Our Christmas stories have often presented a pregnant Mary, about to give birth with door after door being slammed in her face. However, through a different lens we see an outpouring of hospitality and a welcoming family that invited Mary and Joseph a home to stay in. That generosity and welcoming heart laid the groundwork for Jesus to be born and worshipped by shepherds and wise men. The story of Jesus began with, and continues to be one where all are welcomed and invited to a relationship with Him.

Loving the people who are just like us is so easy that everybody does it. But what about the people who are hard to get along with, or who vote differently than we do, or even people who insult us? Do we REALLY have to love them as well? Find out what Jesus says, and why who you love is so important in His kingdom.

Sexuality is all around us. So much so, that we have become lazy, even accepting to allowing our minds to engage in lust and pornography. It has been proven that lust changes the way we view others and what we view as valuable. Jesus warns us in the Sermon on the Mount that what we allow to be seen with our eyes, builds and grows in our hearts, that leads to actions with our hands.

We all have them. Those people who have betrayed, damaged, and broken us. If not careful, a small seed of anger towards that person can grow into an all consuming hatred. Jesus taught about this in the Sermon on the Mount and brought a new Kingdom principle that we would never have seen...unrighteous anger towards another is as deadly as murder.

What does a successful life look like? The American ideal says that our success is defined by the acquisition of possessions, prestige, and power. But in the Beatitudes, Jesus invites us to a new way. His way offers a world where we can experience joy and success, bot for ourselves and for others. Through the Beatitudes we find a life worth living.

Have you ever said this sentence: "If only (fill in the blank) would happen...then I would be happy." We all have at some point, but we all know it isn't true. Happiness is snatched away by another problem or need. Jesus knows this, and began the Sermon on the Mount with setting a standard of what character in His kingdom would bring contentment and happiness. But, it is not what we would think. Jesus began the "greatest sermon ever given" by flipping our world and standards upside down to show us a new way of life.

Do you ever feel like you don’t measure up in life? Yeah, us too. It happens to us at work when we fail to meet a quota. It happens to us at home when we let a family member down. It also happens in our faith journey. But according to Jesus' teaching from the Sermon on the Mount, our faith is one area we don’t have to try and measure up. We are worthy because Jesus makes us worthy.

The church, when it is functioning as Jesus intends, is the most healing, loving, and caring community in the world. When not, it can become dysfunctional and cause pain to people both inside and out. This special message for the one year anniversary explores what could happen to the church, community, and the world if we unite to become a true family.

One of the top complaints of people towards churches...they are fake. The people walk into church, pretend to have it all together, but inside they are falling apart. In one sense, they are right. Many people do approach church that way, afraid to be honest about their struggles. However, the church has another side. When the people function as a caring, healing community it produces a radical love that changes lives forever.

Some feel the Bible is an old, dusty, and out of date book that is no longer relevant. Modern uncertainty is heightened by what we believe the Bible is, or what it is not. Do the words of this ancient text speak truth into our lives still today?