Oftentimes we think of peace as the absence of conflict. And yet, the peace that Jesus offers is far more incredible than that. Jesus is the Prince of Peace, the One who reconciles sinners separated from their Creator. The truth of the matter is that our greatest need is vertical peace. Most of our horizontal dysfunctions in life are rooted in a vertical disconnect from God. While the world offers us temporary solutions to fleeting peace, Jesus offers us a different kind of peace that is unaffected by our circumstances. Unshakable peace. Indestructible peace. A flowing river of peace. Christmas means that peace has come! His name is Jesus.

In a world that feels tumultuous, unpredictable, and oftentimes overwhelmed by darkness, the Christmas season offers a reprieve from the harsh realities of our broken world. For a brief moment, hope flickers in the darkness of human chaos. The advent season begins with the theme of hope. It’s been said that hope is to the soul what oxygen is to the body. We all hope in something. Whether it’s money, relationships, political parties, careers, or any number of other things. But the message of Christmas is clear, real hope is found in one place. It’s found in the Savior prophesied about by Isaiah almost 3,000 years ago. The One who stepped into darkness & shattered it with His light. Christmas reminds us that Jesus is our only hope!

Big Questions - How Should I Live My Life - Steve Harris, Guest Preacher 11 27 22 by New Life of Asheville

The most important question anyone will ever ask themselves is: Am I Really Saved? So many people spend their entire lives plagued by this question. Have I done enough? Will God accept me? Why do I still struggle with sin? Here’s the bottom line: Jesus wants everyone who belongs to Him to know with absolute certainty that they are saved. The good news is that our salvation doesn’t hinge on our being good enough, or living a perfectly sinless life. Our salvation hinges on belief in what Christ has done on our behalf. This is a type of belief that goes beyond simple intellectual knowledge. This kind of deep-seated heart belief that’s rooted in relationship transforms us from the inside out. By trusting in Jesus, we can know with 100% certainty that our salvation is secure now and forever!

As we finish mission month ’22, we turn our attention to one of the most well-known parables of Jesus--The Parable of the Talents. This story teaches us several things, particularly in light of the Great Commission. Our salvation is not simply a golden ticket to heaven. We’ve been saved for a purpose. Namely, living in a way that makes Jesus famous across the street and around the world by investing our lives in ways that count in eternity. Secondly, this parable reminds us that God has given us everything we need to accomplish what He’s called us to. We’ve all been uniquely created to reflect the glory of King Jesus to the world around us. And the reality is, we’ll all give an account one day for whether we buried our talents in a hole or leveraged them for the Lord. The truth is, the abundant life we all seek is only found when we begin to orient our lives around the mission of God in the world. How is God stirring your heart to pray, give, and go in the coming months and years?

Church planting is not a new, trendy idea. Church planting is as old as the Great Commission. So much so, Church planting is nothing less than the practical outworking of the great commission. Churches plant churches because it is near and dear to God's heart. Churches plant churches because people are important, the gospel is important, and time is important.

As we have seen this month, there is still so much work to be done to reach people from every tribe, tongue, nation and language. And that includes the crucial task of completing the translation of the Bible into the heart language of 1.5 billion people. Jesus is delaying His return until the job is done. There is no greater task and no more significant way to invest our lives than in the expansion of Christ's kingdom. We may wonder, 'What can I possibly do that would make a difference?' 'Is there some way that God could use me in His plans to reach the world?' Often all kinds of objections and obstacles pop into our brains that can discourage us from even considering going...even on a short-term mission. In this message we will look at some of the more common concerns that God's people have to serving Christ in another culture and, Lord allowing, offer some helpful answers.

God desires for people from all nations to hear and respond to the gospel of Jesus. And yet, there are over 3 billion people who are considered unreached in the world today. People who are born, live their entire lives, and die without once hearing about the hope they can have in Christ.

More specifically, 1.5 billion of those people do not have a full Bible in their language, and 145 million do not even have one verse of Scripture. If God’s goal is that all peoples would know and worship Him, we must value God’s Word enough to not only center our lives on its truth, but also make sure everyone on earth has access to what God has revealed about Himself.

God desires for people from all nations to hear and respond to the gospel of Jesus. And yet, there are over 3 billion people who are considered unreached in the world today. People who are born, live their entire lives, and die without once hearing about the hope they can have in Christ. This doesn’t simply mean that they haven’t chosen to follow Jesus, it means they live in places where they have little to no access to the gospel of Jesus. If God’s goal is that all peoples would know and worship Him, this must become the goal of every Christian and church in existence. The need is great, the task is urgent, and the people of Jesus have been sent. The only question that remains is: what’s your part to play in the mission?

As we step into these final words of the Apostles’ Creed, we reach the climax of our study. These are the hope of every Christian past, present and future: the forgiveness of sins, resurrection after death and life everlasting with King Jesus in the new heavens & new earth. Though all human beings are sinners, and deserving of separation from God for eternity–Jesus has made a way for every single human being to be cleansed by His blood. When we embrace Jesus’ sacrifice for the forgiveness of our sins, we’re promised a real, bodily resurrection upon His return and everlasting life that’s too incredible for our finite minds to even fathom. Christ followers ought to be the most fearless & joyful people walking the planet since our past is forgiven, our present is purposeful and our future is sealed!