In Hebrews 10:24–25, believers are urged not to neglect gathering together, because fellowship is God’s design for spiritual transformation. Like a gym produces physical change through consistent commitment, the church is where believers grow through shared life in Christ. According to 1 John, our fellowship is first with God through Jesus, then with one another. Jesus prayed for our unity in John 17, and 1 Corinthians 12 shows we are one body with diverse, interdependent members. The early church in Acts 2 modeled worship, generosity, and shared life. Through gathering, we spur one another toward Christlike love and beautiful good works, growing together in faith and joy.

This sermon explains that true worship is a joyful, humble response to God’s immeasurable worth. Scripture shows that when people encounter God, they respond with reverence, service, and praise. Worship begins by understanding who God is—both transcendent, exalted above creation, and immanent, intimately involved with His people through Christ. Because worship reflects God’s worthiness, the heart of the worshiper matters most. Genuine worship flows from obedience, repentance, and wholehearted devotion rather than empty rituals, as illustrated by Cain and Abel and Jesus’ teaching on worshiping in spirit and truth. Believers are called to present their lives as living sacrifices, offering daily obedience. Worship is expressed through personal and corporate praise, focusing our attention, love, and loyalty on God alone. 

Growth 101: Getting the Basics Right focuses on the how-to of prayer, not just the idea of praying. Prayer can feel confusing if no one shows us how. While spontaneous prayer is good, Scripture calls us to consistent, focused prayer, modeled by Daniel. This sermon introduces the ACTS model as a simple, biblical framework for prayer: Adoration (praising God for who He is), Confession (agreeing with God about our sin to restore fellowship), Thanksgiving (cultivating gratitude and humility), and Supplication (bringing requests to God for His glory and our good). Using Scripture to guide each part helps believers pray confidently, consistently, and in the Spirit as they grow in their relationship with God.

Prayer is making requests of God from faith, seeking His glory and the greatest good. Growth in prayer begins by praying in the Spirit, which requires new birth in Christ and growing maturity through God’s Word. The Spirit gives God’s perspective, shaping our motives and desires so we ask rightly. We pray with confidence because Jesus opened the way to God’s throne of grace, where mercy and grace await us, not condemnation. Our confidence rests in Christ, not ourselves. Prayer must also be consistent, a daily priority like Daniel’s faithful example (Dan 6:10). Finally, we pray biblically, letting God’s Word guide our requests so they align with His will. As we abide in Christ and His Word, this makes prayers fruitful, God-centered, effective.

Getting the Basics Right calls believers to spiritual growth by mastering the fundamentals. The sermon highlights the priority of God’s Word as the foundation for a fruitful Christian life. Psalm 119 shows that Scripture purifies our hearts, brings joy, provides guidance, and gives practical wisdom for daily decisions. God’s Word helps us evaluate our lives, obey quickly and joyfully, and experience God’s goodness even through discipline. It equips us to live skillfully, avoid destructive paths, and grow in discernment. Like a lamp lighting our way, Scripture shows us how to live and helps us know God. When we read, meditate on, and obey God’s Word from a heart of love for Him, we will grow. 

This sermon challenges believers to examine whether their faith is truly bearing fruit. Through the withered fig tree and the cleansing of the temple, Jesus confronts a faith that looks healthy on the outside but lacks real obedience and transformation. Leaves without fruit represent spiritual busyness, routine, or religious appearance without repentance or dependence on God. Jesus reminds us that worship, prayer, and obedience must come from sincere hearts, not convenience or comfort. The sermon calls believers to remove anything that hinders prayer, witness, or devotion to Christ. True fruitfulness grows as we abide in Jesus through Scripture, prayer, fellowship, and sharing our faith. Rather than settling for outward religion, believers are invited to pursue lives marked by genuine repentance, spiritual growth, and faithfulness that honors Christ daily.

Guest speaker John Nance reminds us that as believers, we enter a new year by looking back with gratitude and moving forward with hope. Reflecting on God’s mercy, not with regret or pride, allows us to see His faithfulness through every season. Drawing from Scripture, John emphasizes three truths: God has been faithful and deserves our gratitude, we must commit to walking in faith and obedience today—not later—and we can rest in the assurance that God will finish the work He began in us. Our hope is not in resolutions but in Christ, whose mercies are new every morning. As we step into the new year, we are invited to respond in repentance, surrender, and renewed devotion to the Lord who never fails. 

This sermon invites us to rediscover the wonder of Christ’s birth by looking closely at Bethlehem. God’s sovereign plan guided Mary and Joseph’s difficult journey, reminding us that obedience often requires faith when God’s purposes disrupt our own. Jesus’ humble birth—in a stable, laid in a manger—reveals a King who came not with power and prestige, but in weakness and humility, accessible to all, especially the lowly. The shepherds’ visit shows that the good news of Jesus first reached those who knew their need for a Savior. Through ordinary people and unlikely circumstances, God revealed His glory and opened the way for peace with Him. The proper response is faith, obedience, and joyful proclamation of what God has done. 

This sermon explores why the Savior had to become fully human. Humanity was created to represent God and rule His creation, but sin entered through Adam and separated all people from God. Because God is perfectly just and holy, sin could not be ignored. Yet because He is gracious and merciful, He made a way to save sinners without compromising His character. Jesus became human so He could uphold God’s justice while extending mercy through a substitutionary sacrifice. As a sinless man, Christ alone could pay the penalty for human sin. By sharing in our flesh and blood, Jesus defeated sin, death, and Satan, freed us from fear, and made atonement for our sins. The cradle of Christmas ultimately points to the cross—and to our redemption.