We all carry dents in our lives — mistakes, habits, and hidden struggles that create a quiet unease we try to ignore. Lent invites us to stop hiding, honestly name what is ours, and practice true repentance by allowing God to change our hearts and minds. When we own our unease instead of denying it, we open the door to grace, healing, and the new life God longs to grow within us.

Pastor Bryson takes on a suggestion from our recent worship surveys. Homelessness is a pressing issue in Loveland and across the United States. Jesus tells us the "poor will always be with us" and that we are called to serve. But how do we do that in a way that helps out and helps up? 

Pastor Gretta Brinson preaching

What if serving God didn’t mean doing more, but serving differently with what you already have? Jesus shows that true service isn’t about competition, pressure, or piling on commitments, but about humility and faithfulness right where you are. When we reorient everyday moments instead of overloading our lives, service becomes life-giving and quietly transforms both us and our community.

Love is essential to holding a community together, even though loving others always carries risk and vulnerability. Scripture reminds us that following Christ means continuing to love, not because it is safe, but because it is how hearts stay alive and life grows full. The invitation is to move into the new year ahead with courage, choosing connection over protection and trusting that God works through love that keeps trying.

Real growth starts when we let go of needing to be right and open ourselves to learning, with God’s help. When we ask honest questions and try to understand instead of judge, we begin to look more like Christ in a divided world. Choosing to know more allows God to shape our hearts and helps us live our faith with grace and compassion.

Pastor Linda Meyer preaches on Baptism of the Lord Sunday

The nativity isn’t a perfect Christmas card but a real story of God entering messy, ordinary life. Jesus was born into humble, complicated circumstances, showing that God meets us where we are—not where we wish we were. Do you need that? Know it is available wherever and whoever you are, no matter what!

Angels in Scripture are not decorations but disruptive messengers who reveal what God is doing. Throughout the Bible and the Christmas story, they point beyond themselves to Christ. Advent calls us to listen for God in unexpected places and to become messengers of hope ourselves.

Like Christmas lights shining brilliantly in the darkest winter nights, our role during Advent is to bring joy filled light into the shadows of the world around us. Advent is a season filled with anticipation, hope, and preparation—not just for a celebration, but as a profound reminder that good overcomes evil, and life triumphs over death.