Element Christian Church of Santa Maria

Our greatest strength usually brings about our greatest weaknesses. Knowing both will help us better live on mission in the name of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.

Just like shoes, hats, pants and shorts, one size dies not fit all in terms of spiritual growth. God made us unique and wants to develop that uniqueness as children who bring Him glory and honor.

God created you to simply be you, not anyone else on the planet (or in all of creation). Unfortunately we all seem to think we need to be someone else in order to truly grow into who we think God wants us to be... but only GOD knows who he wants us to be.

Pride is the result of our fallen and deceitful hearts, whereby we look to ourselves and others instead of our God and creator, to find significance, approval and love. Pride puts us in competition with others as we seek our own glory above others and turns our focus onto ourselves. It is based on an unrealistic view of who we really are, and who God really is. Humility is the ability to see the truth about ourselves and about God, and to act accordingly.

God’s story for humanity will be a good one...but the question really is, “what type of story are you living?” We are all in a story but are our lives something that would inspire us?

Mordecai issued a decree to all Jews to defend themselves from those who would attack them. After the defending(or attacking) was done, by the Jews, Mordecai issued another decree to celebrate. By law, Jews were to take two days and celebrate what God had done: how He had saved them from destruction, how He has sent salvation, how He has provided for His people…again. Celebrating God was a large part of the Jewish culture, and Christianity being what Judaism was to turn into, a large part of Christianity should be celebration!

Watch and Discuss The Dark Knight

Forgiving is NOT forgetting, forgiving does not always mean reconciliation, forgiveness is a different issue than justice, forgiving is personal, and forgiveness is a process.

God has called and given us the strength to be a people about His mission. That mission loves what God loves, honors what God honors, and follows in the paths that God lays out for us. This is lived in very practical ways of husbands loving their wives, wives respecting husbands, parents raising kids, employees and employers treating each other with dignity and respect. But fighting against our true mission, is a side mission that is always calling us away from God and into complacency (a non-mission).

Watch and Discuss The Incredible Hulk