God wants to give us a supernatural power to have joy (Luke 2:8-11). At the birth of Jesus, an angel of the Lord appeared to nearby shepherds and proclaimed to them good news of great joy concerning the Savior of the world. Christmas – the coming of Jesus – is meant to bring us immense joy. His birth reveals God’s heart for us, that the King of Kings, the Creator of the universe, and the One who is above all rule and authority wants us and is for us. He takes great delight in His followers and rejoices over us with singing (Zephaniah 3:17). With the help of the Holy Spirit, that reality enables us to live with a contagious joy regardless of our circumstances.

Faith is believing that God is who He says He is, and that He will do what He says He will do (Hebrews 11:1-3). Like in the movie The Polar Express, the presence of doubt is real and affects everyone, especially when it comes to the birth of Jesus and who He is. We struggle to believe fully in Jesus because of skepticism, pain, and disappointment. But when we do believe, it pleases God and positions us for blessing and reward. When we embrace genuine faith in Jesus, our lives are transformed, our faith begins to produce action, and God shows up and moves in powerful ways.

Christians live not to be served but to serve (Mark 10:45). Like Paul quoting the storytellers of his day (Acts 17:28) to share the gospel of Jesus and His kingdom, movies and television today often echo elements of the story. It is these elements that stir God-given desires within us, like the desire for love and acceptance, the desire to see good triumph over evil, and the desire for adventure. In particular, the Christmas movie It’s a Wonderful Life points to the truth that Jesus came not to be served but to serve, to give His life as a ransom for many. And even though Jesus alone is the ransom for sin, we as His followers should emulate Him and seek to give our lives for others. We are God’s workmanship, created and designed to do good works – things that matter and have an eternal impact (Ephesians 2:10).

We are called to practice gratitude in every situation (Colossians 3:17; Ephesians 5:20; 1 Thessalonians 5:18). Gratitude has a distinct, positive impact on our relationships, as well as our physical and mental health. It enhances empathy, reduces aggression, improves self-esteem, and leads to better sleep. But gratitude does not happen naturally. It must be purposed and practiced. That is why Psalm 107:2 tells us to let the redeemed of the LORD say so. There is power in verbalizing our gratitude to our Heavenly Father, friends, family, and co-workers. Here at Beltway Park, we are immensely grateful for the way God has worked in and through us as a church family in the last year (see the full report at beltway.org/ annualreport).

Flee sexual immorality (1 Corinthians 6:9-20). God created sex to bond the body, soul, and spirit of a man and woman together within a marriage relationship. Sex is a tool designed to help two become one (Ephesians 5:31). Anything outside of this design and purpose is sexual immorality and causes tremendous harm and damage on countless levels. Though not an exhaustive list, throupling, homosexuality, swinging, open marriages, pornography, lust, and adultery are all forms of sexual immorality that will never satisfy the longings of our heart and soul. Only Jesus, and drawing near to Him, will bring the satisfaction we desire deep within. Thankfully, Jesus forgives and redeems us from all forms of sexual sin if we give our lives to Him. What He accomplished on the cross is greater than any of our sins, and in Him we can experience freedom and healing.

God created sex within marriage to be amazing and enjoyable (Genesis 2:20-25). He is pro-sex, having established that a man and woman, in marriage, are to leave their parents and become one flesh with each other. Beyond just procreation, God desires that sex be life-giving and fully satisfying (Song of Solomon 4:12-16, 7:7-8), that we should be intoxicated with love for one another (Proverbs 5:16-19). The key to this kind of sexual relationship – that is physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual – is submitting ourselves to our spouse (Ephesians 5:22-29). When it comes to sex, the primary focus of a married couple should be on their spouse and what they need or desire. They should aim to outdo one another in showing love and honor in the ways their spouse best receives it (Romans 12:10).

Jesus accepted people without affirming the sins in their lives (Luke 19:5-8). He led with grace without compromising truth (John 1:14), especially when approaching difficult topics like gender identity. Engaging this issue requires us to understand that every individual is born with a sinful nature which manifests itself differently in every person. And it is important to note that an inclination or tendency towards a particular behavior does not necessarily make it morally right or wrong. We must go to the Bible to see if it addresses the matter, to see if it defines what is God’s intended design versus what is sinful. On the issue of gender identity, the Bible establishes two genders: male and female (Genesis 1:27). It does not consider sex and gender to be two separate aspects of a person, and it consistently prohibits crossing gender boundaries. The Bible also makes it clear that Jesus came to free everyone from deception, confusion, and sin no matter how it affects our lives.

We contend for all life. When it comes to difficult and weighty issues of our day, like abortion, we must look to Jesus as our example. He was full of grace and truth, accepting people without affirming the sins in their lives (John 1:14; 8:5-11). He showed people their worth and value while also offering them opportunity to change. This is a model for how the church should respond to those who have chosen or experienced abortion. When it comes to the unborn, Scripture sees those in utero as no different from babies who have already been born. The being in a womb, according to the Bible, is a defenseless human person of great value and potential. And because the enemy is out to destroy every life, abortion not only robs life from the unborn but also robs life from the parents as well. Thank God that He offers forgiveness, healing, and freedom. There is no condemnation in Jesus (Romans 8:1). Instead, He graciously heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds (Psalm 147:3).

Do you want a refill of God’s Spirit (Ephesians 5:15-18). Every person, regardless of their ethnicity or background, desires hope, joy, and satisfaction. Unfortunately, many seek to find that satisfaction – and to escape the pain and challenges of reality – in excessive alcohol, mind-altering drugs, unbridled materialism, and/or sexuality without boundaries. God is gently yet clearly telling us that there is a better way to deal with the difficulties of living in our fallen, evil world: being continually filled with His Spirit. When we are continually filled with the Spirit, we are empowered to become like Jesus, to embrace His truth, and live out His purposes for our lives. We position ourselves to be continually filled by the Holy Spirit when we step into encouraging community, engage in worship, practice exaggerated thanksgiving, and audaciously serve others.

We can – and should – understand what the will of God is for our lives (Ephesians 5:15-17). His will always leads to what is best. The providential will of God refers to the things that He has determined to do no matter what. The moral will of God refers to the commands in His Word that we can freely choose to obey or disobey. And the personal will of God are the unique things the Father wants to do in our individual lives. The more we surrender to the providential will of God, and the more obedient we are to His moral will, the easier it is to hear the personal will of God for our lives. Our understanding and alignment with His will is directly proportional to how much we reject the patterns of this world, are transformed by the renewing of our minds (which comes through His Word) and foster a deeper relationship with Him.