Have you ever been let down by someone you admired & respected? What do

you do when a leader, a coach, supervisor, boss or politician fails to live up to

expectations? What should our attitudes look like when we watch the news and realize there are horrible situations going on around the world? How does Christmas answer any of these questions?

It can be easy to get distracted and focus on the wrong things. There are many reasons to love the church, but specifically - Jesus, the church's influence, and the people that make up the body of believers.

Money has an ability to overwhelm our attention. Perhaps we are struggling with an especially challenging season financially or maybe just a desire for more. Money can steal our attention away from what matters

most.

Perhaps the most basic of all fundamental activities of God's people is prayer. Jesus desires for His followers to maintain a meaningful, consistent prayer life.

Jesus' teaching in Matthew 6 provides us with instructions on how to live out Kingdom generosity.

Three stories in Luke 15 demonstrate the radical forgiveness of God.

In the middle of the golden calf incident in Exodus, Moses intercedes on behalf of God's people and asks God to reveal His glory. Exodus 34:6-7 is God's response to this request. It gives a clear picture of God' character, which helps us understand how He interacts with humanity and how we can reflect Him into the world.

The letter or sermon we know as the book of Hebrews comes to the end in chapter 13. The preacher has a list of exhortations to pack into the end of the message that lead us to real worship!

Hebrews 12:18-29 teaches us three gifts that Jesus gives to us that sets our faith on solid ground.

What comes to mind when you hear the word “discipline?” Do you think of

the principal’s office, or sitting in the corner? Maybe you remember being

grounded from your favorite video game as a kid? I think for most of us,

when we think of discipline, our thoughts aren’t positive. If we are honest,

though, discipline isn’t always negative.