The preparation and anticipation of Christmas day has become a huge celebration, but what happens once Christmas is unwrapped? For most of us, Christmas is everything leading up to Christmas Day. When we look at the pages of Scripture, Christmas was a launch point. Out of 260 chapters in the New Testament, less than two and a half speak to events prior to the birth of Jesus. May we see this Christmas as an opportunity to leverage the season and our relationships for God's glory.

We all have questions, but where can we find answers? Many people don't feel as though church is a safe place to ask questions. Some even feel guilty for having doubts. Church should be the safest place to ask questions. God invites our wonderings. He is faithful to give us all the answers we need. In this message, we're tackling some of the most challenging and hot-button issues facing us today.

An epidemic of apathetic living seems to be spreading throughout our culture and even our churches. Younger generations are being brought up to believe that it's not only easier, but more appropriate to have no emotion toward a situation, person or circumstances rather than to wrestle with undesirable outcomes. Almost every time we give in to the lure of apathy within us, we're drawn not toward inaction, but sin. There is no room in the life of a Christ follower for this kind of passive, emotionless approach to living. We're meant to live lives of passion in response to a God who has given us all the strength, ability, and time required to bring him Glory each day of our lives. We must decide whether we will allow each day to drain us of life, or to drain each day of the life it has to offer.

We all get angry. Some of us yell; some break things; others still tend to withdraw and shutdown. What how does God instruct us to handle our anger? Believe it or not, anger in itself isn't wrong. As a matter of fact, there are things and situations in the world that should make us angry. Scripture tells us, "in your anger, do not sin." So what are we supposed to do when we're angry?

Anxiety and depression are unfortunately highly neglected subjects of conversation in most churches. However, they are not neglected subjects in Scripture. The pressures of life, whether self-inflected or circumstantial, bring heaviness and stress that can have a tremendous impact on an individual's life. God gives us instruction on how to handle the pressures of life; we must then choose to follow Him.

Worship is a lot more than the music in a church service. However, many people struggle to either fully embrace or engage with worship in our church settings. The degree to which we engage in worship says a lot about the degree to which we are connected to the object of our worship. God deserves our undivided attention and complete devotion. Worship is the commanded response from God to his followers. It's time we get to work on what we were created to do.

The doctrine of Salvation has somehow become a widely debated topic among many Christian circles. Scripture is quite clear on the how's, what's, why's when it comes to salvation. It's possible that our human limitations of understanding have led to our confusion on the topic. It's critical to study and clearly explain the purpose and process of salvation. A proper understanding of salvation gives us a confidence in God's love for us.

Understanding the doctrine of the Holy Spirit demands a significant amount of faith. While the debate over creation is widely spread, the discussion about the Holy Spirit is extremely divisive among Christians. Even though Scripture clearly speaks about the person and purpose, many people struggle with clarity on the subject. When we study, pray, and have firm faith in the Holy Spirit, we're able to act boldly on behalf of God.

When it comes to studying creation, there's a lot of debate; even inside Christian circles. In our academic and scientific culture, many believe that Christianity and science are at odds when it comes to the world in which we live. A Christian worldview is not a contrarian position to science. In fact, we believe that science helps the Christian understand God at a deeper level. Creation is the magnificent way God introduced himself to us, and the means by which he glorifies himself each day. A right understanding of the doctrine of creation helps us have a right understanding of God.

We are calling on God to show us His plan for us as a church, and provide the financial needs we will soon encounter. While we don't yet know where our church will gather for services in 2017, we do trust that God has a plan. As a community of faith we must lean into our faith in that plan. Ephesians tells us that God is able to do more than we can ask or think. Trusting in this promise, we ask that God would use Grace Collective Church to build HIs Kingdom here in Rock Hill.