That first Christmas began with God showing his favor to a virgin named Mary. But that was only the beginning. His favor started with the manger and culminated with the cross so that the entire word has a chance at "Finding Favor." Have you found it?

We are in the midst of probably the biggest spending spree in America each year with Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Giving Tuesday. You have been overwhelmed with deals and offers and coupons and sales. But there's one deal that Jesus talks about that will cost you everything, yet it's worth busting down the doors for.

Sometimes we have to stop and really look for and find things to be thankful for. But many times, it's THE OBVIOUS that we miss. There's something right before your very eyes that you can be thankful for. And if you do that, it might just change your life. That's exactly what happened to this guy...

Sometimes your eyes are opened to something you never realized but has always been there, has always been true. And it makes you... THANKFUL. Whether it's the veterans we have never met that laid down our lives in heroic ways so that we can enjoy freedom, or it's what God does all the time for us that we just don't notice or see, today, may our eyes be opened like never before so that we can be continually THANKFUL.

It's that time of year! Thanksgiving Day is around the corner, which serves as a great opportunity to stop and think about what we can be thankful for. Next Generation Pastor Tim Blake kicks off this mini-series by taking a quick survey of what the Bible says about being thankful. What you will discover is something that may motivate you like never before to do something that ends up changing YOU.

Next Steps Pastor Matt Beers shares this surprising confession of a pastor. And it's this confession that may propel you to greater courage in your faith, courage and faith much like that of a man named Elijah.

We've learned a lot about the Holy Spirit during this series. He is a person that we cannot control that moves in our lives as He wishes. He is a Helper that lives within every believer and that never leaves us. He is the One who battles our sin nature within us. And in this final message, we learn one more vital thing about the Holy Spirit we must never forget. He is THE POWER WITHIN!

Once we begin to understand who the Holy Spirit is and the role He plays in our life of following Jesus, it's only the beginning. Although the Holy Spirit takes up residence within, there's another entity that wages war against our intentions to live for God. It's the war within. And the question is, do you want to win it?

In His farewell speech to his disciples, Jesus had a lot to say about the Holy Spirit, who He is, and what role He plays in our lives. As we discover this together, we will discover some things about the Spirit we just may not have ever thought about before. And the truth is... we are never more alive than when we LIVE by the Spirit!

What do you think of when you hear the words "The Holy Spirit?" There are a lot of misconceptions and misunderstandings about this vital part of living the Christian life. Bill is kicking off a 4-week series where we look at what Jesus says about the Holy Spirit, what the apostle Paul taught about the Holy Spirit, and what the historical account of the book of Acts portrays about the Holy Spirit. And when it's all said and done, we will know that we are never more alive than when we live by THE SPIRIT!