Life is full of choices, we choose daily: the clothes we are going to wear that day, the colors, and the food we are going to eat (here you may make a choice that is healthier than others). When you buy a phone or computer, you choose what works better for you financially but you also about the quality. We make decisions based on what we know, our preferences, based on our research, what is more suitable for us.

“Mission exists because worship doesn’t” (John Piper) The implication here is there are people worshiping the wrong thing or the wrong deity. Our job as missionaries in the culture is to get people into a relationship with the true God of the universe, so that they can worship and glorify him. Last week we talked about worship; Webster’s definition: The act of showing respect and love for a god; excessive admiration; reverence offered to a divine being.

Every Sunday we gather here to have our “Worship service.” Churches across the country and around the world meet together to worship. Many attend church, but only a minority worships or at least understands worship. Worship is one of those words we throw around in church a lot, but many times we quite don’t understand what worship is all about. How do you know you have worshiped God? How do you know you are truly worshiping God?

We are in the second week of this New Year. I hope and pray you are still doing well in what you pledged to achieve in 2017. My hope and prayer is that in addition to the many things you’d like to do or accomplish, that you don’t neglect to work on your relationship with the LORD. Don’t get too busy in life that you end up neglecting the most important, God. Joshua challenged the nation of Israel; in the last chapter of the book of Joshua we read how God fulfilled his promise to his people-to give them an inheritance. (A fertile land). Joshua challenged the nation to be faithful to God as they went to enjoy their inheritance. The book ends with the nation committing herself to serve and worship God. They pledged themselves to never forget the LORD.

Every year businesses across the world take inventory to check what they have; they evaluate the products, goods, items etc. At the beginning of each year people tend to make resolutions, which in a sense is the way they make inventory of what they would like to do in the New Year. A new year just began; it will bring to us its challenges and struggles. Have you taken an inventory of your life? What you did and what you’d like to do?

Christmas is a time of joy and celebration for some; families get together, giving and receiving gifts. For others it’s time of stress; some experience sadness because they don’t have loved ones with them anymore. People respond to Christmas differently; some really go overboard with the celebration while others could care less that there is even a holiday called Christmas. When a news is announced people respond differently

People respond to Christmas differently; some choose to celebrate it, others don’t. For some it could be a time of celebration and family time. For others, they would love if this holiday didn’t exist. Some tend to hate this holiday because of how commercialized it has become. Regardless of the commercialization of Christmas, some try really hard to focus on the birth of Jesus. Regardless of what people do in Christmas, some people try their best to remind themselves of the time when God sent them a Savior. This is how they choose to respond to what Christmas has become these days

A young girl was planning a wedding; she was so excited, but one day she had an unexpected visitor who brought to her some disturbing news. She may need to put the wedding on hold. Can you imagine if you have been planning something for a while, and someone shows up and says to you. You have to put your plans on hold; your plans will be delayed, there is something you have to do first. This truly would make you uncomfortable. This young girl was Mary. God sent his angel Gabriel to deliver the news to her.

To communicate is the act or process of using words, sounds, signs or behavior to express or exchange information or to express your ideas, thoughts, feelings, etc to someone else. With the creation of the internet, technology, we have means of communication at our disposal by a click of a button. With all the technological advancements you would think that it would be impossible for us to miscommunicate or miss the message. But we do it all the time. Since the beginning of time, God has been communicating with mankind. God has sent messages regarding his plan for us; his plan for the world. However, some people have tried to twist what God has said, others completely ignore it; some emphatically receive it and do what he says.

During this time people tend to worry more than usual. People have to get their Christmas shopping done. People worry about their traveling and the lines they will have to deal with at the stores and on the road. There are some people very anxious to the point of desperation as they wait to see what will happen to our country with the new president elected.