Today is our missions emphasis Sunday. Missions is one of the most important goals of the Church. Jesus left us marching orders- to evangelize the nations with the gospel. Missions Director Jeff Davis is our guest speaker. Jeff leads EMU -Evangelical Missions to Uruguay-. The mission no longer solely focuses on Uruguay- they have missionaries around the world. Jeff has been a church planter, a pastor, and now leads EMU on their quest to evangelize the world.

What does the apostle Paul mean when he instructs us to be filled with the Holy Spirit- What is the filling of the Spirit- What is the result of the filling of the Spirit- How can we be filled with the Spirit-

Do the wicked deserve God's grace- Do you think that there are some who are so evil, so perfectly wicked that God would be harming His own reputation to extend His grace to them- There are many people who believed that way. Yet the story of the gospel is not that God saves the good and the noble, but that He saves the lost, the sinful, the truly terrible.

We continue our study of Wisdom in the Home with a look at the importance of encouraging others to follow God's will in life. The world says, -do what you do.- God says, -do what I will.- It is very important that Christian leaders, parents, grandparents, disciple-makers, etc. encourage others to choose God's will in life. Tonight's sermon- Speaking Godly Words Into Sinful Hearts -Prov. 14-8-15-.

What do you think of when you think about pilgrims- Do you think of funny black hats- Do you think about Thanksgiving- Does Plymouth Rock come to mind- Every generation of Christians is encouraged to think about life as a pilgrimage to a better country, a better city which is Heaven. This is what God promises to those who follow Jesus. Today's sermon- God's Promises Make Pilgrims -Hebrews 11-13-.

Have you ever been so embarrassed that you blushed- Have you then had someone try to embarrass you further by pointing it out- There is nothing more dreadful than being caught up short by having someone point out that you are embarrassed. Whatever you would rather have kept private reveals something about the way you think or feel. What about Jesus- Are you ashamed of Him- Being a disciple of Jesus means identifying with Him. Are you embarrassed to do that- Today's sermon- Christmas Shame -Matthew 2-19-23-.

Darkness hates the light- light drives it away. The two cannot co-exist ... regardless of the famous bumper sticker. The world hates us, yet God says that even though we are hated now, there is coming a day when Jesus will rule the world. The hatred will not win. The darkness will not conceal the light. It will shine- Today's sermon- Christmas Hope Against the World's Rage. -Matthew 2-16-18-

One of the things that people struggle with today is God's providence over the events of life. This is not new. Philosophers have long debated how involved God is in the world. What the story of Jesus' birth does is reconfirm to us that God is not only very involved in our lives, but that He cares for His own. Today's sermon- A Christmas Love Story -Matthew 2-13-15-.

In Deuteronomy 6, God gave Israel the command that parents should instruct their children in His ways. Likewise, Ephesians 6-4 states that Christian parents should rear their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Our focus tonight is on the importance of teaching truth in the Christian home. Tonight- Speaking True Words into Confused Ears. -Proverbs 22-17-21-

The American West is filled with box canyons-a canyon which has a single entrance and exit and is otherwise closed by canyon walls. There are stories of people getting lost or trapped in these canyons. The box canyon is also a metaphor for getting lost. The story of Jesus' birth is one where Joseph and Mary were in a seeming moral dilemma. What they learned is that Jesus is the answer to life's great challenges.