Jesus was born to break chains--both spiritual chains and chains of this world. Since Jesus paid special attention to the poor and vulnerable on the bottom side of society, we should too.

Jesus has given us one command: to love others as he has loved us. The Holy Spirit helps us to overcome our selfishness so that we can love others sacrificially like Jesus.

Every person has worth, but sin often obscures the worth we see in ourselves and in others. The Gospel reminds us that we have worth! You have worth because God made you in his image, and you have worth because God loves and values you.

Sometimes we get so busy doing things for God that we forget all that he does for us in his grace. We are not benefactors of God, but servants who are blessed beyond imagining.

The danger of religion is that it can become a box that we think allows us to contain and control God. Instead of trying to control God, David surrendered to God. Instead of trying to move God, he allowed God to move him.

Grief is awkward and difficult for many people. As David mourns the death of Saul, he shows us how to grieve appropriately--expressing the immensity of loss even while having hope in Christ.

Life gets messy, and the conditions of your life are rarely going to be ideal for living out faith. God still works out his purposes for us even in the messy times of our lives.

In the disciple making process, only God makes things grow, but he gives us the tasks of planting and watering. Nothing grows without water, and one of the best ways to water for spiritual growth is through conversations that move from simple to serious to spiritual.

The early church in Acts focused on four essential elements in their gatherings: teaching, fellowship, breaking bread, and prayer. We are going to experiment with what it would look like for Plains Church to focus on these four things in our Brunch Church services this year.

In farming, plowing comes before planting because plowing breaks open the hard ground to receive the seed that is planted. In the same way, prayer must come before outreach and evangelism , because prayer softens hard hearts so they can receive the word of God.