Life is filled with seasons of waiting, from medical results to relationship healing. Throughout Scripture, God's people have always been waiting people - Noah, Abraham, Joseph, and even Jesus all experienced extended periods of waiting. The Hebrew word for wait is the same as hope, revealing that biblical waiting is active and expectant. During waiting seasons, we can maintain hope through three key practices: establishing consistent prayer to commune with God, trusting His character and timing rather than forcing our own solutions, and actively doing good works right where we are. Our hope as Christians is different because it's a living hope found in Jesus, who experienced waiting just as we do and serves as both our example and foundation.

In these uncertain times, believers have been given a powerful gift - the anointing of the Holy Spirit. John warns that we're living in the last days, where many antichrists seek to diminish Jesus rather than deny Him outright. These false teachers don't reject Jesus entirely but reduce Him to merely a good teacher rather than the unique Son of God. However, every believer has received the Holy Spirit's anointing, which always points us to Jesus and reminds us of His truth. To remain faithful, we must hold onto three essentials: the apostolic teachings about Jesus, the indwelling Holy Spirit, and active participation in the body of Christ.

Living as a Christian requires choosing between loving God and loving the world system that opposes Him. The world, under Satan's influence since the Fall, operates with values and philosophies contrary to God's truth. We cannot serve both masters - loving the world squeezes out love for the Father. Christians have been rescued from darkness into light through Christ's victory on the cross. Understanding that this world is temporary while God's kingdom is eternal helps us maintain proper perspective. Spiritual maturity involves growing beyond spiritual childhood and working together as a church family across all generations. We're called to be in the world as light and salt while rejecting its values.

Authentic faith in Jesus is marked by three key characteristics: obedience to His commands, living like Jesus, and loving others. True obedience flows from love rather than obligation, showing evidence of genuine faith rather than earning salvation. Living like Jesus isn't about perfect imitation but about abiding in Him and allowing Christ to transform us from within. The command to love others is both ancient and revolutionary, as Jesus redefined love by His own example of sacrificial care for all people. These marks aren't about achieving perfection but about staying connected to Jesus and allowing Him to produce authentic spiritual fruit in our lives.

In this Celebration Sunday message, Jeremy shares how Jesus' first miracle of turning water into wine reveals God's invitation for us to participate in His extraordinary work through ordinary obedience. Just as the servants at the wedding had to trust Jesus by filling the jars with water, we are called to pour out what we have—our time, resources, and prayers—trusting that Jesus will transform our efforts into something miraculous. Short-term mission trips and everyday acts of service become opportunities for others to "taste and see that the Lord is good" when we step out in faith and obedience.

Campus ministry is genuine missionary work that requires understanding today's college culture and building relationships one student at a time. Rather than waiting for students to walk through doors, effective campus ministers go where students are, creating entry points like coffee service and deeper connections through worship and discipleship groups. The goal isn't just social activities but making disciples whose identity rests in Christ rather than academic performance or social status. Churches can support this mission by learning students' names, living lives worthy of following, and engaging at campus ministry locations to model healthy relationships for students from broken families.

The landscape of campus ministry has transformed dramatically since 1962, with today's college students facing unprecedented mental health challenges amid our digital age. Despite these difficulties, this may be the most exciting time for campus ministry as Gen Z shows increasing spiritual curiosity, openness to intergenerational relationships, and a hunger for authentic mentorship. Churches have a unique opportunity to be trustworthy guides for young people who are often 'harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.' By positioning ourselves as authentic witnesses and engaging intentionally with students, we can respond to Jesus's call to shine our light and enter the plentiful harvest field.

Sin creates division between us and God, but the gospel restores fellowship through Jesus Christ. God is light without darkness, and we cannot claim fellowship with Him while living in spiritual darkness. Walking in the light means agreeing with God's definition of sin and confessing when His light exposes darkness in our lives. Confession brings healing and restoration, allowing us to experience true fellowship with God and others. The mark of a Christian isn't sinlessness but a willingness to bring sin into the light through regular confession.

John's first letter addresses believers disturbed by false prophets, offering them blessed assurance through fundamental truths. He emphasizes that the gospel of Jesus is complete, based on eyewitness testimony, not requiring new additions. John teaches that true fellowship centers entirely on Jesus Christ - we must decide if Christianity is absolutely true or completely false, as there is no middle ground. Finally, he reveals that our joy becomes complete when we share the message of Jesus with others, experiencing a fulfillment that cannot be taken away.

In this message on "Blessed Assurance," Ken explores how the Apostle John wrote his first letter to help Christians know with certainty that they have eternal life, addressing the confusion caused by false teachers who had left the church. He outlines three key areas of Christian assurance: knowing the true identity of Jesus as the Son of God, having certainty about your conversion through three tests (believing Jesus is God's Son, walking in the light through moral transformation, and loving fellow believers), and trusting in the security of your salvation even when you fail. Ken emphasizes that true assurance comes not from perfect performance but from humble dependence on Christ, who serves as our advocate when we confess our sins and get back on the path of faith.