Happy to say goodby to 2020? Ready for something new? God is calling us to move, to "get out of the boat," to embrace spiritual elasticity... to be NEW WINESKINS ready for the new wine that God is pouring out in our world. We don’t have a faith that fades. We have one that is renewed every single day.

There is a theme throughout scripture: God delights in the little. He chooses the weak and unknown. He lifts up the lowly. It’s easy for us to be down on ourselves, or to dwell on how we *wish* things would be, especially during times like this. But God rejoices in small beginnings. Let us take time to celebrate special moments like the first block in a new temple, or a newborn king in a humble manger.

God’s mercy and his promises to his people are also available to believers today. He will never give up on us (though we can sometimes give up on him). In response to his incredible grace we respond by doing justice, loving mercy, and walking humbly.

This fresh take on the story of Jonah looks at the book from the perspective of the sailors, Jonah, the Ninevites, God himself for modern day application in our lives. Ultimately we see that we can trust God, and if we are willing, we can experience the impact of his amazing grace.

Sometimes we don’t think God sees or knows, that he is really hearing us. But Malachi reminds us he is involved in the intricacies of our daily lives. He gives us hope for facing the future.

We tend to view our relationship with God in terms of spiritual habits or things we do…and unfortunately religion can become empty ritual. But God truly desires relationship. He wants our hearts.

What will it mean for your life to really hear this message from God: “I am with you…do not fear…I have chosen you…” Learn more about your spiritual identity from this lesson from the book of Haggai.

God’s kingdom economy puts people over property. Relationship are valued over religion. Our hope in this kingdom provides us with eternal blessing, authentic security, answer to our fears, and a way trust in adversity.

Sometimes God’s plan is not what we had hoped for. Sometimes we go through hard times. But hard times are not the end. We can build a sustaining faith that is not at the mercy of our environment.

What happens when cancel culture invades are real relationships. We are hurt and so we say “I’m done with you.” A huge part of being a follower of Jesus is learning how to handle conflict. Divine love and grace allows us to experience true reconciliation.