Followers of Jesus have been made good to do good that makes God look good. In this first week of the new year, our church family has a plan for how we are going to do that.

John the Baptizer told people they were all waiting for someone to show up who was much more powerful than him and they should live in a way that was ready for Him to appear. 2000 years later, we wait for this same savior to reappear and should live lives that show we are ready.

Peace in our world can be elusive on both an international scale and a personal level. The good news is that our king, Jesus, brings peace wherever he goes.

Those who followed Jesus after the resurrection may have grown weary after he did not return immediately. They were probably tempted to give up, but the Church called them to keep waiting for Jesus and be patient. The same is true for us now.

When we are thankful it is expressed and proven by our actions. The best news is that, ultimately, our active thankfulness can help others, too.

One of the greatest joys any Jesus follower can have is leading their family to faith. An even more unique opportunity is for family members to lead their family in faith.

Most people believe they have good hearts. What we do with our abilities reveals whether or not this is actually true.

Believing in Jesus can't become a substitute for following Jesus. To follow Jesus we have to walk in the way of love and determine that people always matter more.

Christians should abandon war language and the mindset that comes with it. Jesus said to love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. It's not us vs them. It's about bringing heaven to earth in everything we do.

Rather than try to win a culture war and rule through force, Jesus followers are called to serve others and put their needs ahead of our own. We follow Jesus's example best when we show others we are for them, not against them.