Zoe Dallas

Many people have sought the secret solution to improving church, adapting to the culture, and staying relevant. However, Paul reminds us that a church must not stray from this fundamental truth: that the dwelling place of God is with man. God's Spirit dwells in us, and we are God's temple.

What is the church? What is its focus, and what does it look like? In this introduction to a series on the biblical metaphors of the church, the foundational truth we must return to is that the church must be centered on Jesus Christ alone.

Where we end up in life is determined by what we do right now; our trajectory affects our destiny. As we conclude our study of 1 Samuel with the death of Saul, we find that his ending, while tragic, is not at all surprising.

Bad things happen to everyone. When we encounter trials and tribulations, what distinguishes us as faithful is our response: will we choose to reject God or to turn to him in faith and obedience for restoration?

When David finds himself on the wrong side of the battlefield, his situation prompts us to ask ourselves how our lives have gotten to this point. How are we reaping what we have sown in the past? As we consider the new year, we must consider what needs to change in our lives, and remember what hope there is in the gospel for all our sin and guilt.

As we consider the brevity of life and the Christian's future hope in God's promises, we turn to the apostle Peter who shows us what it means to live faithfully and what it means to be truly effective and fruitful in this lifetime.

Oil of myrrh was a fragrance encountered throughout Jewish life for a variety of purposes. As the third gift to the newborn baby Jesus, it points to the fullness of Christ's humanity and the very reason he came as incarnate man: to give up his life on the cross for us.

The gift of frankincense was a tangible reminder of the proper worship of God in His temple. Christmas is not about respecting Jesus as important, but worshiping Him as God.

As familiar as the Christmas story is, we've probably gotten some details wrong, and definitely have not understood deeply enough the weight of the glory of Christmas. The magi's first gift of gold not only rightfully worships Jesus as King, but also points to a gift far greater than gold itself.

We gather to celebrate God's goodness and respond to his great works with thanksgiving, which is his command and his will for every believer.