Though God gives us things to carry in order to form us, there are many burdens we bring along in life that God never intended for us to bear. In this lesson, Mark challenges us to think about what it is we are holding on to and what it is that we need to turn over to God.

So often we get caught up in an endless loop of stress and commitments as if the whole world depends on us. But God invites his children to be still in his presence, allowing him to fight our battles for us. This week, Dr. Mark Adams began a new three part series called “Realign” to remind us to align our life toward spiritual growth.

We live in a world that’s dominated by fabrications and myths and deceptions, so sometimes it’s hard to know who or what to believe. That is particularly true when you and I stop to consider the question: “What’s next?” This week, Mike Gillaspia speaks about the rewards ceremony God has planned for those who are in Christ.

Living out the mission of Christ involves receiving the Spirit of Christ, learning the Mind of Christ, and ultimately becoming the Body of Christ. Christianity is not dependent on one specific cultural form, but when the core values of the faith are alive in us, Jesus becomes the standard by which we evaluate all parts of our lives.

The challenge for the church is to look at our intentions and direction, and make sure we are following the objectives that are exampled in scripture. Buck Griffith reminds us to take a sincere look at our inventory and do our part to contribute to the kingdom.

Mission always begins with God. Our challenge is to be a church who is mature, who celebrates the diversity of our members and their talents, who is God-centered and listening, and who is mission-minded. When we remain open to God’s plans, God can use us to accomplish great things.

When we take communion together, we proclaim that our story is connected to Jesus’ own story. And as we live this story, we find it is a story of deliverance, sacrifice, hope, family, and positive change. Whenever we come together, Jesus is present with us, empowering us through his spirit to carry out the work of his kingdom.

It is the primary task of every generation of faith to instill the same faith in those who come after them. This is a special Sunday at our church. We are introducing significant enhancements to our children’s program in a deliberate attempt to help them grow in knowledge, in service, and in excitement for following God into the future he has prepared for them.

God is a generous God. Part of what we do when we worship is that we give back to God. In so doing, we proclaim that we rely on God alone for all that we need. We unite together in doing good and in proclaiming that Jesus is Lord, both among our church family and to those who do not yet follow him. We give to God because our hearts belong to him, our greatest Treasure.