Jesus came to bring light into darkness. Today, we celebrate that the light has come into the world, and the darkness cannot overcome it! Merry Christmas!
Hope can seem to be in short supply some days, and that can especially be true at the holidays.
Yet hope is more than a feeling or a wish. Hope is an expectation, trust, and desire for a good outcome.
And, as we learn from Mary’s story, hope is knowing God will show us what to do when we need to do it.
In our more honest moments, we recognize that Christmas can be a time of fear and anxiety. What will happen when I sit next to the empty chair where my loved one used to sit? Do we have enough money to buy all the presents for my family, friends? Can I keep it together the whole time we are visiting family? These are real. And, there is hope. In a scary world, home is a place where we can be safe.
The early church was compelling not because of what they believed, but how they behaved. In a chaotic culture of division, the first Christians were a peaceful presence who welcomed all, loved authentically, and let their light shine. Let’s do that again.
While disagreement is inevitable, division is a choice. When we choose to carry one another’s burdens instead of demonizing one another, what divides us fades, and we realize that we can disagree politically while loving unconditionally.
The church’s greatest enemy is not a political party. It’s division. Instead of choosing one side over the other, we stand with Jesus in the messy middle because we can form a more perfect union by working together.
What happens to us when we die? Pastor Mark explores that question as we conclude this series with last line of the Apostles’ Creed: “I believe in the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting.”
The church is not a building or an institution, but the called out people of God and an unending family of love and support. In this week’s sermon, Pastor Mark shares what it means to say we believe in “the holy catholic church” and “the communion of saints.”
The Apostles’ Creed declares that Jesus was “conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried.” But what does that actually mean? In part 3 of the We Believe sermon series, we explore how these truths make a difference in our lives today.
When Christians call Jesus Christ our Lord, it's not just an empty title. It's a radical statement that means Jesus is our supreme ruler and that no one and no thing can challenge or rival his authority in our lives. In week 2 of We Believe, Pastor Mark shares how this statement can change our lives.
