Loving the church isn't just about showing up for services- it's about serving.

The Bible teaches that we've all been given gifts that God uses to benefit His Kingdom at work in our community.

When we use those gifts to serve the church, we help empower the church to love others.

What is the importance of living with good character?

How does living with good character affect the legacy that we leave behind for others to see?

As Christians, we may be the only example of Jesus others see, and our character should reflect His glory.

Jesus came to earth to tear down the barriers of sin and death that stood between man and God.

In the same way, the church should be working to tear down the personal fences we put up between each other.

Christians are called to love one another, which means allowing ourselves to build community - not fences.

Church was never intended to be just a building, or a location, or an event- it was meant to be a community.

The church is a gathering of God's people, called to love one another the same way that Jesus loves us.

Throughout this series, we'll learn what it means to love our church, and how God uses that to build community.

As we head toward the New Year, we talk about how God gives us the opportunity for new beginnings,

and how to grow our relationships with Jesus and others and 2019.

So what is the BEST Christmas gift you can give to someone this year?

If all the gifts that we give here on Earth are just "stuff", they'll eventually grow old and wear out.

The best gift we can give this Christmas is one that never fades- sharing our love for Jesus with others.

God can use any person in any situation for His ultimate glory, including you!

We learn this especially in the story of Mary and Joseph - a teenage girl and a carpenter called to raise the Son of God.

No matter what your circumstances may be, God is still present and able to work in your life. Don't forget that!

What's the best gift you could possibly give your loved ones this Christmas? How about JOY?

When we enter into relationships, there's a lot of room for disappointment and hurt when our expectations go unmet.

In Luke 1, we learn the importance of sowing seeds of JOY in our relationships.

Growing up, we're told a lot of stories about princesses, knights, and magical lands, but they're just that- stories.

How do we know, then, that the Bible stories are real? How do we know the Christmas story truly matters?

Let's explore the book of Luke, an account of Jesus' birth full of proof that the Christmas story is real!

When we talk about being Christians- followers of Jesus- we often say that we want to be all in for God.

So then what does it look like to be "all in"? Why is it so hard sometimes to be an all-in Christian?

This week, guest speaker Bobby Thompson takes a look at Deuteronomy 6, and explains what being "all in" means.