As you know we have been taking a close look at the various words that come to mind when we think about the finished work of Christ on the cross. Words like sacrifice, love, victory are the first words that came to my mind when the idea of this series came to my heart. I would like to introduce my next word by asking a question. Having established from Scripture the fact that all men, women, boys and girls are born sinners by nature and by choice, what would you say is the greatest need of mankind from God? There are perhaps many good answers to that question but one exceeds them all. What we all need most from God is mercy. Stay tuned to find out why.

Over the past few weeks we have been exploring the various words that come to mind when we think about the finished work of Christ on the cross. The first word that comes to my mind is "Sacrifice." The second word that comes to mind is "Love." In today's message we will look at the word "Victory." When you think about it, what Jesus accomplished on the cross was the greatest victory in all of human history. Our text this morning, I Corinthians 15 provides us a front row seat to see with great clarity how this victory applies to our individual lives. Pull up a chair and feast your eyes greatest champion of all time as he demonstrates His amazing love for mankind.

In our first sermon in this series "Crosswords" I asked what was the first word that comes to your mind when you think about the crucifixion of Christ? I shared with you that for me that word is "Sacrifice." If you asked me what the second word would be I would say it is the word "Love." When you think about it, the cross was God's greatest demonstration of love for the world. In our message today we will examine fully the depth, width, and height of God's amazing love for every person who has ever lived, is living now and will ever live.

If I were to ask you what word best describes Jesus' willingness to be crucified for the sins of the world, how would you answer? So many words quickly come to my mind, but first among them is the word sacrifice. Though Jesus' death on the cross was voluntary, we must not ever lose sight of the fact that it was a great sacrifice. In Isaiah 53:4-6 we are treated to the most detailed description of what Jesus was willing to endure to make a way for our sins to be forgiven. Join me today as we explore the greatest sacrifice ever made, and rediscover how that sacrifice applies to our individual lives.

Back in 2017 I felt led by the Lord to dream out loud about what God would have our church accomplish by the end of the year 2020. Each year since I have given an update early in the new year on our progress toward certain goals as well as an update on a new theme for the year. In our message today we will take time to look back and celebrate successes, look around at present needs and look forward to what we still need to accomplish for the Kingdom. Here is praying that God will empower us to make the year 2020 the greatest year in the history of our wonderful congregation.

We live in a world where some studies have determined that as much as 80% of the American population claims they believe in God. The problem with statistics like that is they paint a false picture of what it means to truly be a Christian. The Bible makes it abundantly clear that just because we say we believe in God does not mean we have a personal relationship with Him. As the Bible reminds us in James 2:19 "You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe and tremble." In our text this morning, James 1:26-27, we are given three tests to help us determine whether we have religion or a genuine relationship with God. According to our text we can tell the difference by our conversation, our compassion and our character. Let's talk about it!

Without question the most controversial subject mentioned in church when discussing living the Christian life is the subject of financial giving. When we discuss the commitment of giving of our time and talent it is a refreshing conversation, but once you bring up giving of our finances all bets are off. Truth being told, you cannot ignore the fact that God commands all believers to give of their time, talent and treasure to further the Kingdom. My personal belief is that every need a local church has financially, God has equipped the people who make up that congregation with the finances to meet those needs. When we give joyfully to the work of the Lord through His church we are never more like Jesus. Our text II Corinthians 8:1-5 makes it abundantly clear that God expects all believers to give Sacrificially, Spontaneously, and Spiritually.