The Practice of service.  It's a difficult practice to serve as Jesus served, but it is our calling.

Service is not self-righteous but humble.

A servant sees people.

A servant is attuned to Jesus

We can serve in the everyday like: practicing common courtesy, listening, guarding another's reputation, and hospitality.

Simplicity and Stewardship are Connected.  They both require similar attitudes:

1. It All Belongs to God.

2. Contentment

3. Trust

With those attitudes, simplicity and stewardship can then be lived outwardly.

Jesus declared that we live by every word that comes from the mouth of God.

We believe the Bible is God's Word.

Must study if we're going to know anything or anyone.  We study those we love.

Likewise, we study the Bible to know what's important to God and what God would have us believe and do.

One practical way to study, the inductive method, is shared in this message.

We tend to know the practice of prayer is important but perhaps we're not as intentional as we could be and we may need some structure to our prayers.

So this message shares one such structure.

Introductory message on Spiritual Disciplines or Spiritual Practices.

We tend to compartmentalize our lives.  God on Sunday and everyone and everything else the rest of the week.

We need sacred rhythms or a "Rule of Life" to keep God at the center of everything we do.

Jesus left his home to come be with us.

Jesus' came to save us from our sins.

Jesus came to be with us.

Jesus left his home to show us the way home!

Jesus came at just the right time.

It was the right time: religiously, culturally, politically.

Love is evident in our being adopted as sons and daughters

The Heart of Christmas Brings Joy!

Joy that God entered our messiness to save us.

Joy that God continues to be with us in our messiness and loves us through it.

Joy because God is not finished with us!

Peace is at the Heart of Christmas.

Peace with God, Peace of God, Peace with Ourselves, and Peace with Others.

Hope is at the heart of Christmas.

Hope for the now and hope for our souls and hope for complete restoration of all things!