Christ Community Chapel (Audio)

Each January, we set a theme for the year as a church, focusing either on "breathing out" to forward God's kingdom in the world, or "breathing in" to grow closer to God. This year, we'll be doing the latter, as we all take the challenge to be transformed in 2018.

The message of the Gospel is one of transformation, telling us we can know God personally, change radically and be used by God to change the world as a result. As Pastor Joe explains today, in 2018, we will focus on how we have been (and will be) transformed not by our own doing, but by the grace and guidance of God.

This year, we've focused as a church on recognizing Jesus as king over all creation and bringing that truth to life in all aspects of our lives. The story of Jesus starts and "ends" with the term "king" in the New Testament: from the angels' proclamation that a king had been born to the sign above Jesus' head on the cross that read, "King of the Jews." As we near the end of the year this week, Pastor Joe reminds us once more of the importance of recognizing God as king in our lives, surrendering our lives to the king and allowing ourselves to be saved from our sin - and ourselves - by trusting him.

In Luke 2, we are introduced to the shepherds of the Christmas story. These shepherds were "nobodies" going about their mundane jobs, but God chose them to not only see angels with their own eyes but to also be among the first to hear the most important news of all time. Why? Because God comes for everyone, no matter their status in society. And as the shepherds showed, no matter how great a fear we face - even being surrounded by the glory of the Lord - if we are beholding the power of Jesus, we really have nothing to fear at all.

Herod the Great, king of Judea at the time of Jesus' birth, was known for his impatience, bloodthirstiness and ego. He desired power above all else and was quick to lash out wrathfully if he perceived any threat to his own glory. Many people suffered at his hand, and he was, by all accounts, a pretty awful guy.

As unlike us as Herod may sound, when you look at how he responded to Jesus' birth, we start to see similarities to our own lives. We profess a desire to worship Jesus (as Herod told the magi he did), but we are often unwilling to turn over control of our "kingdoms" to God. We call ourselves followers of Jesus, but we bristle at the idea of honoring him as king of certain aspects of our lives. So this week, let's ask ourselves: will we worship Jesus as the magi did or will we fight his control of our lives like Herod?

As we enter the Advent season, we'll be taking a look at the events surrounding Jesus' birth and connecting them back to our lives today. This week, Pastor Joe explains how the dangerous, 1,000-plus mile journey to Bethlehem the magi took was only part of what made their story remarkable.

While the magi were considered amongst the wisest men of their day - similar to the world's most esteemed academics - they recognized that they didn't know everything. They knew there were gaps in their understanding of their world, and they went in search of answers. They determined that a star would guide them close to a soon-to-be-born Jewish king but were also wise enough to turn to holy scripture (as we all must do) to ultimately find Jesus. And once they did, a remarkable thing occurred: they saw Jesus for who he was - not simply a poor family's baby, but the lord of all creation - and fell down and worshiped him as king.

When we think about worshiping God for eternity in Heaven, it's easy to think of it as one long church service. At its core, though, worship means the act of enjoying God... And worshiping in Heaven will be more about having a greater capacity to do just that. Here on earth, we only get little tastes of the God's glory, but someday we will enjoy God in a way we never have before. This week, Pastor Joe explains the concept of "worshiping without limit" and how amazing it will be when we can do so in Heaven.

Relationships are critical to who we are. They define us. We were designed for relationship after all - not only with each other, but also with God. As sweet as our relationships may seem at times, they are only a dim reflection of what they could be. At best, our relationships with one another are flashes of harmony amidst a time of discord, and this week, Pastor Jim Colledge goes to scripture to explain why. Take heart, though - there's a happy ending in store. As Jim explains, we can all look forward to a time of perfect relationship with one another and with God when his true plan for relationships is realized once more.

What happens when we die? We know we exist in flawed bodies now, but what comes next? These are questions people have wrestled with since the beginning, and they can often seem unanswerable. Pastor Colledge explains, however, that there are more hints about our future selves in God's word than you may realize. Follow along as he travels through scripture, showcasing how our eager waiting for the redemption of our bodies will eventually be fulfilled as we finally encounter the "new you" in God's presence.

The Kingdom of God often appears as pinholes of light piercing through a world of darkness. We have a longing to live in that light for it is an innate longing for heaven and the way things were meant to be. This week, Pastor Joe dives into this longing, investigating what heaven truly is, where heaven is, and how heaven helps us now, given we still live in a broken world. As you listen, you'll realize that heaven isn't about playing a harp and sitting on a cloud, as one might see in a cartoon, but rather about being energized by the presence of God in a rehabilitated, perfect world. After all, this present darkness isn't all there is. If we remember that, we'll have the strength and courage to endure, fixing our hearts on the promise of what's to come.

In Matthew 13:44-46, Jesus says that the kingdom of heaven is like a great treasure hidden in a field or a pearl of great value that, once discovered, inspires people to sell all they own to acquire it. Even though we don't spend much time hunting for pearls or surveying fields these days, the message is an important one as it tells us three things: the kingdom of God is hidden, it is valuable and it is paid for. This week, we hear about this "kingdom that's worth it" - a hidden treasure worth seeking because it is valuable enough that Jesus gave his very life for it. And like the men in Jesus' parables, we are created to be overjoyed once we discover the immensely valuable treasure that God intends for our discovery.