The Advent and Christmas Seasons are simply the best because the music is the best. The music is built upon a message of hope, promised in the gift of Christ. "Lo, How a Rose e'er Blooming" is a hymn that reminds us of that promise, as foretold by the prophet Isaiah.

When Christ reigns supreme in our lives – This is when we are plugged into the power.

This nuances of the Greek language are important. When we read 2 Thessalonians 3 to be speaking of “idleness," as in "not-working," it makes space for poor Christian euphemisms such as, “God helps those who help themselves.” That's not what the text is saying. A deeper reading is necessary for a faithful understanding.

2 Thessalonians is written to remind us of what matters most: that we hear the words of Christ, that we follow the teachings of the Lord, that we share God’s love with everyone around us, and that we rejoice in all things, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for each of us.

To understand Paul's writings, you have to understand the art of letter writing. Paul wasn't writing a collection of instruction books for the whole of Christianity, he was writing as an apostolic leader to communities of faith he planted. How we understand his writings will be wholly dependent on how we understand why he wrote.

We often put too much emphasis on the graph that shows church stats. But it is not the graph that defines us, it is the graft - our connection to Jesus Christ. He is the vine. We are the branches.

"We've always done it that way" is one of the least faithful responses to the gospel of Jesus Christ. The Spirit gifts us for far greater freedom than being slaves to our past. There is a more faithful way.

We need to rethink our usage of the word "evangelical." Evangelism doesn’t require that we tell others how sinful their lives are. Evangelism stems, from a Biblical perspective, from acknowledging that in Christ we are a new creation, and are, as such, gifted with the ability to see others through God's lenses.

Paul makes it clear that if we're living according to God's desire, our first focus - our primary desire - will be the cares, interests, and concerns of others. How does our stewardship - our giving of time, talent, and treasure - support this call?

Jesus demonstrates for us an alternative approach to engaging with those in our mission fields. He doesn't just say God's love is available for "whosoever," Jesus demonstrates what it means to offer that love to "whosoever."