Isaiah 7:14

"Santa!!!" The exclamation points are the point. Just as Buddy the elf was excited to see Santa, we should have the same excitement with Jesus. Sometimes we miss out because we forget the incredible gift it is to meet Jesus. When we don't get excited to meet with Jesus, he doesn't meet with us.

"I know him." The purpose of Christmas is relationship. God came to be with us so we could be with him. He is Emmanuel: "God with us."

"There's so much to do." Buddy wanted to stay late to get ready for Santa when everyone else was ready to go home. When it comes to Jesus, so often we share more in common with those that want to go home early instead of preparing ourselves and the world around us for Jesus.

Crossroads – about heaven, earth, and the journey in between.

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The Art of Thanksgiving.

Philippians 4:4-9

Oftentimes we read passages like Philippians 4:4-9 and agree, and we use it to build ourselves up… but then we don't dig in and determine how we can actually put these commands into practice. This passage is also hard for us because it asks things that are completely counter to our culture. Gentleness is not a virtue. If we don't "feel" God, we think he's not near. And our anxiety often seems inescapable. But we can cultivate gratitude in our lives by doing a few things that we might not always think about:

• Remember your salvation
• Widen your perspective
• Focus your vision

And when we've done these things, we have to take the next steps to make gratitude a part of our lives:

• Make it a perspective
• Make it a mindset

Crossroads – about heaven, earth, and the journey in between.

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John 6:25-40

This passage points out some of questions we can ask about our own walk of faith.

1. Vv. 25-27 - Motive: why do you come to Jesus?
2. Vv. 28-31 - Belief: do you believe in Jesus or do you believe in the signs?
3. Vv. 32-34 - Desire: is your desire for physical sustenance or for true bread from heaven?
4. Vv. 35-40 - ?: What further questions does this passage draw out for us to ask?

Crossroads – about heaven, earth, and the journey in between.

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Ephesians 4:17-24

How do you take that next step of faith. Whether you were just baptized and you're ready to live out that new life, or whether you are wondering what it means to give your life to Christ, or whether you've been a Christian for many years, there are certain practices that lead to growth in faith. Here are four things that might be next in your life:

• Connection
• Agreement
• "You are here" moments
• Action

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Matthew 28:16-20

This is a mission that we are to accomplish with God. It is our co-mission. So how do we accomplish this?

• GO
• MAKE DISCIPLES
• BAPTIZING THEM
• TEACHING THEM

1 Corinthians 9:24-27

• Catan is a Cooperative Game
• 1 Corinthians 12:21

Catan is a game of wheeling and dealing, but it becomes a cooperative effort, just like our walk of faith. In Catan, if you don't trade with your neighbors, you won't succeed, and in our faith, if we don't do it with our church body, we won't grow. Even if we don't think we need anyone else to work out of faith, the body needs us.

• Catan is a game of chance
• 1 Corinthians 12:11

In Catan, we have to work with the cards we're dealt. Sometimes they aren't the cards we want, in Christianity, sometimes we want the gifts of someone else, but God has already equipped us the way he wants. Are we doing anything with that equipping?

• Catan is a building game.
• Ephesians 4:15

The point of Catan is to grow your roads and settlements, just as the point of Christianity is to qgrow. If you don't grow in the game, you won't win. Our faith is about growth, even if it's a slow or never ending process.

• Catan is a faith game
• 2 Corinthians 5:7

Our walk of faith is similar to the development cards in Catan. Development cards are all helpful, but we never know which one you're going to get. God knows what's in store for us, but it takes faith on our part and trust in God when we don't know what's ahead but we give it to God anyway.

Crossroads – about heaven, earth, and the journey in between.

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Worry less about what someone else SAYS,

and more about what you DO

Luke 10:25-37

When confronted and tested, Jesus turns back to the questioner. Jesus knew the religious expert had the right answers, but his own prejudices and sinful nature prevented him from coming to them on his own. So Jesus tells a parable that shows us how far and wide our love is supposed to reach. Here are three things we should think about as we read this story:

• You know the answer
• There are no outsiders to love
• True love is shocking

Crossroads – about heaven, earth, and the journey in between.

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Acts 1:1-9

Knowing that God is in us and with us is wonderful and can be all we think we need. However, for followers of Christ, God being in us requires us to act on it - to go out and live so that God can work through us. What does it look like, God through us?

• Love
• Example
• Storytellers

Crossroads – about heaven, earth, and the journey in between.

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1 John 4:7-16

Discipline works for us until it doesn't. When we just try to do something or not do something, we often come to a point where we give up because our desires overcome our willpower.

God doesn't want to change your habits, he wants to change you.

How does God work in us? What does he want to change? He wants to change our:

• Mind
• Heart
• Actions

Crossroads – about heaven, earth, and the journey in between.

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Deuteronomy 30:11-16

In order to grow in our spiritual walk, it will be helpful for us to distill our need down to the one, most important thing that God is speaking to us about. So we have to figure out that most important thing for ourselves. So what is:

• The one thing you've heard
• One goal you'll set
• One action you'll take

Crossroads – about heaven, earth, and the journey in between.

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