Followers of Jesus are learning to pause at all the right moments and patiently listen to His voice as He leads them in a better way of doing life. And one important thing Jesus asked his followers was that they lay down a life of worry and anxiety and focus on the things God cares about instead. In so doing, he invited them to see God as a heavenly father who would never abandon them or forget about meeting their needs.

The experience of following Jesus sometimes makes us feel like children trying to learn a recipe from a parent. In order to get what we want in the end, we've got to patiently listen and wait at all the right moments and follow the direction being given. In the Bible, Jesus made several requests of those who followed him, and his questions always revealed what was important to him, inviting others to think and live and be like him. In one famous exchange, Jesus told a group of uber-religious and super-spiritual folks that he'd rather they learn compassion than continue on with their showy demonstrations of spirituality.

We love and live for redemptive stories and the redemptive movements in our own lives--love where there's been hate, justice where there's been grief and loss. The birth of Jesus is the turning point in the story of redemption that God is weaving throughout human history, and Jesus is the one who is able to exchange any darkness we live in for the light he brings.

Patience was required of Mary as she waited for the gift of baby Jesus, and later, Jesus would invite his followers to patiently wait for the gift of his growing kingdom. His kingdom would start out small and hidden like a mustard seed in a garden that would grow to full size, and he invited his followers to embrace this slow-but-steady growing of his kingdom in the world and inside of them with patient expectation.

The autobiographies of Jesus' life show how God went to great lengths to prepare forJesus' coming to earth. Jesus was an infant born in a stable, but God made sure this humble beginning would not go unnoticed by the world. During Advent, we reflect on Jesus' coming two thousand years ago and also on what it means to do our own preparation before Christmas--keeping our hearts alert and God-oriented, so that we don't miss what God is doing in our day-to-day lives.

Science has assured us in study after study that the practice of intentional gratitude improves our health, makes us happier, and fosters better relationships. But often, gratitude seems like nonsense in the middle of the extreme stress and darkness of our lives. What would it mean to practice an eyes-wide-open sort of gratitude--the kind that looks hardship in the face and chooses to focus on what we're thankful for instead?

Through vocational, volunteer, and other contexts, followers of Jesus have the opportunity to display and enact the restorative mission of Jesus in their workplaces, educational settings, cities, and neighborhoods. Have a listen if you're pondering the significance of your 9-to-5 or your daily grind!

In this world of constant stressors, at some point most of us crash and burn from stress overload. Many are reclaiming the idea of a "Sabbath" day of rest, a concept rooted in Judeo-Christian tradition because of God's concern with our physical and emotional well-being. If you're feeling enslaved to work or worry in your life, have a listen to our Sunday sermon!

It's rare that our cause for unity with others is greater than our cause for division, but Jesus meant for his followers to be built together as one family--not divided by race, political persuasion, gender, economic status or anything else. What would it look like, in the family of those who follow Jesus, for us to allow our life in Christ to remain the glue that holds us together?

The scarcity mentality often prevents us from practicing generosity toward others. And yet, even when we're afraid there won't be enough for us, the Biblical writers paint a vision of God's abundant provision for the earth. What would happen if we somehow jumped into the seemingly magical equation of our generosity + God's abundant provision?