As the story told in the Book of Joshua begins, the people of God are poised to enter the land of promise. They were told to GET READY. And their experience can help us prepare for our compelling future.

During a recent drive to Florida with three of my grandsons in the back seats, I heard these words many times: 'ARE WE THERE YET?' To which I was tempted to reply, 'DO I NEED TO PULL THIS CAR OVER?' But eventually we arrived at our destination. Life is about the JOURNEY and the DESTINATION. And we can learn much about BOTH from some of our spiritual ancestors as we begin our own journey through the fascinating Book of Joshua, and the new series titled--you guessed it--'ARE WE THERE YET?'

Jesus once said “Out of the overflow of the heart the fingers tweet.” …...Ok, maybe He didn’t say it exactly like that, but He did warn us about the way in which we use our words. Words are extremely powerful and if mishandled can cause much more harm than any amount of sticks or stones ever could. It’s no secret 2018 has been a rough year, so let’s not just start the new year out on the right foot, but more importantly with the right words.

He seems to be almost a bystander--an 'extra' in familiar Nativity scenes. We don't really know what to make of him--or do with him. And the fact that we have no 'words' from him doesn't help. But it turns out that Joseph, though a silent witness, is a real CHRISTMAS HERO.

Her name was a variant of the Hebrew name MIRIAM. The Aramaic rendering (from which our Anglicized form comes)is MARIAM. We know her as MARY. Or do we?

This is a season of joy, but for many that joy is tempered with complicated feelings of sorrow. It's complicated.

As we move into the final month of the year, Pastor Stokes will share a message this Sunday titled: 'THE CASE FOR CHRISTMAS.' Each message this monthly will highlight specific aspects of the Biblical narrative surrounding the advent.

One hundred years ago this weekend - November 11, 1918 - the guns of an August four years earlier collapsed into sudden silence. It was the end of THE GREAT WAR, referred to back then as 'the war to end all wars.' Of course, we know that it didn't actually end all wars. In fact, the fragile peace became fertile soil for horrific conflicts to come. Today, we know this day as VETERANS DAY. It's a time to remember. It's a time for honor.