The face of God is the essence of joy. Until we truly recognize that the face of God is lovingly turned to us, we will never be able to navigate the difficult seasons of life with joy. Learning to return to joy through the face of God is essential for holistic apprenticeship to Jesus.

The call of Jesus is to follow Him. Humanity has always tried to develop rules as to who is in and who is out, but Jesus insisted that those whose faces were turned towards Him were His disciples, and those whose faces were turned away, no matter how close they were, could not be His disciples.

The call of Jesus is to follow Him. Humanity has always tried to develop rules as to who is in and who is out, but Jesus insisted that those whose faces were turned towards Him were His disciples, and those whose faces were turned away, no matter how close they were, could not be His disciples.

God has a purpose for placing us where we are and when we are. The circumstances of our lives, including the people that we engage daily along with the opportunities that we have, are not random, but part of the calling of God on our lives. This call exists so that those who are far from God would never actually be that far from Him…because they’re not that far from us! Our calling is to be ambassadors for Christ.

As Jesus followers, we are ambassadors announcing the Kingdom in how we “show and tell.” Our lives are the testimony to a world desperate for signs of true hope, relevance, and significance found only in Jesus. Allowing God to reign in all areas of our lives allows our lights to shine brighter and brighter in our homes, neighborhoods, marketplaces, workplaces, schools – impacting all corners of the world. This is our mission.

Discipleship cannot be lived out alone. We need others to journey with us, just as Jesus did. The local church must be a community of people who are both seeking and following Jesus, and who are committed to one another along that journey.

The call of Jesus was never primarily to engage a set of beliefs or to enter into a point-in-time commitment. Rather, Jesus calls each of us to apprentice after Him — to be with Him, to become like Him, and to do the things that He did. The goal of all apprentices of Jesus is that we would live as He would if He were us.

This can only happen with our effort and with His power.

The power of prayer is grounded in repentance and humility. We recognize the perfection of Jesus which brings light to our sin and reminds us how desperately we're in need of grace. Repentance makes a way for a powerful move of the Spirit and renewal in our world.

All of Jesus for the whole person for the whole world isn't just a catchy sentence; it gives us clear direction both as individuals and as a church moving into a new year. Seeing the beauty and glory of Jesus reminds us of the incredible power of His work in us and scope of His mission in the world.

The message of Jesus' birth is one the angels describe as "good news of great joy for all the people."

In the midst of the uncertainty of our world, it is more important than ever to find the source of joy that is available to everyone.

Jesus brings us the gift of joy if we will receive it.