This message initiates our theme for the year of 2020, which is centered on prayer. I do not know how we live out our faith effectively without a strong prayer life. We endure, we change, we grow, we discern, and we love (among other things the faith requires of us) as we pray passionately and consistently to the Lord. This message is about being rooted in our faith through a solid prayer life. Luke 11:1-2 | 1 Thessalonians 5:17

As we near the day designated to celebrate the birth of the Messiah we have gone through a journey of anticipating the king, preparing for the king, waiting for the king, and now being in the presence of the king. How do we respond when God makes God's self known? Do we respond in fear or shame? How about defiance or rebellion? Or maybe worship and obedience? God/the King deserves reverence and honor. Matt 2:1-18 | Luke 2:

God operates on eternity. God is not restricted by time like we are. Sometimes the most difficult thing to do is wait on God/the King to show up in our circumstances. Israel was waiting for a long time for the Messiah to come. He showed up in the form of a baby named Jesus. Are we patient enough to wait for God, even when we know that God is already present everywhere all the time. Can we wait to God to manifest that presence profoundly.

Listen as Bobby Harrison unpacks the impact that the "mothers of the faith" have on what it means to anticipate and prepare for the arrival of the King. He describes to us how these women and women of faith can exhibit the mother heart of God. "Mothers can see things we can't. They behold before we do." | Luke 1:39-45

As we enter Advent season nearing the day designated to celebrate Jesus' birth we begin with prophetic hope. The prophet Isaiah gives a word to Ahaz the king of Judah in Isaiah 7 about a son being born to a virgin whose name will be Immanuel, God with us. As it has relevance and meaning for Ahaz at that time, the prophecy would also later become relevant in the NT as it is applied to the birth of Jesus. Anticipating the coming of the King requires (prophetic) vision of the "not yet." Vision fosters hopefulness in the "not yet." Do you have vision for the King to show up in your circumstances? In the social issues of our day? | Isaiah 7:13-16; 9:6-7

Listen to Byron Davis close out this two-part series on Gratitude. Gratitude is a discipline we must practice. It's an attitude we must exhibit. It is a gift that is a blessing in and of itself to our lives. As you listen, reflect on all that God has done in our your life...and give thanks!

When Jesus healed the ten lepers, of the ten only one (the Samaritan) returned to honor him and show outward gratitude. Only one remembered who and where the source of his healing came from. Gratitude is central to what it means to be faithful. Gratitude is the child of memory and praise. Remember when God did that? Luke 17:11-19

Listen as Byron Davis closes out our series on Temple Care. While he focuses on the importance of taking care of our bodies, he reminds us that our mind, body, and soul are interconnected. God desires that our whole selves be whole and healthy. Be inspired to prioritize taking care of your temple as God desires that we do.

Tamisha Tyler brings a powerful message on how to understand and express our emotions in healthy ways. She takes us to Jesus' interaction with Martha and Mary when Lazarus died and Jesus would raise him from the tomb. Emotions tell us that there is something IN us responding to something OUTSIDE of us. We honor our emotions by offering them our attention. God cares about are emotional wellbeing. John 11:17-44

Inés McBryde preaches a powerful message about centering messages and competing messages. She juxtaposes the baptism of Jesus and the centering (affirming) message of "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased," with the competing messages that the devil used to tempt Jesus to get him to sin. We live in this tension as well. In this message we learn the significance of be re-centered with the messages of truth that affirm who we really are. Wellness, includes the health of our minds, our thought life. This too is temple (self) care. | Matt 3:13-4:11