Imagine that a friend or family member who is unfamiliar with your Christian faith asks you to summarize the gospel. She isn’t looking for a laundry list of doctrines. She has no interest in hearing you recite the Apostles’ Creed. She wants to get to the heart of the matter. “In seven words or less,” she says, “tell me what you believe as a Christian.”

To be a Christian is to “believe with your heart” and “confess with your mouth” the good news of God’s love for us in Christ (Romans 10:9–10). Peter calls us to be prepared always to give a reason for the hope we have as Christians (1 Peter 3:15). Christians have the best news in the world to share. But are we prepared to share it? In our midweek worship we will we work together to formulate faithful Christian confessions. Come prepared to contribute to the conversation!

We don't like to admit our weakness in life. Yet sometimes those weakness are exactly the places where we see clearly the glory and strength of God shining through doing what we cannot. How beautiful it is that Jesus joins us to the greatest victory of all through his cross so that we can confidently say, " I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." Galatians 2:20

Time Heals All Wounds...might sound nice but it just isn't true. Time does not have healing powers especially when it comes to dealing with regrets. David and his children give us a glimpse of how unresolved sin and pain can fester and grow instead of receiving the healing power of forgiveness through Jesus. Time may not be able to heal but the creator of time has more than enough power to heal and forgive all of the stuff we have done and that has been done to us so that we don't have to carry it around anymore.

We all have stuff that we have done that we wish we could just hide or explain away. Yet that doesn't seem to really help us and instead many times compounds the problem and it snowballs into bigger problems with more people getting hurt. Instead of covering up or excusing our sin God provide a better way, a way that eliminates the burden of our sin and allows us to no longer be a slave to guilt through the gift of forgiveness something that King David a "man after God's own heart" experienced on one of the darkest chapters of his story.

No one deserves mercy or forgiveness which is why it can make it feel so hard to give and if we are honest even to receive. But the facts of forgiveness remind us that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8) Jonah the reluctant prophet who refuses to pray or repent and who repeatedly asks to die because of the mercy of God shown to everyone is a good account to learn about the power of God to show mercy even when people don't deserve it.

Ever tried to, "Get Your Life in Order" whatever that may mean to you? Usually that involves dealing with a lot of stuff about ourselves and our lives that we would rather hide and cover up. Sometimes we spend so much time running and carrying stuff that we forget that there is One who is willing and able to take all of our stuff. No matter what we have done, no matter how good we think we are (at least compared to others), Jesus is ready and willing and able to take your stuff. Your stuff may always be a part of your story but it doesn't have to be your identity after all you have a Heavenly Father who loves you and is always willing to welcome you home.

He may never speak a word that was recorded in the Bible but Joseph's action as the adoptive Father of Jesus in many ways give us an image of what Jesus came to do. For it is through Jesus by faith that we too can be adopted forever into the family of God and receive all the benefits that come with it!

Mary holds a unique role among any person to ever walk this planet, to be the mother of the Son of God. In her humility to be used by the Father to be a part of something so important that would change not just her world but all of eternity. Yet her Son showed the greatest humility of all with his birth, perfect life, sacrificial death and glorious resurrection.

What Child Is This? Journey with the Shepherds to the manger as they explore the question and meet the Good Shepherd.

Thanksgiving can be a difficult holiday because of the ups and downs of life. Yet in the midst of all circumstances we can find joy and contentment not by what we have, but by who has us.