We're invited to come, see, and recognize; a call that is rarely as clear as it may seem. 

Baptism is the beginning of Jesus' revealing His identity. What does Jesus' baptism tell us about our own? 

Matthew 2:13-23, Dr. Brad Clayton

Christmas Eve 2024, Dr. Brad Clayton

Luke 1: 26-38, Rev. Trinity Whitley

"Your wife Elizabeth shall bear a son, and you will name him John. You will have joy and gladness and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord." 

A thank you note can be written and mailed in a matter of moments. Gratitude is a way of life. Paul describes how God's chosen ones live with kindness and humility and sing with gratitude to God. As we prepare for the season of giving, we will begin with a life of gratitude. 

Paul loved the people of Philippi. The Philippian church loved him and supported him. We have so many people in our own lives who have cared for us and loved us into being, but many of them have slipped our mind. Today we pause to think of those people once more and say, "Thank you." 

God's people have always brought offerings to God. In ancient Israel, these burnt offerings were sacrifices that restored God's relationship with God's people, offering forgiveness and grace. But these sacrifices were also offerings of thanksgiving -- opportunities for God's people to say thank you for grace. When we bring our offerings to church, those offerings are never a payment for grace, nor do they curry God's favor. Our offerings are always an offering of gratitude for what God has already done.

We are often thankful after we have received a great gift or an answered prayer. But Jesus offers gratitude before He shares the food with the multitude. How can we begin each day with a posture of gratitude so that we are not always asking for more, but grateful for what we have?