Picture this: An entire nation, conquered and taken away into captivity by a vicious dictator. Families separated. Parents murdered and children forced into slavery. And in the midst of all that, three ordinary, young men were faced with a death sentence – unless they bowed down and worshiped an earthly king. And even though these were just three basic guys, they knew they worshiped the God Who was anything but ordinary.

Jesus came to earth because of God’s great love for us. He took on flesh and stepped into His creation so that we could know Him, and yet His presence was not made known to everyone. Even though all creation was waiting in anticipation, the presence of the Messiah is only revealed to those who seek.

Christmas is a season of anticipation. We look forward to time with family, Christmas traditions, and gifts. This week, we meet Simeon, a man who anticipated God's promise. Find out just what happened when the wait was over and Simeon encountered Jesus, the Savior of the world.

The encouragement to pray is one of the strongest teachings given in Scripture. And yet, how often does it seem as if no one’s listening? If God wants us to bring Him our needs, desires, and troubles, it sure would be great to hear an answer. The hard truth? God answers every prayer. Often we’re the ones not listening.

We are living in times of intense conflict. Not only globally, but personally. People are ready to offend and even quicker to be offended. Rather than just look at the behavior, however, James challenges us to look at the cause. What he calls, “wrong motives.” So ask yourself: What motivates you?

Words matter. Words have the power to build people up and tear people down; the power to inspire and the power to destroy. Our words have more power than we realize so choosing our words carefully is essential to living like Jesus. And when we do, we quickly learn that it’s more than just the condition of our words. It’s about the condition of our hearts.

What are you doing? Seriously, what are you doing? What are you doing with your life that matters? And why does it matter what we DO anyway? Isn’t having faith enough? James teaches that serving is not only at the core of faith, it is the very life of faith.

Life is full of challenges, tests, and trials – it can be overwhelming at times. Yet James tells us to consider it ALL joy. Every. Little. Thing. Good or bad. Because only then will our faith grow and endure. Only then we will be lacking nothing.

At some point, a person begins to decide what truth they will pursue in life. Culture, Values and opinions change, but Truth never changes. If truth is relative, then our lives will be tossed about by the wind and the waves. But from God’s perspective truth is more than just an idea or a concept. Truth is someONE – Someone we can know. Jesus said, “I am the Truth.” We can’t change the Truth, but the Truth can change us. Because when we know the Truth, well . . . the Truth sets us free.

How do you see yourself? What defines you? Better question: WHO defines you? As we learn to see ourselves the way God sees us, we quickly see that it doesn’t end there. Rather, we get a glimpse of our higher purpose. Because as we begin to learn God’s perspective for us through Jesus, we also have the opportunity, the privilege, and the responsibility to see people the way God sees people.