Divine peace is only possible when it is founded on prophetic hope. The hope we read of in Isaiah and experience in Jesus is otherworldly. Our hope is not dependent on humanity’s improvement or our own merit. Instead, we find hope in the Prince of Peace who brings us good news of great joy.

When the power of God meets the powers of the world, the result is not war - it is peace. God conquers the world through an infant who teaches us how to become peacemakers.

A special guest message from the Rev. Trevon Ferguson of Calvary Baptist Church, East Hampton.

When the superficial layers of our identity are taken away, what is left? Is our faith skin deep - or do we carry it within our bones? The mission of the church is constantly tested, always at odds with the ways of the world. So the source of our faith must be constant, the object must be clear. To realize the mission of the church, we must rely on God from beginning to end.

God has given the universal church a clear mission: make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of God. But every individual church is called to participate through a unique expression of this mission. And, although the mission continues after 2,000 years, it is no less urgent today than it was when Jesus commissioned his disciples. What is our mission and how can we act with urgency and faithfulness to accomplish it?

Conviction is the force that moves us from comfort into a life of faith. It enables us to understand Peter's decision to get out of the boat and walk to Jesus on the stormy sea. It also baffles our neighbor who remains comfortably on the boat. Conviction challenges members of the church to lead a life defined by the logic of faith, and not the logic of human knowledge.

From the beginning, God has set aside certain places, things, and people for his purposes. The idea of consecration endows human life with meaning and purpose - we are given a mission and goal. The church is where God's consecrated people collaborate to spread the Gospel in word and act.

It takes very little to be 'against' something. From the beginning, the Church has been against poverty, sickness, and hunger. The challenge is how to be 'for' something - how to live out the Gospel in word and act. Scripture teaches us that Jesus transforms the problems our community faces into opportunities for faithfulness. Because of this, we are called to confront our problems in faith, not hide from them.

This year's stewardship campaign calls us to consider What God Has done through our church. Often we focus only on what we, alone, are capable, of when the spirit of stewardship is inherently collective. Using the story of Lazarus, we find that our expectations of God and his expectations of us are relational. We expect God to help the needy and God expects us to help him serve the needy. Pursuing stewardship faithfully means setting biblical expectations for God, our church, and ourselves.

Christian formation is a lifelong process that begins in the home. Before there was Sunday school, youth group, or confirmation - the people of God used their experience with God to teach their children. What can today's church learn from this? And how can we avoid making the same mistakes that we find in scripture?