Life is better when your life is fully connected in the life of the church. I want that statement so bad to rock your world, change your agenda, calendar and priorities. I want it to touch every relationship you have and all you are about. I am guessing it doesn't. What if its true? What if it is what God said?

I want to explain a story that is told in Genesis 3 and John 3. The opening pages of the Bible give us Paradise. And indeed it is the beauty of nature. Nature that is untainted, absolutely pure. We cant imagine. In Gods paradise, not only is there all this beauty, with no garbage, but there is never conflict. Adam relates with all of the animals as he names them. Adam and Eve are one, naked and unashamed, a picture of nothing to hide, no conflict, no competition, absolute openness and acceptance. And best of all, Adam and Eve live with God in Paradise.

I want to explain a story that is told in Genesis 3 and John 3. The opening pages of the Bible give us Paradise. And indeed it is the beauty of nature. Nature that is untainted, absolutely pure. We cant imagine. In Gods paradise, not only is there all this beauty, with no garbage, but there is never conflict. Adam relates with all of the animals as he names them. Adam and Eve are one, naked and unashamed, a picture of nothing to hide, no conflict, no competition, absolute openness and acceptance. And best of all, Adam and Eve live with God in Paradise.

Today I would like to suggest 10 Commitments for 10 Weeks. These ten commitments are not just ten things to do, but they are ten things God promises to bless. These aren't resolutions. We already know we don't keep those. This is obedience as a way to find the life you want, and while obedience is a way of life, I am suggesting ten weeks to make commitment bite-sized, to give it a trial run.

Today I would like to suggest 10 Commitments for 10 Weeks. These ten commitments are not just ten things to do, but they are ten things God promises to bless. These aren't resolutions. We already know we don't keep those. This is obedience as a way to find the life you want, and while obedience is a way of life, I am suggesting ten weeks to make commitment bite-sized, to give it a trial run.

This time of year we think about goals for the following year. Those goals are what we believe is the 'best we can do', and they are based off of our assumptions about what the 'good life' is. This morning I would like to suggest that the good life is 'knowing God', and the best we can do this year is to 'walk with Him'.

This time of year we think about goals for the following year. Those goals are what we believe is the 'best we can do', and they are based off of our assumptions about what the 'good life' is. This morning I would like to suggest that the good life is 'knowing God', and the best we can do this year is to 'walk with Him'.

God is going to be with us for Christmas. What would be on your to do list if God was coming to your house for Christmas: couple dozen more cookies, another Amazon gift card, make up another bed or do you put God on the couch? What do you do to prepare? Is that an unnerving thought?

God is going to be with us for Christmas. What would be on your to do list if God was coming to your house for Christmas: couple dozen more cookies, another Amazon gift card, make up another bed or do you put God on the couch? What do you do to prepare? Is that an unnerving thought?

Today I am calling Joseph the quiet hero in the story. According to Websters Dictionary a hero is a person of exceptional quality who wins admiration for noble deeds, especially deeds of courage. While that is a modern day definition, I think hero today is more often applied to a deed of courage, isn't it, and whether or not they are a person of exceptional quality is really not the focus. Joseph is the whole hero package. We do not see or hear a lot about Joseph in the text, but what we see is profound.