Jesus didn’t shy away from conflict. Gospel writers Matthew, Mark and Luke each record a series of 5 conflicts with religious and political leaders. Sarah highlights points from each one and urges us to focus on resting in Jesus and his work first (Matthew 9, Mark 2, and Luke 5).

Jesus frequently spoke about his followers being known by their fruit. We explored different aspects of fruit: repentance, putting Jesus’ words into practice, identifying falsehood from the truth, intimacy with Jesus, loving others, and doing what Jesus commands. We were challenged to evaluate our individual lives and to evaluate the church and what kind of fruit we are producing in both areas. We closed by looking at the fruit that Jesus calls us to have and the fruit that he identified from his own ministry. Jesus has called us to bear good fruit in all seasons!

Even when we don’t know what we are looking for, Jesus knows what we need. He invites us to follow, come and see, and stay for a bit. From John 1:35-42, Sarah urges us to do the same and behold the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Once we come to him, he never lets us go.

If we want to build our lives on Jesus’s teaching, we can start by understanding his heart. After remembering that Jesus is in very nature God, Sarah unpacks Jesus’s description of his own heart when he says, “I am gentle and lowly in heart” in Matthew 11:29.

This was our last Sunday gathering in 2020. We explored the identity of Jesus as our rock, farmer, builder, and bread and how his identity helps us both process the year 2020 and gives us a picture of who Jesus will be for us in 2021. The primary scriptures were taken from Matthew 7, I Corinthians 3, and John 6.

How do you respond to the gift of who Jesus is? Is he king, priest and sacrifice? Looking at the 3 gifts of the magi, Sarah encourages us “to be imitators of God. . . .  And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God” (Eph. 5:1).

From Luke 1, we read the story of Anna and Simeon, two people who were patiently and eagerly waiting for the Messiah. In the latter years of their lives, they finally got to hold and see Jesus. Sometimes like Mary, we say yes to God’s will and begin right away to see God’s hand at work. Other times, like Simeon and Anna, our faith presses on through years, waiting for Jesus to be revealed.

After a quick update from Cheryl on her ministry in SE Asia, Sarah and Cheryl explore Mary’s story of surrender to God’s will for her life. Through personal stories and scriptures, we’re encouraged to say “yes” to God’s call and believe for his word to come true in our lives. And let’s remember to take time to meditate on and sing Mary’s song this week (Luke 1: 46-45).

In the final message on our Anchors for the Soul series, Aaron focused on the topic of Love. We explored:  God’s love for humanity, six challenges to love, our call to love and love as the ultimate anchor.

What is prayer? Sarah explores how the discipline of prayer brings us into the deepest and highest work of the human spirit. Going hand in hand with meditation, prayer is a work of relationship that is life creating and life changing.