Did you know that the plural of Christian is 'Church'? The Church is not a building - the Church is a group of ordinary believers that are together, devoted, and united through Jesus. Christians were designed to do life, together.

What is the mission of the Church? Why do we exist? We know from Matthew 28:18-20 that Jesus has given us authority and power to make disciples as we go about our work in the world. We are reminded that we don't just go to church - we ARE the Church.

WHY is the Church essential? What is its purpose and what was it created to do? This pandemic has caused the Church to reevaluate and refresh its vision, mission, and values so as to position itself even more brightly as the family of God.

Should we regard work as a blessing or a curse? The Apostle Paul addresses the issue of laziness in 2 Thessalonians 3 by exhorting the diligent workers to model hard work before the busybodies and to regard it as their God-given act of worship.

Are you a happy thanks-giver? It is not happy people who are grateful, it is grateful people who are happy. By acknowledging God as our Great Provider and Sustainer, we will find how gratitude builds contentment in our life.

We may say we have faith, but how exactly does faith work? The Faith Hall of Fame in Hebrews 11 gives us examples of individuals who were commended for their faith regardless of their circumstances, reminding us to keep our faith rooted in the finished work of Jesus and not in the outcome of our prayers.

As the weather gets cooler, let's turn up the gratitude! The story of the ten lepers in Luke 17:11-19 reminds us of the importance of thankfulness and praise, and it's power to increase contentment and disable entitlement.

We all have differing perspectives in life, from how we interpret artwork to how we process pain. James 1:1-4 challenges us to view adversity as opportunity rather than opposition, and to find joy in the journey, remembering that our Creator is refining our character more fully when we persevere.

The last chapter of Ecclesiastes contains King Solomon's final word on the matter: Fear God and Keep His Commandments. We learn that though life under the sun is meaningless, wisdom that is true and meaningful can be found in the fear of the Lord and obedience to his Word.

Is your life out of balance? What does God's sovereignty mean to you in your life? We observe so much injustice under the sun, including the death of good people and the long life of the wicked, that only through believing and holding to God's goodness and sovereignty will we achieve true balance and perspective.