Bread shows up all over scripture. Manna in the wilderness, the Passover meal, Jesus’ temptation in the desert, the miraculous feeding, and finally directly from the mouth of Jesus when he declared, “I AM THE BREAD OF LIFE.” It’s a strange way to announce who you are but it points to a stunning revelation of God. And revealing God is what Jesus came to do. It’s one of seven “I AM” statements from Jesus that bolster his claim that he and the Father are one. It sharpens our view that Jesus is what God has to say about himself and challenges us to be nourished by his words, life, death, and resurrection. Even when our lives don’t make sense and we’re hungry for answers we can rest assured that Jesus—the Bread of Life—will satisfy us to the full.

What is God like? If you were to make a word cloud of his characteristics what would the biggest words be? Biblical authors often reference and quote their favorite parts of Scripture, and the list of God's character traits found in Exodus 34:6-7 is the most repeated and re-quoted text in the Bible. This foundational description of God's attributes illustrates what God values and why he acts the way he does. When God says, “I AM” he is declaring his compassion, grace, patience, loyal love, and faithfulness. Jesus is the ultimate picture of what God is like and when we respond to these qualities we become more like the one who became one of us to rescue all of us.

During this series we’ve been looking at what it means to seek first the Kingdom of God by prioritizing becoming like Jesus, growing in trust, and choosing love.

What are you chasing? What are you running after? Every day you have a choice to prioritize what you seek first. It’s a fresh opportunity to pursue what matters most. As followers of Jesus, we desire to do what he would do, say what he would say, and even think his thoughts. Fortunately, Jesus took the guesswork out of this for us by issuing a simple statement, “Love others the way I love you.” But knowing this and doing it are two very different things. Being intentional about loving well requires more than you can handle. Thankfully, LOVE has taken up residence in you and you’re never without help. Learning to rely on the grace to choose to do what love would do, say what love would say, and think thoughts of love is a lifelong journey worth seeking first.

Trust is fragile. It can be broken, lost, withheld, and taken advantage of. Even the most secure relationships can see trust evaporate in a moment. Jesus knows all about this as he suffered betrayal and abandonment from his own followers. But he remained faithful because he trusted in His Father’s love. God remains faithful and trustworthy even when we aren’t. God continues to love when we feel unloveable. This love is the catalyst for our own growth in the kind of trust that can endure the worst.

A new year can be a contradiction. A time where hope and helplessness coexist. Making plans and painful memories walk hand in hand. But one thing we can all agree on is that another completed trip around the sun is a reminder that time forges on and offers you a moment-by-moment choice. Will you look back with regret or look forward with resolve? Your next decision will determine your direction. The good news is there is always time to make the right decision! “Seek First” is our series for January and it’s designed to help you choose the good and establish priorities that will aid you in becoming more like Jesus.

Christmas is a time to reflect on the miracle of Emmanuel. That moment when the Word put on flesh to empathize with and cure our terminal condition. There was no other way. God became one of us to rescue all of us. But incarnation is also about you. It’s the process of the embedded Christ in you pushing out the darkness and transforming you to become more like Jesus. When the light within you shines brighter than the darkness around you Jesus can love through you. This is the Emmanuel process: God with you, God for you, God in you, and God loving through you. Embrace the incarnational life and join with Heaven to declare, “Peace on earth goodwill to all.”

Emmanuel means God is with us. Some believe that God is with us to condemn, shame, and punish. Nothing could be further from the truth! Don’t accept any teaching that overemphasizes humanity's sinful condition over the act of God becoming one of us to rescue all of us. A Creator that becomes their creation affirms the value of their creation. We see this with bygone artists. When I say “Van Gogh” you may see Starry Night, Sunflowers, or his self-portrait. In a sense, he became his creation. But our Creator literally “became flesh & blood” to ransom, rescue, and restore us. This God is also for us and loves us unconditionally. We are never alone—never without love—when we embrace the God who is with us

When defining the culture of our church we must start with the questions, “Who are we and what are we becoming?” We find the answers by what we value and celebrate. At River Church, we highly regard the Next Generation. River Kids is not a babysitting service, it’s church for kids! We take every opportunity to minister the Gospel and love of God. We are training up a generation who knows their Heavenly Father, has a deep love for King Jesus and knows how to hear from the Holy Spirit. Every Sunday we create a safe place where love rules and church is fun. But we also want voices from every generation telling their experiences of God’s faithfulness and love. Stories from past generations inspire faith, hope, and love in the next. Our little ones can carry the great message of Jesus way further when perched on the shoulders of our church mothers and fathers.

When defining the culture of our church we must start with the questions, “Who are we and what are we becoming?” We find the answers by what we value and celebrate. At River Church, we highly regard generous and sacrificial living. You can guide the affections of your heart with your time, talent, and treasure. When followers of Jesus steward these areas of their life well all of Heaven gets behind them. Setting aside a percentage of your income is not a requirement, it’s an opportunity. Imagine being the manager of a foundation whose sole purpose is to give generous grants to worthy charities. How fun would spending your life distributing someone else’s money be? But few Christians understand that this is the mindset God wants us to have in regard to managing our own financial life. The Generous Life is all about returning to God the generosity He poured out to us and it starts with your relationship with money.