2020 has felt particularly "dark," but even so, those who have their hope in Jesus sometimes need to _cultivate_ joy as a form of resistance to the darkness of our time--and to remember that we _always_ rejoice in the reign and return of King Jesus even while we mourn over the temporary trials and hardships we walk through.

Listen in to Pastor Heather's message "A Light Has Dawned in the Land of Deep Darkness" from our God in the Dark series.

What if, instead of fretting over all the answers we want but don't have, we learn to be WATCHERS in the darkness--to posture ourselves like the Magi in the Christmas story and be people who are so comfortable watching the night sky that, when God lights it up, we can easily spot his star, discern his presence and be ready to follow Him wherever he leads?

Listen in to Pastor Heather's message in week 2 of our God in the Dark Series, "We Saw His Star When it Rose."

"We tend to see darkness as a signifier of hopelessness, but we should really let it remind us of God-with-us." Join us this Advent season as we reflect on how, in seasons of the unfamiliar and the uncertain, Emmanuel ("God with us") is all the light we need.

"The world wants to know how God has impacted you. Feel free to tell them." Check out this message from Pastor Tony as he talks about being ready to tell those who are curious about how God has changed your life.

God ALWAYS wants to transform us, and it's his pleasure to heal our bodies when he chooses to do so! In the gospels, it was a paralyzed man's _friends' faith_ that inspired Jesus to transform the paralyzed man. There's something powerful when we have "team faith" for one another, bringing each other before God with faith for each other's transformation. Check out this message from Pastor Tony as you ponder the things you want to see transformed in your own life and in the lives of others.

What if we thought of ourselves as Jesus' apprentices? One thing we'd notice is that Jesus engaged in compassionate activities. There's not one circumstance in our world that is devoid of the most vulnerable--people in need of compassion are everywhere. Listen in as Pastor Tony talks about how we can model ourselves after Jesus.

What if we thought of ourselves as Jesus' apprentices? One thing we'd notice is that Jesus loved EVERYONE--friend, foe, and frenemy. As Tony says in his message, "Jesus loved people, so let the company you keep reflect God's mission to love people."

What if we thought of ourselves as Jesus' apprentices? One thing we'd notice is that Jesus prioritized prayer. A routine of prayer and spending time with God every day brings balance to our lives and maturity to our spirits.

What if we thought of ourselves as Jesus' apprentices? One thing we'd notice is that Jesus studied the Hebrew Bible. Scripture helped Jesus recognize God’s voice among many competing voices. The same is true for us! The more scripture is inside us, the better equipped we are to respond to temptation and troubles.

"We may have to ask ourselves if we've over-identified with political alignments, parties, and leaders, and then re-align ourselves with the Kingdom of God."

Often, Christians think God's blessing on America as a nation depends on whether the right political party is in control, whether the right policies are enacted and whether the right laws are established. At the end of the day, however, Jesus makes it clear that nations will not be judged _as_ nations, but individuals within the nation will be evaluated on how well they treat those who are poor, sick, hungry, incarcerated or immigrants.

(Heather Weber)