It took Mary extreme faith when being told she would give birth to Jesus. Do you have faith like Mary? (Luke 1:26-38)

When we go through challenging seasons, it can be difficult to remember and truly believe that God is good. In those seasons, our goal is to be like Abraham, who was even willing to give up his son Isaac, because he knew that God was good. When we learn to trust God and be faithful to him in hard seasons, God raises us up and gives us greater access to his abundant life.

Challenges are a natural part of a faith-filled life. When we face difficult seasons, we can look to the example set by Daniel, who remained faithful to God in Babylon and influenced kings in the process. When we walk through hard times with God, he is at work in us to prepare us for greater things to come.

Our church was founded almost 20 years ago by a group of college students who felt called to seek the presence of God together. Today, we continue their legacy of believing that, if God chooses to show his glory in our lives, we can be radically changed by his presence, and so can everyone around us. Our goal is to persevere in seeking God and to look forward with hope to what he will do in us and through us.

Are you the seed that has fallen in the thorns? Are you letting the thorns of the world taking your peace? (Matthew 13:18, John 14:27)

Are you drinking of the living water daily and being refreshed of the living water daily?

In Hebrews 4:14-16, we read that Jesus is our great high priest. He stands before the Father on our behalf, and because of his sacrifice, we are counted worthy to approach the throne of grace. When we pray, we can sit before God, receive from him, and even hear his voice, all because of what Jesus has done.

In the Old Testament, God commanded the Jewish people to hold a feast every year to commemorate their 40 years in the wilderness. Those 40 years of waiting for the Promised Land were difficult for the Israelites; even so, God was faithful in the waiting. For us today, it is also essential to celebrate and be grateful for who God is in the hard seasons of our lives.

When Jesus ascended into heaven, he told his disciples it was better for him to go, because he would send the Holy Spirit. When we choose to follow God, we also can receive the Holy Spirit and enter into a life where he leads us to grow in our relationship with God. Following the lead of the Holy Spirit is a central part of receiving the fullness of what God has in mind for our lives.

God calls us to steadfastness in our work instead of idleness. What is the value of work in your life? (2 Thessalonians)