Don’t Be Held Back: We’re usually so busy with self-improvement that we leave no time for self-assessment. Asking the question, “What am I holding onto that’s holding me back?” could be the key to a whole new kind of year. Deciding to do something about the answer to that question will ensure it’s so.

Do This One Thing: We’re chasing perfection all the time. The perfect weight. The perfect vacation. The perfect reputation. The problem? There’s no such thing as perfect, which is why we’re so exhausted. What if we aimed that energy at something more fruitful? Something better? And what if getting better is more available than we think?

Don’t Freak Out… This Will Get Out: Most of our lives are lived through a screen now. When we go to a piano recital or concert, the first thing we do is pull our phones out and hit record. Then? We share it. This has led to dread because we’re starved for the validation of doing it right… or at least doing it in a way where everyone wishes they’d done it like us. And that often makes Christmas something it shouldn’t be: personal brand management.

Don’t Freak Out…Your Plans Blew Up: It seems like every year we do the same thing with Christmas. We make plans, get excited about those plans and then get frustrated when all the plans fall apart. This sounds crazy…but what if that’s the best part?

Zooming Out & Seeing the Big Picture: Spoiler alert… most of the verses that we love to keep on cross-stitched pillows don’t tell the full story. Today’s story brings light to one of the most popular verses of all time, and emphasizes why it’s so important for us to ZOOM OUT when it comes to the story of our faith. Then being a follower of Jesus will be so much more than our feelings in the moment…it’ll become a way of life that truly transforms us in our Waiting Room.

Ever been passed over for that promotion and forced to serve a totally incompetent leader? Been mad at God for allowing your friends to get married or pregnant before He entrusted you to? Today’s story finds an adolescent character given a big promise– and then a whole lot of nothing for two decades. When we examine more closely, we can see that there was purpose in the whole journey though.

Almost Forgot This is The Point: DMVs, Airport Terminals, Doctor’s offices, and checkout lines. We spend a huge portion of our lives waiting. But what if we were in control of the waiting, rather than letting it be in control of us? It might change the course of our lives and even keep us from outcomes that come to haunt us later.

I’m a Mercy-nary: Odds are that whenever you hear the name Jonah, you think of a fish. He’s that guy. The one who didn’t do what God told him to do and got swallowed whole by a real-life Monstro (read the whale from Pinocchio). But that’s just the beginning of the story. It’s way more interesting than that. And maybe even more difficult to believe is real.

I’m an Ambassador: One of the fastest ways to make a room uncomfortable is to bring up religion. Why? Because the odds of it getting heated always seem high. So we avoid the argument all together. But what if it’s not an argument to begin with? That changes the dynamic. So how about we change the dynamic and make it something else…

I’m a Overcomer: When it feels like the odds are stacked against us, it’s tempting to stop. To turn around. To give up. But that moment, facing the roadblock might be the very moment we were made for; the moment everything has been leading to. And best part is this: overcoming that hurdle doesn’t depend on you.