As 2018 comes to a close, we reflect on the times that God has brought us through. Good times and bad times, times of blessing and times of need. When our inner person begins to grow anxious in the new year, we can bring to remembrance the blessings that God has given us and stand upon God as our solid hope for all things.

All who have come to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior are bound for a eternal destiny of beauty. These children of God will be robed in beautiful garments and living in a beautiful city and God will be with them. Though the world is harsh and ugly at times, the children of God have the capacity to look beyond the ugliness and wait patiently for the beauty that will be revealed.

One of our deepest human longings is intimacy. We desire nearness with others and being known by others—perhaps, most especially with God. Unfortunately, we’re daily drawn to counterfeit versions of intimacy—which never satisfy and often destroy us. Advent promises the recovery of true intimacy—beginning with the coming of Immanuel (intimacy embodied), and consummating in his return.

Pastor Russ Whitfield exhorts us to hold onto our check that is linked to God's joy account. God will not fail in cashing this check in the here and now and in the future. Focusing our attention on the God's end game will allow us to see through the darkness that pervades our current situation.

Mercy is God's tender compassion to those in need. The parable of the Good Samaritan explores the implications of mercy.

Many churches refer to their ministry to the poor, widow, orphan, and immigrant as "mercy ministry". The Bible more often refers to these as "justice" ministry. Are we missing something?

Anyone who reads of the life of Jesus can see he served tirelessly, yet he never burned out. How is that possible? What can we learn from him?

The fullness of what it means to be the image of God is too rich to be fully realized in a single individual. The fully furnished image of God is found in a reconciled diverse community.

Every human being is made in the image of God and for this reason everyone has individual dignity and worth. An individual's dignity and worth is not rooted in anything outside of being God's image bearer.

Pastor Irwyn opens the discussion on what the Welcoming Church looks like by delving into the Beauty of God. God's beauty is found in His simplicity and in the unity of His diversity.