Oftentimes in a new year, people are looking ahead on what they want to accomplish and what they want to achieve. We wanted to take a moment to look back and reflect on what God has done for us over 2017. Last year may have not been a storybook year, but we always want to celebrate who God is and the way he is continuing to work in our lives.

A look back in order to look forward

It’s Christmas Eve – this glorious evening – this night we prepare to celebrate the Light that has come into the world.

When you’re a kid, it seems like Christmas takes FOREVER to get here. The days drag by and it seems like Christmas morning will NEVER come. Well, that’s how the Jews felt as they anticipated the coming of their Messiah. For 400 years they heard nothing from God. Four hundred years of darkness and silence. Then Jesus came - the light of the world. And now all of us are waiting - for the return of Jesus and for a word from God. What word from God are you longing for today? How do we hear the word that God has for us? This morning we turn to Psalm 119 and learn that hearing a word from God requires active listening to God’s Word.

This Christmas season we are talking about light. To get us started, let’s consider three aspects of sunlight. Sunlight is essential for life. Without the sun, our world would be a frozen wasteland. Sunlight reveals what is true. It brings into the light that which is hidden by darkness. And studies have proven that lack of sunlight results in seasonal affective disorder. It takes away our joy. 1 John 1:5 tells us that God is light. And this morning we are going to see that these same things are true of God. God is the source of life. He reveals what is true. And He promises joy to all who follow Him.

This morning we’re wrapping up our sermon series, Psalms: Growing Deep. Over the past three weeks we have seen how the Psalms teach us how to grow deeper in worship, in community, and in spiritual growth. This morning we turn once again to Psalm 145 for instruction in how to grow deeper in making disciples. Psalm 145 tells us that to grow deeper in making disciples, we must display God’s glory and share God’s story.

This morning we’re continuing our sermon series from Psalms called “Growing Deep.” We’re going to talk about spiritual growth. We’ll be taking a look at a verse from Psalm 119 - the longest chapter in the Bible. This Psalm has 176 verses, and all but 7 of them talk about the same thing - God’s Word. As we consider growing deeper spiritually, there is one question that needs to be considered. How do you approach God’s Word - as a duty, or a delight? Let’s learn how to make spending time in God’s Word a delight.

This morning we’re continuing our sermon series from the Psalms called “Growing Deep.” The Psalms are ancient worship songs that have been sung by God’s people throughout the ages. We will probably hear these songs in heaven for all eternity. They are inspired by God Himself, and they take us deeper into why we gather together to worship. This morning we will open our original hymn book to Psalm 145 and learn that worship starts with a commitment, and it flourishes in a community.

This morning we’re starting a sermon series from the Psalms called “Growing Deep.” Psalms are ancient worship songs, and this morning we will begin with Psalm 95. This psalm leads us in pure worship for our great God, and it teaches us that worship does not happen just by showing up at church and singing. In order for us to truly worship, we must engage our heart and our will. We sing until we recognize that God is bigger than our biggest problem. But along with singing we must surrender. We must bow down before God and fully surrender to His will. This morning we will learn what it means to truly worship God.

Scheduling is far less about what you have to get done and far more about who you want to become.