Do you have a New Year's Resolution?  Are you planning to workout, lose weight, stop smoking/drinking, change your career, deepen friendships, get out of debt?  These are the most common resolutions that Americans make.  How are you planning to grow in your spiritual life this year?  Today, Pastor Sam Taylor will encourage us to "close the door on 2024."   

Philippians 3:13-15

It's easy to think of missionaries as belonging to the realm of history: old people, who went to old places, doing old things.  Today we'll look at the lives of missionaries who gave their lives in the early 2000's while on the mission field.  

For more information check out the book Lives Given, Not Taken: A Story of 21st Century Baptist Martyrs, by Erich Bridges.

Matthew 16:24-26

At Christmas we celebrate how God sent His Son Jesus to earth to seek and save the lost.  The name Emmanuel means "God with Us."  Just like Jesus, we have been sent as God's ambassadors to take His life changing gift of hope to a lost and hurting world.  

Today, Pastor Rich will look at the life of C.T. Studd, missionary to China, India, and central Africa.  He lived between 1860 and 1931.  This well known Cricket player, born into a wealthy family in England came to Christ at the age of 24.  His desire was to "run a rescue shop within a yard of hell."

Hebrews 12:1-2

Christmas is a celebration of God, the creator of the universe, taking on human flesh and coming to dwell with us.  He felt pain, got tired, experienced hunger, was tempted yet never sinned.  He could relate to everything that we experienced.  As God sent His Son to dwell with us, He has called and sent all of  us to be His representatives to others where we dwell.  

Some folks God gives a special call to leave where they dwell and go to others who are lost in darkness and need to hear the good news.  We call these folks missionaries.  Over the next few weeks we will look at three examples of missionaries who left their homes and took Jesus to dark communities.  We will see how we can apply their examples to our lives, and we will ask ourselves if God might be calling us to go like they did.

Today, Pastor Rich will examine the life of Charlotte Digges Moon "Lottie Moon", whom our special Christmas missions offering is named after.

Galatians 5:13-15

Ministry is messy, and missions can be a glorious mess.  No matter what happens or who happens, we keep pressing on amid the chaos of life.  As we do so, we see God work and move, even when things don't go according to our plans.

Today, Pastor Rich will examine the final section of our vision statement.

2 Timothy 4:9-22

Colorful leaves, majestic mountains, rushing rivers, sunset over a landscape covered with freshly fallen snow as the northern lights shine in the sky -- creation shouts out God's glory. When we take it all in we are moved to give glory and praise to our Creator.  This attitude of praise and thanks should lead us to joyful acts of service.

Today, Pastor Rich will take us through the 3rd phrase in our vision statement Serve Our Community. 

Psalm 100

Discipleship, making disciples, isn't solely a New Testament idea.  This has been God's plan for His people for all of time. God desires us to share His goodness, love, and grace (etc...) with each generation.  The church is always one generation away from extinction.  All it takes is for one generation to not share the gospel with others - the church would cease to exist.  

However, the greatest reason to make disciples is so that others will be blessed and find joy through Christ.  Today, Pastor Rich will discuss the 2nd part of our vision statement, Make Disciples.

Deuteronomy 6:1-9

We're taking a look at our mission statement for the next few weeks.  Today we'll look at the first part, a Bible based family of believers.  

In our passage today Paul (the writer of 2 Timothy) talks about three types of people:

• Those who are growing in faithfulness to Christ

• Those who think they're godly but aren't

• Those who are without God

As you look at these categories, where do you find yourself?  No one is beyond hope, God can redeem and change anyone. As we walk through the passage Pastor Rich will discuss the beauty of the church - having others to walk alongside you, helping you stay on the right path.  You can't walk through the Christian life on your own - God created us to live in community.

2 Timothy 2:20-21, 3:1-17

Sin is like cancer - it destroys and devours everything.  Like cancer, to treat it you must destroy it all.  One day God will completely destroy the cancer of sin in this world, and recreate the world in a much better way.

Zechariah 14

Have you ever had a child or pet that got so completely dirty that you didn't know where to start to get them cleaned up? When you do start, you know that you will be covered in their mess as well.

Today, Pastor Rich will discuss how the filthiness of our sin can be cleansed by the grace of God. God's holiness demands that He judge sin. Through His grace and mercy He provided a way for us to receive forgiveness.  

Zechariah 13