Have you ever felt like something's missing? Are you longing for a clearer sense of purpose in your life? You were created for significance, not just survival.  Today we will dig into Scripture and recognize where in our lives we've become spiritually passive and may not be using our gifts to their full potential. We will learn to recognize we are made for significance, and that God gives each of us the vision to pursue the purpose He has us. Together, let's figure out What’s Next?

We all have dark places – places of shame – in our lives that deplete us and burden us. Christ came to shine His light on the darkest places of our hearts – not to shame us, but to save us.

The holidays are the busiest travel days of the year. People visit relatives from all over. The first Christmas too began with a trip as Mary and Joseph traveled to the Bethlehem to be registered in a census. But this is nothing compared to the distance the Son of God traveled to be with us on the first Christmas.

Between holiday parties and kids programs and lots of shopping and visiting relatives, Christmas calendars can get jam packed. What’s more, just one unexpected thing can turn your calendar upside down and add to the stress of the season. The first Christmas turned Mary’s calendar upside down. Yet, out of a stressful situation came the world’s greatest gift. How can God use your stressful situations?

When it comes to our faith, the world in which we live is filled more frequently with taunts than with triumphs. They are far more likely to cry out “If you are the Son of God” (as in Luke 23:35 & 37), rather than “The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation” as in Paul’s epistle to the Colossians 1:15. As we turn the page to a new church year, we end the narration of the greatest story in all history, and in so doing we signal the new beginning that story promises all of us. The triumph speaks louder than the taunts!

The message of the Reformation, which began with Martin Luther's posting of the 95 Theses on October 31, 1517, really could be summarized with one simple phrase: “Free Gift.”  No longer would consciences be plagued with thoughts of what must be done to be saved.  Rather, hearts and minds would be lifted with the knowledge that salvation is freely given by grace through faith in Jesus Christ!  What a glorious message of hope and freedom!  Contrast that with laziness.  Free Grace does not permit us to be lazy.   No, we have no work to do for our salvation, but much good work to do to show God’s Love to our neighbor.  Yes, we have been freed by grace!  … But freed for what purpose?

We all can be overcome by temptation – sometimes over and over again. Often, we try to tackle temptation through sheer willpower. We simply “try really hard” to resist sin. But our own willpower can never overcome sin. Thankfully, God’s will has the power to transform our hearts and change our lives. So, as Christians, when tensions rise, rather than getting angry at others, we are called to be forgiving of others.  Instead of exacting vengeance, we wait for God’s justice.