Have you ever planted a fruit tree and then you were really disappointed when it didn’t produce fruit? Does your tree just needs some extra care…a little pruning, some fertilizer and more water? Or maybe it’s dead and you need to dig it up and throw it away? The same is true with the Christian life as you’ll learn today from Pastor Bill – if you’re life isn’t producing fruit like love, joy, peace, and other fruit of the Spirit…then maybe it’s time for God to do some pruning in your life.

There’s so much wrong thinking in the world today…people often think that they are still alive because they’re a good person…or maybe they even think that nothing bad is going to happen to them. In the Bible, Jesus said that being good has nothing to do with getting into heaven or living longer. In today’s message, Pastor Bill will encourage you to not wait until tomorrow to get things right with God…because you might not have a tomorrow.

What does peace mean to you? Maybe you think of it in terms of a quiet moment by the beach. Perhaps you equate peace with your family all getting along and having no dissension for a time. What about when you think of peace world-wide? Well today, Pastor Bill invites you to a peace that comes within your own heart. It’s given by God, but it’s also a choice you make personally. Don’t wait for the world around you to get worse before you make that decision. God wants your heart now!

If you were to survey the vast majority of the world, asking what they hoped for regarding the world around them, most people would say, “World peace.” Initially, this sounds like the most pleasant and optimal outcome, but today, Pastor Bill insists that Jesus came for more. Jesus came to bring peace in your heart and to establish peace on earth eventually, but in the meantime, choosing Jesus brings division. Are you ready to follow Christ, even if it causes a rift in your family or your friend group?

When you think about children engaging with gifts on Christmas morning, you picture red cheeks flushed with anticipation and bright eyes awaiting the surprise hidden within the packaging. They’re excited to see what’s been prepared for them and can’t wait to unwrap the gifts that they’ve been wondering about. Now think about heaven being like this for each person…rewards and treasures that are beyond your grasp of what you know here on earth. Today, Pastor Bill helps you get excited for what’s to come.

There are investors who have a solid handle on the levels of the stock market. They know when it’s been a good day or if the market’s plummeted. There’s a sense of hope or reliance on a company’s durability and how it’s doing. Maybe there’s even a fixation or an obsession about how investments are rising or falling. A potential treasure is possible, but it’s on quicksand that could falter at any moment. Today, Pastor Bill implores you to have your treasure fixed on something that has a lasting footing.

When there’s a wedding coming up, there’s much planning and preparation. Family members and friends look forward to that special day, anticipating the bliss that’ll come about because of the celebration. But what if you had nothing to do with the planning and then watched as everyone else went off to enjoy the festivities? You’d feel a bit left out. Well today, Pastor Bill enlightens you to the fact that being ready for Jesus’ return is essential. Live in a way that shows your excitement for the big day!

When we are told not to worry, that the Lord will take care of you, does that mean you don't need to work and take care of yourself? If the Lord cares for us more than the sparrows and they are not hungry, do we not need to work for our food? No! As Pastor Bill shares in today's message we still need to be responsible. We need to use the gifts and talents the Lord gave us to provide for ourselves and share with the Kingdom on Earth. But we don't need to worry about all the little details.

In what do you place your identity? As Pastor Bill shares in today's message, your true identity is not found in your children, your career or your wealth. You are a child of the Kingdom. Kingdom kids live their life differently that everyone else. First we need to guard our hearts against materialism. Especially in America, people place their identity in what they have. They strive for the latest and greatest gadget. But that is not who you were created to be, so guard your heart against the things of this world.

Whenever you get stuck in a 'life isn't fair mood', just remember nothing on Earth compares to the Kingdom inheritance you've received thanks to Jesus sacrifice on the cross. As Pastor Bill shares in his message today, you can live this kingdom life now. Your heavenly Father will provide everything you need in this life and lavish you with gifts in the next. In order to live your life with the gift of the kingdom is to guard your heart against greed. If you let greed take over, you might miss what the Lord has for you in this life.