We think of glory from a human perspective. We want to have glory and power and control in our lives and in the eyes of others. We want to be lifted up, talked up, and looked up to. We want earthly glory. The problem is, earthly glory is not the same as heavenly glory, and we are seeking that which is not life. We don't want to suffer or be 'weak' or experience difficulty for the sake of the Gospel. The glory that Jesus was thinking of, was not a glory that was pleasing in the eyes of the disciples. It wasn't a glory that was attractive in an earthy sense. Rather it was brutal, ugly, and ended in his death on the cross. Yet through the ugliness of the cross, we see our salvation that Jesus has won for us! We often want to live glorious lives, but the true glory comes in the cross of Jesus, and in quietly, faithfully, bearing our crosses while trusting in Jesus and his promises of future glory with him at his return. True glory for us comes in the cross of Jesus, denying our own desires and wishes, and rejoicing in the truth that Jesus has saved us through his own death and resurrection.

We are blessed to own many good things. We have many possessions that we love and cherish and that bring us comfort and joy. Many of these things actually can help us benefit others. Yet, we often value these things more than we should. We are drawn into a consumerism mindset, where we overvalue the stuff we have, we are consumed by it, and we want the next best thing. As a result, our lives revolve around our stuff and how to get more of it, rather than using it to benefit others. Jesus gives us the most important thing we could ever own: the gift of following him. Jesus does not love things, but loves us, and wants us to love him by obeying him and caring for those around us. It's not that we need to get rid of all our stuff, but that we prioritize and value the gift of faith and following Jesus, over the stuff that we own and/or want. We no longer exist to own things, but we live for Jesus and with his promise of life with him forever. We keep our love of stuff in it's place, remembering that Jesus loves us, he calls us to use our stuff to follow him and love others, and he done the impossible, and saved us.

Often the people we associate with shape and change how we live. Good company can point us together towards a good life and behavior that is God pleasing. Yet at the same time, our friends, family, and those closest to us can point us in the wrong direction. They don't have the same values, the same beliefs, or the same priorities. This is significant, because it means we can be shaped by those that we love and care for, and can be pointed away from God. Jesus himself, associated with sinners. He was not changed by us, but by the Holy Spirit, called, shaped, and formed our hearts to follow after him. While in this world, we do get led astray, Jesus joins himself with sinners, and saved us by making us his own people. By the Holy Spirit, he leads us to follow after him, and by being around him, we are shaped and formed to live as he calls us to. Jesus shapes and forms us to follow after him, by not being yoked to unbelievers, but rather being near Jesus and being in community with his family.

Merry Christmas! Check out this special message for Christmas Day from Pastor Alarik. Christ is born!

There are bad things that happen in this world. There are frightening things. We don't feel secure or safe in this world, because bad things happen not only to bad people, but to all people. There's wars, violence, storms, disasters, and all kinds of bad things in this world. What we need is safety and security. Our God gives us that safety and security in Jesus. We are his people, and he is our all-powerful all caring God who protects us from all evil. While bad things do happen, we know we are safe in Jesus, no matter what. We have security, protection, and a safe home in our God.

Jesus comes to earth, to join us in the dirt of this world, get dirty in our sin, and show us who our God truly is.

Home can be a tough place to be. It can be filled with tension, conflict, arguments, and strife. When you're there, you can be tempted to avoid people, keep to yourself, or even leave altogether. Home is supposed to be a happy, peaceful place. Yet it often is not. Jesus came and died and rose again, that we may have peace. We have peace with God, but also with each other, in Jesus. By coming into our conflict of sin and suffering, he gave peace to all people, restored all brokenness, and repaired every relationship through his suffering, death, and resurrection. We now have a home with Jesus, where there is no brokenness.

Coming to church can be hard sometimes. We often wonder, am I good enough? Have I been away for too long? Have I gone too far? Have I done too much? Have I done not enough? Do I belong here? Will God accept me? We often can think we are too far gone. We can't come home to God, maybe like we can't come to our earthly homes and earthly families. You are always welcome at God's table. No matter what you've done or not done, where you've gone, or what your family may say, you are welcome at God's table. He's got it all set for you. A table where you dine on his word, promises, and good gifts that he offers to you. How do you know it's for you? Because it's for all people. Because all people who turn and come back to God, are his people, and you are welcome. You belong.

Being a just and good person is tough, but through the tasks and gifts God gives us, he blesses us, helps us rise to the occasion, and he shows us what perfect love looks like.