We don’t have to look to far around us to see our enemies. When someone wrongs us we are immediately upset…and rightly so what he or she has done has hurt us. If left unresolved this person may turn into an enemy. Some of us even have enemies within our own homes. Jesus tells us to love our enemies and to pray for those who hurt us. How do we invite in the enemy?

A foreigner is someone who was born in a different country than one's own. How is it that we view the foreigner in our culture? Are they welcome? Are they invited to our table? Or are they considered "out" and not included? If Jesus were to show up today he would be considered a foreigner, would we welcome him into our culture?

Who are the poor? How would one define “poor”? As Christ followers what does it mean to bring good news to the poor? What does it look like to welcome in the poor?

Jesus says to those who invite in the stranger that they have invited in the living God. But we live in a world where “stranger danger” is the motto. What does it look like to invite in those who are not like you, who have a different background than you, who live differently than you, who have different beliefs than you, who are well…different than you? What might God teach you when you welcome in the stranger?

In our lives joy seems to be elusive. We want joy and desire it but often times pursue it through experiences that can disappoint us. The author Dr. Brene Brown says, I don't have to chase extraordinary moments to find happiness - it's right in front of me if I'm paying attention and practicing gratitude.” What does it look like to practice gratitude in our lives through prayer?

Every human being at some point will have experiences in life where things will go terribly wrong. The “normal” of life will be upset and the proverbial wheels will fall off. Most of these situations we encounter cannot be explained, sudden life-threatening illness, a car wreck, accidental death, natural disasters, a miscarriage and so on. When we face these awful situations our normal gets disrupted and we can become disoriented. A lament is a passionate prayer of grief or sorrow that might be able to help us give words to our feelings.

One of the greatest things in life is knowing that your sacrifice has blessed another person. When that happens, the reward far outways the initial sacrifice and we can live in the abundance of God.

In today's world there is no shortage of opportunities or methods to be generous. How is giving to the Church different than all the other options out there? Why should we give in this specific committed way?

We tend to make room for the things we value in life- whether thats time, energy, or money. Giving is just as much about motivation as it is resources. We don't give out of guilt or obligation. Giving not only reduces the power of greed in our life, it releases God's blessings to others.

One of the most humble acts of Jesus was to entrust his church to us. Jesus places his entire reputation on us. We are to be God’s representatives in the world, to show the world what God is like. To do this we must empty ourselves to be filled up with God.