Apathy is when you stop caring. After a thousand stories of tragedy, injustice, and seemingly unsolvable problems, we are all tempted to give in and give up. People don’t care about God anymore. Everyone is narcissistic. Institutions are all corrupt. So, let’s binge on Amazon Prime. How do you deal with that? You remember that your labor is not in vain. God uses the good that we do, however small and impotent it seems, to do good in the world and carry out his plans for the Kingdom.

No matter how little or how long you have been following Jesus, temptation is always a breath away. The Tempter will offer you anything in his power to get you to turn your back on God and pursue the things of this world, leaving you with regret, brokenness, and un-erasable consequences. So, how do you deal with that? You talk to Him and you tell them. In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus teaches us to ask the Father to lead us not into temptation, a prayer he taught in the plural as a not-so-subtle reminder of the spiritual power of “us.”

Shame is the unshakable feeling that we don’t belong. It is the painful feeling, caused by our past, that tempts us to run away from God and his people in the present. Shame can be tied to something done to us, something we have done, or something we have continued to do. Often it is connected with abuse, sexual brokenness, or addiction. So, how do you deal with that? You remember that believing makes you belong, that trusting in Jesus is the way to be unashamed, to be included, to know that there is a place for you.

Anxiety is the stubborn fear that things might go wrong, a stomach-turning worry that rarely disappears without a fight. As we enter another year of uncertainty and national drama, it seems that, more than ever, people are being overcome by anxiety, a situation only intensified by the phones glued to our palms. So, how do you deal with that? You think about God. God wants us to call on his name, to remember his faithfulness in the past, and to turn to him during our most anxious moments.

Your new year will be filled with all kinds of people. Fun people, draining people, hurtful people, beautiful people, critical people, encouraging people, and all the other kinds of people. How do you deal with them all without losing your mind (and your faith)? The answer is to remember how God dealt with a particular person—you. Remember God’s patience to the “chief of sinners” is how you deal with people in your life.

The hardest person to deal with this year will not be your neighbor, your father, your ex, or your annoying coworker. It will be you. You, due to your sinful nature, will be more difficult, moody, grumpy, unpredictable, complicated, and rebellious than perhaps anyone else in your life. So, how do you deal with you? By fixing your eyes on Jesus. Deny yourself, pick up the cross of ignoring yourself, and follow Jesus. That is how you find the life that is truly life.

Another year has gone by and what a year it’s been! 2020 has truly been a year to reflect on the more important things of life like family, God, our own mortality and eternity. Of course, these are things which should always be on our minds and hearts. How appropriate to dwell on these things in light of God’s Word for our last service for the year, and as we set our sights on the next!

Do you have questions about God? Or about faith? Or about different religions, different churches, and different ideas? We all do, but often we are scared to ask them. That is why The CORE’s Q&A Sunday started. In place of a regular message, we will take time to anonymously ask questions and find the passages with Jesus’ answers. We hope you can join us for Q&A Sunday!

Anticipation. There's plenty of it to go around these days. Kids are looking forward to presents. Adults are looking forward to a few days off. Some of us may be looking forward to gathering with family. Most of us are looking forward to the end of the pandemic. When will the time arrive? Sometimes it's hard to wait and then when the gift is received or gathering happens, we're disappointed. What if you had to wait a lifetime for an event? That was Simeon and Anna. Two godly people who waited a lifetime to hold their Savior Jesus in their arms. They weren't disappointed. They responded with praise and thanks. There's something here for us. While anticipation can disappoint us, God never does. This Sunday's message focuses on the joy we have because God gave us a Savior for all people. That means for YOU my friend.

How do you define the word “love”? We all agree that love is what our world needs more of, but what exactly is it? Is love tough or tender? Strong or sweet? How do we know what true love is and, more importantly, where to find love that lasts throughout our lives?