Hope, in the story of scripture, is patient, expectant, and alive. Hope looks to the future with anticipation. As we start the Advent season, we look to the promise from the prophet Isaiah, given at a time of crisis and darkness. Invisible hope becomes a tangible reality when the story of Jesus changes the story of our lives.

Gratitude is a keystone habit that will lead your life in the direction of happiness. It takes your eyes off of what you lack and the sources of frustration, reminding you of the blessing and favor of God. What are you grateful for? Answer that question daily and you will discover a source of joy.

Unlocking the power of habit includes making some habits that will take your life in the direction you want to go, but it also includes breaking some habits that aren't serving you or your future. Jeremiah breaks down the skill of breaking up with your bad habits.

There is often a gap between the goals you have for your family and the actual systems that define "normal" for your family. Habits can bridge that gap and change your future. For instance, there is a huge difference between occasional church attendance and regular church involvement. Change the pattern and change the outcome.

Steve Malinchock shares one specific habit that helped him connect with God's love for Him and experience what Jesus described as "life to the full."

It is the discipline to do small things that provides the ability to accomplish big things. Keystone habits are regular practices in your life that lead to big results. Big breakthroughs are not about one defining moment, they are about the power accumulated through discipline in small practices and small victories.

Successful people do habitually what other people do occasionally. This is true relationally, physically, spiritually, financially. It is all about small things leading in the direction of big things over time. We know this, and yet we struggle. What is holding us back from harnessing the power of habits?

Like a cloak that you wear on top of everything else, love is what ties the other virtues together. They are the fruit, while love is the root. It is core identifier, the central reality, and the foundation for Christian life. What would it mean for you to be known for love in action and in truth?

Paul caps his list of virtues with patience, because he knows we will need patience if we hope to cultivate the other virtues. Transformation is a slow process if it is significant. We need patience because in between the promise and the payoff, there is always a process. We need to learn to be patient with ourselves and with others because we are all works in progress.

Often we confuse the scriptural virtue of gentleness with weakness, as if gentleness is the opposite of strength. Yet in the teaching of Jesus, gentleness doesn't mean weakness. Gentleness is power under control, specifically when you place your influence, your words, your reactions, and your actions under the control of God. This is when you find the quiet power of gentleness.