Some of the most enduring Christmas movies involve a "Christmas Conversion" where a character experiences a dramatic change in perspective and attitude. One of these movies is It's a Wonderful Life, which tells the story of George Bailey's conversion from despairing of life to being thankful for it. We considered the ways that this story reflects Biblical truths about how we can move from despair to joy in our own lives.

This week we looked at the frightening description of "the bowls of wrath": ecological disasters, "impure spirits" that look like frogs, and a tremendous earthquake. We considered how to understand it all and how it should affect our perspective.

Revelation forces us to consider an important topic: God's wrath. This week we consider how Revelation 15 implies several things about God's wrath that we might not ordinarily recognize.

This week in Revelation: a vision of a harvest and a frightening, blood-producing winepress. What does it mean? We considered several possibilities, and what each means for us today.

This morning we continued our journey through the Book of Revelation. John had a vision of three angels declaring an "eternal gospel. We considered the significance of the word "gospel," and why the "eternal gospel" is both a source of joy and a warning.

With emotions in our country running high, we looked at one more passage to center us during election week: 1 Corinthians 13:1-13. Without love, we are spiritually bankrupt.

This week we continued our journey through Revelation with a new vision of the "144,000." The vision teaches us several things about those who are victorious in the spiritual battle described in the previous two chapters.

This week we continued our study in the Book of Revelation with chapter 13. John had a vision of two beasts, one from the sea and one from the land. We considered what this vision means, both for the first readers in the 1st century and its relevance for today (ALSO: this week we looked at "the mark of the beast," and "666" - they might not mean what you've thought!)

After a 7-month hiatus, this Sunday we finally returned to where we left off in the Book of Revelation. John had a vision of a woman with a crown of 12 stars, giving birth while a dragon waited to devour her child. We considered what this confusing vision reveals about the reality of spiritual warfare through the use of Old Testament symbols and allusions. We also considered one specific way that we experience this spiritual war, and how to resist.

This week guest Mike Distefano provided biblical perspective on the increasingly common affliction of our time: anxiety.