This week we rejoiced with those who turned their lives over to Jesus and stepped over the Faith Line. Through their baptism, they outwardly shared their inner transformation of becoming a follower of Jesus Christ. As a church, we stopped and quieted our hearts to reflect on God’s work in the life of our church family and asked Him to strengthen us for what He calls us to do next. God calls us to do this in our personal walks with Him, too!

Without focus, goals get pushed aside and forgotten. Other things get in the way, and decision making is clouded. Yet with vision and focus, we can accomplish great things. With each step we take in our little Iowa, we make it more and more difficult for those in our circles to get to Hell. This week we conclude our two-week series to sharpen our focus as a church for 2015 and prepare ourselves for the work that lies ahead this year.

As a new year begins, many of us make resolutions to lose weight, get fit, save more money or kick a bad habit. We all know what happens when we have unrealistic expectations and make unrealistic goals. Before February rolls around, they are a dim memory. As a church, we face the same dilemma. Instead of focusing on ineffective resolutions that leave us scattered, our vision for 2015 is big - to reach big and little Iowa. The overriding truth propelling that vision is without Jesus there is no hope. To accomplish this vision, we continue our focus on reaching lost people, helping people take spiritual steps and developing leaders.

With the beginning of each new year, we often reflect back on the former year. In evaluating our spiritual lives for 2014, we may discover someone or something has mastered our lives and is interfering in our relationship with God. This week we’ll focus on those things that once served us but now have become our master.

For many, Christmas is all about home. Home carries fond memories for some and painful ones for others. Our earthly homes are broken, but fortunately, this world isn’t our final destination. Join us Christmas Eve as we look at the amazing plan of how God sent His Son to bring us home.

A blessing from God is an act done by Him for His glory to be seen by us. As shown through the people in the Christmas stories in Matthew 1 and Luke 1, we may have to search to find the blessings and be obedient in order to pass on those blessings to others to glorify God and make His kingdom known.

Just as God is always communicating with us, we are always communicating with Him. Our communications range from disbelief to joyous celebration. In Luke 1:5-18, Zechariah responded to God’s message first in fear, then doubt and finally in faith in God’s grace. This Christmas season, God desires us to respond to the message of His Son’s birth as recorded in the Bible by eyewitnesses.

Sometimes we listen for the wrong things, paying attention to our own plan rather than God’s. Other times, we may be fooled into believing He doesn’t want to speak to us, or we plug our ears in prideful disobedience. Despite these barriers, God can break through to us and communicate His Word. He understands the big picture and offers what’s best. We need to stop and listen to His voice.