"Joy" is one of those Christmas Card words that seems to pop up everywhere this time of year. But what is joy? Is it even possible to live joyfully? Joy is deeper than happiness and beyond wishful thinking. For the follower of Jesus, joy is a consequence of our union with a joyful God. We'll look at another metaphor the Bible uses for our life with God as well as an example of how we can live joyfully no matter the circumstances before us.

Have you ever been in a boat when an unexpected storm hits? We look to the story of Jesus calming the seas in Mark 4:35-41 in this second week of Advent. We are reminded that Jesus is our Peace in all the storms of life. The most quoted chapter in the Bible is Psalm 23 and in verse 4 it is stated that “Your rod and staff, they comfort me”. God’s Word is a “staff” to us when we find ourselves walking through difficult times. Clinging to scripture can help us find peace amid the storms. As we peer into the manger this season, we find Jesus…the Prince of Peace!

Be honest, waiting is hard in an instant society. We've got microwaves and Amazon Prime, TV on demand and internet at our fingertips. So when we find ourselves in a season of waiting all sorts of doubt, despair, and depression can begin to creep in. But God doesn't waste our waiting. While we're waiting, God is working in the world and in us so we have reasons to look ahead in hope. In the first week of Advent we'll explore a story of hope and an image of hope that can keep us firm and secure while we wait on the Lord.

We're glad to welcome back guest preacher Keas Keasler. Keas is an Assistant Professor of Christian Spiritual Formation and the Director of M.A. in Christian Spiritual Formation and Leadership at Friends University.

We've come to the end of our series in 1 Thessalonians where we find reminder after reminder to stay the course of the way of Jesus. What's true of the young Thessalonian church is true of us -- we don't need to much more to know, we need to live out what we already know to be true. We need to strive for peace in a divided world. We need to break the cycle of retaliation by doing good to all. We need to meet people where they are and walk with them where God wants them to be. It's not about reinventing our faith, it's about living it. Listen in to this practical message and consider which reminder the Spirit of God is inviting you to live this week.

How should we grieve? What’s next for those who have died? These aren’t just questions for the early church — these are profound questions for communities throughout the ages. Paul’s message is one of hope and encouragement in the midst of grief. Hope does not make us immune to grief but hope does inform our grief. So what is our hope? Is it a “rapture”? What about resurrection? We’ll unpack the dense, rich, and mysterious metaphors in 1 Thessalonians ch. 4 as we explore these questions and classic church teaching on Jesus’ return.

We continue our study on Paul’s letter to the Church. He encourages them to continue to love well as God has taught them. He also challenges them to live the quiet life, one that will be attractive to outsiders of the faith. What can we learn through this scripture? How is Paul addressing our own community? What truth is Paul addressing that will enrich our lives as disciples of Jesus?

Could the words "Holy" and "Sexually" co-exist in the same sentence? Let's see. God has called us and empowered us to live a sexually holy (or, distinct) life. Many of us have a complicated history and complicated feelings about sexuality. We believe sex is a gift and the God-given boundaries for sexuality are gifts, too. Could it be that God's holy calling is rooted in not in his desire to control us -- but in his care for us? In this candid message we'll talk about God's calling and God's boundaries for followers of Jesus who are married, single, young, or old.

The world around us has conditioned us to believe that "reality" is only what we can experience through our senses. Then God shows up. Sometimes suddenly or sometimes gradually, we see a new reality invading our own. We awake to find the invigorating truth that earth is being filled more + more with heaven. The question is not "Is that so?" but "Do I see?" In this exploration of the ancient story of Jacob and the "Stairway to Heaven" (Genesis 28.10-22), we'll focus on two words that can help us stay awake to God's presence in our everyday lives.

Worry, anxiety, and struggle are an inevitable part of life. And while we can't control what happens to us, we can control how we respond. Paul was worried about a group of people he loved facing an intense season of pressure, opposition, and struggle. Haven't you been there? What could Paul do while he was separated from them? He turned his worry into prayer -- praying for them and praying forward, looking to the renewal that God promised. While he waited his time was not wasted. In prayer we find a release of kingdom power and a reorientation of our perspective. We, too, can learn to turn our worry into prayer.