We are called to be good stewards of all God has given us. It starts with 168 hours a week. Take away 56 hours for sleep. That’s 112 hours remaining. How we steward our time is extremely important.

• Seeking first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness is about viewing all choices through his character and trusting the outcome of the decision that is made. 
• Being mission minded with our time leads us to be kingdom focused with our priorities. 
• Recognizing that our time is precious and understanding its value should give us a desire to spend it wisely. 
• Using our time wisely is ensuring that we are prepared when the opportunity to be missional arrives so that we never miss the chance to show others the love of Christ. 
• Service, Witness, Encouragement, Life Change.
• A pitcher does not refill itself but must be topped off to find itself useful again.

Before we can give anything to God, we must give everything to God. A cheerful giver doesn’t give out of compulsion, but out of their love for Christ. He must have all of us.

• Before we can give anything to God, we must give everything to God.
• Discipleship comes at a cost.
• The cost of our discipleship is whatever belongs to our earthly nature.
• What is anything compared to the gift that is Christ Jesus?
• All good things outside of Christ aren't good.
• Why Missions? To be an expression of God's love to the world around us. 
• Being missional comes down to giving the totality of ourselves.

Jesus epitomizes Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love. All of these things have been realized through him by his birth, life, death, and resurrection.

• Jesus is the fulfillment of promises made to Abraham. 
• Jesus is the fulfillment of Jacob’s final words to his son Judah. 
• Jesus fulfills the promise from God, through Nathan that Messiah would come from David’s line.
• Not only is Christ the fulfillment of old testament promise, but he is the introduction of a new promise. 
• Jesus was the greatest sign God had to offer and the needed proof for those who struggle with faith.

On Christmas Eve, we’re focusing on how God’s love is unique. It’s unlike any other kind of love in the world.

• God's love is not deserved.
• God's love came at a high price.
• God's commands give us joy through life, peace with God, hope for a future, won by the love which we don’t deserve. 
• God's love is the greatest love that has ever been shown.
• God's love is willingly given.

Joy is a God-given gift. It’s something that extends far beyond choice. Ultimately, joy is what God wants for us.

• Christ being a part of our world is the greatest reason for joy.
• God’s ability to supply us with abounding grace directly relates to Christ's work on the cross and correlates to our willingness to abound in good works. 
• We have security in Christ.
• In the Commandments, the sinner sees restriction but the saved see freedom. 

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.