To “glorify God” or do something “to his glory,” means spreading God’s fame and good reputation in the world. Praise should be evangelistic. Praise should wake people up to the fact that God is better than their idols. We sing and speak about God’s goodness and faithfulness, because the world needs to hear how good God is. One of the best ways to reach your friends and family who don’t believe is refuse to be quiet about the things God has done, is doing, and will do. (Scripture: Psalm 96:1-13)

Scripture: Ephesians 4:1-16

We praise God in anticipation of his protection and salvation. Because we can look back and see all the great things God has done, we can learn his character and trust his steadfast love. Praise helps bring us peace, because we are exercising our trust and reminding ourselves of what God has done for his people, for his Son, and for us personally. (Scripture: Psalm 71:1-8)

Scripture: Matthew 6:19-24

When we think of what it means to be “saved,” we often think about “forgiveness.” However, we have tried to emphasize this year that salvation is about so much more than forgiveness. When God saves us, he rescues us from danger and humiliation, restoring our dignity and honor. What God did for David, he more fully and completely did for Jesus, and will do for us. So, we continually say, “Great is the Lord!” because we love his salvation, the way he rescues and restores his royal subjects. (Scripture: Psalm 40:11-17)

We will examine Jesus' guidance to the disciples regarding the gift of The Spirit. For the disciple, a purposeful life is a Spirit-filled life. We will consider the role of The Spirit in our lives and ways this passage can serve as a guide for reflection on our discipleship. (Scripture: John 14:15-17)

Scripture: 1 Peter 4:7-11

Religious people with wealth and power have often fallen into the trap of believing they could exploit the poor and vulnerable for their own profit, while keeping God happy through religious rituals. This was the situation during the days of Micah. The people of Israel were warned to repent and told that God was coming in judgment. However, there are also promises of deliverance through the coming Messiah. For those of us who have been rescued by the Messiah Micah announced, we ought to be even more committed to doing justice, loving mercy, and walking humbly with our God. After all, we have seen God’s promises (and threats) be fulfilled. (Scripture: Micah 6:6-8)

Scripture: Titus 1:5-16