God uses to transform us.

God’s first-ever concern for man was his companionship: “It is not good that man should be alone” (Genesis 2:18). Isolation can breed selfishness and loneliness is painful. The way to reflect God most fully is in meaningful relationship with others. Loving community is a real need of every human and the mark of God’s people. In this four-week series we seek to discover and practice what the Bible teaches about genuine community.

Guest Speaker: Dr. Bruce Ewing. Crisis is crisis: Its effect is painful whether it is personal or national. Peter personally knew all too well the effect crisis brings on multiple levels. Because of our union with Christ, believers can face crises with confidence, courage, and the very character of Christ.