Texts: Isaiah 55; Luke 2:8-12; 1 John 1:1-4

The Invitation of Satisfying Joy in Christ (Isaiah 55)

• God calls us to be satisfied in Him and seek Him alone.
• God reveals Himself to His people through His Word.
• God promises to lead His people into His joy and peace.

The Gospel of Great Joy in Christ (Luke 2:8-12)

• The Gospel is the good news of great joy for all people who believe it.
• The Gospel comes to all people through the Savior, Christ the Lord.

The Fullness of Shared Joy in Christ (1 John 1:1-4)

• The eternal Son of God came to this earth in the incarnation to bring us into fellowship with God.
• This shared fellowship with Christ and one another leads to fullness of joy.

Texts:  Micah 5:1-5; Ephesians 2:11-22; Philippians 4:6-7

Christ Came to Be Our Peace (Micah 5:1-5)

• Peace is defined in Scripture as “shalom,” which means wholeness or completeness.
• Christ’s coming inaugurated a “shalom” that would bring strength to His people and culminate in His eternal reign.

Christ Came to Make Peace With God and Man (Ephesians 2:11-22)

• Christ broke down the wall of hostility between God and man through His atoning work on the cross.
• Christ’s atoning work brings wholeness and reconciliation to our relationships.

Christ Came to Bring Peace Within our Hearts (Philippians 4:6-7)

• Christ provides us with the peace of God that guards our hearts and minds.
• Christ is our refuge of peace for all the moments of our lives.

Texts: Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:21-23; Romans 15:8-13

Christ, the Promised Savior (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:21-23)

• Christ came as the prophesied Messiah who would bring salvation to sinners walking in despair and darkness.
• Christ came to be our Emmanuel, “God With Us.”

Christ, the Hope of the World (Romans 15:8-13)

• Christ became a servant for the sake of God’s truth and in fulfillment of God’s promises.
• Christ brings a certain and eternal hope to all who believe in His name, filling them with joy and peace.

Text: Colossians 4:7-18

Gospel Gratitude for Faithful Service (4:7-11)

• Paul was grateful for the Gospel’s transformation in the church that prepared them for faithful service.
• We can be grateful for how the Gospel has transformed us and placed us in ministry together.

Gospel Gain From Fruitful Service (4:12-16)

• Paul was encouraged to see the sacrificial service of others bearing fruit in the church.
• We can take heart in the power of the Gospel to grow us and empower us to serve Christ faithfully.

Gospel Grace For Future Service (4:17-18)

• Paul was looking forward to all that the God would accomplish through His church.
• We are called to fulfill the ministry God has called us to do by the power of His grace.

Text: Colossians 4:5-6

Gospel Urgency with Wisdom (4:5)

• We are called to conduct ourselves in biblical wisdom to those around us.
• We are called to use our time wisely for the Gospel’s sake.

Gospel Fluency with Grace (4:6)

• We are called to speak grace-filled words that are seasoned with the flavor of Christ.
• We are called to respond to others with grace-filled answers that point them to Christ and His Word.

Text: Colossians 4:2-4

Dependance Upon Christ in Prayer (4:2)

• Pray with steadfast consistency.
• Pray with persistent watchfulness.
• Pray with Godward gratitude.

Devotion to Christ’s Mission Through Prayer (4:3-4)

• Pray for opportunities to declare the Gospel.
• Pray for obedience to make the Gospel known.

Text: Acts 1:1-11

Jeff Fitzgerald preaches to us about how Christ's last command to His disciples as He ascended into heaven must be our first commitment as we live out our discipleship here on earth.

Text: Colossians 3:22-4:1

Christ-Centered Servanthood (3:22-25)

• We are called to obey our superiors as unto the Lord for His glory.
• We are called to serve wholeheartedly in all things for the Lord and His reward and reckoning.

Christ-Centered Supervision (4:1)

• We are called to treat those we lead with respect and equality, knowing that Jesus is Lord and supreme over all.

Text: Colossians 3:18-21

Christ-Centered Submission (3:18)

• Christ calls and empowers wives to submit to their husbands in a way that brings glory to Him.

Christ-Centered Love (3:19)

• Christ calls and empowers husbands to love their wives in a way that treasures them with gentleness.

Christ-Centered Obedience (3:20)

• Christ calls and empowers children to obey their parents in every way that pleases Him.

Christ-Centered Parenting (3:21)

• Christ calls and empowers parents to shepherd their children in a way that proves their love for them while not provoking them to become embittered or lose heart.

Texts:  Philippians 1:3-11, 27-30; Romans 15:1-7; Romans 12:3-8

We Serve in a Gospel-centered Partnership (Philippians 1:3-11, 27-30)

• We are saved into a partnership with one another through the Gospel.
• This partnership manifests itself in a life worthy of the Gospel that strives side by side together.

We Serve in a Gospel-centered Culture (Romans 15:1-7)

• We are called to a unity and harmony by Christ.
• We are called to welcome one another as Christ has welcomed us.

We Serve through Gospel-centered Gifting (Romans 12:3-8)

• We are equipped to serve one another by the grace that saved us in Christ.
• Each gift is an opportunity to build up the body of Christ and bring glory to God.