We are called to be people of peace. After all, Christ is the Prince of Peace. It’s our job to pursue peace and perpetrate peace in the world. This isn’t always easy but it is necessary. Realizing the hope we have in Jesus allows us to find peace that is beyond the understanding of others.

• The only way to experience true peace is by accepting the free gift of grace from the shedding of Christ's blood. 
• Each of us is searching for that missing peace. 
• It turns out that Jesus is the missing piece, in our search for missing peace. 
• This is why Christ came. If we are his people, we must be characterized by peace. 

We hope for a lot of things. I hope the Chiefs win. I hope that shirt goes on sale. I hope I get a raise. Hope used in this way is fleeting and frail. The hope of the Bible is foundational and life-altering. This is the hope we have in Jesus. This is the hope secured for us by Jesus.

• Biblical God-inspired hope, which is what we have in Christ, is an expectation, not a wish. 
• Jesus was born to die, and his destruction is the security of hope. 
• You've sinned, Jesus saves, Your faith guarantees it.

As Christians, gratitude should permeate our lives.

• Christians should be characterized by their expressions of gratitude.
• Our goal is to be distinct from non-Christians.  
• Joy and happiness are not equal. 
• Happiness is a measure of outer contentment. Joy is a measure of inner peace.
• Christians avoid needless conflict with this world.
• Joy is the pathway to peace.

Learning to be grateful when things don’t go our way.

• Few things make those without faith more angry than seeing those with faith remain faithful in the midst of trials. 
• Choosing gratitude over grumbling is a matter of perspective. 
• Pure gratitude doesn’t just say “thank you for the strength during my trial”, but “thank you for the strength from my trial.”
• It allows us to look for the lesson rather than just desiring for the pain to lessen. 
• Good doesn’t exist outside of the blessing of God.

This week kicks off a new series on giving thanks. What are some of the basics of gratefulness?

• Our reason for gratefulness can be firmly found in the sacrifice of Christ.
• We all have something to be thankful for.
• God’s love endures where human love ends.
• Gratitude is a choice solidified by habit.
• Christians should be characterized by their expressions of gratitude.

We claim to be "one nation under God" and yet our nation doesn't reflect the fruits of the Spirit. How do we influence our nation to be a beacon for the Gospel and not continue down the road of pride and sin?

• As Christians, we need to be praying for our Nation!
• We are called to be change in the world.
• We have a responsibility to represent Jesus in the political arena.
• I will not excuse myself from the truth that my greatest responsibility isn’t to help win an election but to help win souls. 

Just as Paul used his Roman citizenship to further the Gospel, how can we use our American citizenship to further the Gospel?

• Find common ground with the people you are speaking to. 
• Be an upstanding citizen. 
• Let the Gospel be the offense. 

We are called to be citizens of Heaven, to transcend our Earthly citizenship.  What does that mean for us today, especially with how politically charged our nation has become?  How do we live in a way that puts our Heavenly citizenship above our status as Americans?

Chapter 9 and 10 show the natural response to the Goodness of God - celebration. We must celebrate the goodness of God and praise him for all he has done.

• You need not worry about what the enemy has planned for you. Just have faith that the reverse is going to occur. 
• God influences others through your trials and impending victories.
• Motivation matters. Success is rooted in the Why. 
• It’s important to remember all that has been accomplished on our behalf.
• If God doesn’t get praise for the good things in your life, then he doesn’t deserve your anger either. 

Esther continues to lay herself at the king’s feet, this time for the rescue of the Jews. In Chapter 8 we see that God not only hears his people, and spares his people, but blesses his people.

• This is God at work to bring about the redemption of his people. 
• that God’s redemption isn’t simply about removing bad but replacing it with better.
• In this moment, we see that faith builds.
• Occasionally, we must participate in our own deliverance.
• The proper response to witnessing the work of God is to rejoice.