We as human beings need hope, and we are designed by God to place our ultimate hope in Jesus. But how do we know that we can trust what God's Word says about who Jesus is? How do we know that the story about Christmas in the Bible is true? How do we know God's Word is true and trustworthy? How does this encourage us to put our hope in God? We will look at some reasons from the head and heart to challenge us to have hope in God from His Word. May this be a season of growing in our hope in Christ from God's Word.

On a scale of 1 to 10, how hopeful do you feel about the future of our world? On a scale of 1 to 10, how hopeful do you feel about your personal life? Christmastime can be tough because it reminds us of loss and hopelessness, but the Biblical story of Christmas can also remind us of the hope we can have in Jesus Christ. We are going to look at one of the reasons for our certain hope. We will examine how Jesus was a real person in history and not just a character in a story. We are also going to look at why we want the existence of Jesus to be true. Jesus produces real, believable hope in our lives, and that makes all the difference.

A paradox is a statement that seems to contradict itself at first but actually contains a deeper truth. For example, "You have to go backwards to go forwards." Similarly, the Gospel of Jesus Christ contains and produces many paradoxes. We need to understand these if we are going to live a life that lasts for Jesus and makes a kingdom impact. Let's learn from the early Jesus movement and how they embraced these paradoxes with joy for Jesus' sake.

When we think of the first followers of Jesus, we admire their passion for Jesus, love for one another, and willingness to share the Gospel (see Acts 4:32-37). But what do we do with a passage like Acts 5:1-11 where Ananias and Sapphira lie and God immediately strikes them dead in judgment? How are we to understand God in this passage? And how should we understand the early Church's commitment to God's discipline and judgment? Let's approach this passage with great humility and be prepared to learn about who our God is.

What do you do when life seems overwhelming? What would you do if your life was threatened because you were sharing about Jesus? Peter and John and the early followers of Jesus faced these questions, and in this passage, we learn how the first followers of Jesus reacted during suffering, how they prayed earthquake prayers, and how God empowered them for the future.

Jesus said that we would be his witnesses to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). What is God doing in global missions around the world? How can we get involved in missions both locally and globally in a practical way? Joe Johns, Director of Strategic Partnerships for World Partners, will share how God is working around the world through our global missionaries, and he will share how we can make disciples of Jesus to the ends of the earth.

Where are you lacking courage in your life? How would your life and world change, if you had the courage to do what Jesus is calling you to do? How does Jesus help us and empower us to be courageous, especially in the area of witness (Acts 1:8)? Peter and John had tremendous boldness in their interaction with the religious leaders. Let's learn how Jesus continues to act through them and how Jesus can act through us today to give us courage.

What does it look like for us to be on a mission for Jesus? What does it look like for us to support missionaries on the global mission field? In this interview, we have the opportunity to hear from missionaries James and Jennifer Wolheter, missionaries to Bolivia. Not only will we learn about what God is doing in Bolivia but also how we can join Jesus in making disciples locally and globally.

Acts 4:12 is a difficult verse for some to accept. Is it really true that Jesus is the only way to experience God's salvation and enter his kingdom? Isn't that exclusive, intolerant, and judgmental? Let's explore the reality and beauty of this exclusive claim.