This year as a church we will delve into an exploration of the responsibilities and expectations that Jesus places upon His church as seen in the book of Acts. In the first chapter we will see the proofs, promise, priorities, program, prospect, and prayer that sets up the divine mandate to “GO!”.

God is leading our church into a new chapter marked by a stronger emphasis on missions. As our church enters into its 30th year, we have reached a stage where God is compelling us to plant more churches, and to send more messengers into the mission field. The message of Christmas, God’s gift to us in His Son, must be shared and we can draw inspiration from the shepherds who, upon encountering the Christ-child, went on a mission to spread the Good News. “When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.” - Luke 2:17-18 NIV

Christmas itself has now far outstripped Easter in popular culture as the real celebratory center of the Christian year–a move that completely reverses the New Testament emphasis. We sometimes try, in hymns, prayers, and sermons, to build a whole theology on Christmas, but it can’t in fact sustain such a thing. Easter, however, should be the center. Take that away and there is, almost literally, nothing left.

Christmas is about the light coming to earth. In the Gospel of John, we find the beautiful proclamation that encapsulates the essence of Christmas: “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it”. - John 1:5, ESV

For a gift to be complete it must be received. Christmas is all about God extending His gift to us. As Christians, Christmas is more than a nostalgic feeling, it is a time to reflect deeply on what God truly gave us.

Exploring the account of the Wise Men in Matthew chapter two, we discover an enduring lesson that speaks directly to all of us on how we too can respond to the extraordinary gift of God sending His Son.

Christmas is a huge celebration in our homes as we gather with loved ones, especially if it includes the sounds of children! God designed home and although not perfect, they are a gift from God.

We are living in a time where there is a thick darkness on the earth and yet a thick powerful glory of the church. We are moving into biblical times and must be ready for it. Though, we do not know how long this time will take, we understand that the world is changing at a high speed and we see signs of what the Bible describes as the end time and restoration of the Church.

The power of a gift is simple; it is LOVE. We are wired for love.

Because LOVE is the most powerful force in the universe, a gift has the possibility to transport this power into the lives of those around us. God demonstrated the power of a gift when He gave the greatest gift of all times.

This week we were privileged to have Roar Sorenson share at our School of Missions and our weekend services. His rich experience and expertise having studied and lived in Israel and currently teaching Jewish Studies at the Scandinavian School of Theology comes to us at a timely moment.