In the end, it’s all about love. It’s why his Father sent Jesus to Earth - to show His love for humanity. And now God is calling us to love sacrificially in the same way He did - our love to others is our greatest witness. But will we choose to love the most unlovable around us?

Joy is what we experience when hope is realized. For many, Jesus brought about joy from a realization that they didn’t know was needed.

This is a short message given at CrossPoint following a children's Christmas program. We'll be back next week with a full-length message!
Peace is the gift brought by Jesus for all mankind. We can find peace and Jesus regardless of the circumstance.

Fear is one of the biggest roadblocks to being Christ to our neighbors. We must be bold and take bold steps to be the neighbors that we want to be. Fear causes us to close doors on the world around us, but we have to be willing to tear down walls.

Quality is more important than quantity. While Mary worshipped at Jesus' feet, Martha was hard at work around the house. While Martha was mad about what Mary was doing, Jesus actually said that what Mary was doing was a better use of time. Even doing something necessary can be a misappropriation of your time. Sometimes we can get so busy with our checklist that we end up missing the people around us. In the end, it’s about one thing - being like Jesus.

Today, we look at one of Jesus' most well-known stories - The Good Samaritan. God has placed you at a certain place, in a certain time, to serve certain people that are around you. Christians must take the great commandment seriously. But how well do we really know the people around us - our neighbors, coworkers and other acquaintances?

Paul had a thorn in his side and he said that God decided not to remove it. We can identify with that - sometimes we have burdens in our lives that, for whatever reason, God will not take away from us. But be proud of how Christ has made you! Accept your thorn, boast in your weaknesses. Your humility because of your thorn is a gift - own it. Because we know that God's strength is made perfect in our weakness.

Paul and Silas were in Rome, preaching the Gospel, even though it was against the law for them to do so. Like them, we must do what's right - even if we will be punished for it. Paul could have avoided jail at any time by staying quiet but he didn't. We need to defend the gospel at all times no matter what the consequences. To be like Paul is to be selfless, putting the needs of others above our own desires.

Is our acceptance of new Christ followers conditional? When Saul became a follower of Christ, God asked Ananias to come and pray over him so that he could regain his sight. Understandably, he was more than a little nervous to even be in the same room as this well-known serial killer of Christians. Is there a limit to the kind of person you would disciple? God calls us all to welcome everyone into the inheritance of Christ's family, no matter what they've done.

When Paul came face to face with Jesus, his life was radically changed. Afterwards, he needed other Christians to gather around him and encourage him. After we become Christians, we need Christian friends. We can’t afford to isolate new Christians from the body of Christ. And we definitely have no right to doubt what God has done in the hearts of others.