When we think of the Christmas narrative, we don’t typically think of John the Apostle. Open to Chapter 1 of John’s Gospel; you won’t find any details about Mary and Joseph, shepherds, innkeepers, or a manger. Instead, John reminds us of God’s mighty power that brought the world into existence. This is a very different Christmas narrative, but it’s a powerful one! Pastor Shawn Williams dives into John 1:1–14, reflecting on the Christmas story, and focuses on Jesus as the Mighty God who walked among His creation to free us from what holds us back.

Where do you turn for advice? To your friends? Your family? Do you turn to the Internet or your therapist? There is a source greater than the sum of all the people and search engines we may turn to: Jesus, the Wonderful Counselor! Psalm 119:105 tells us how Jesus is the word and the lamp unto our feet. Megan Marshman focuses on Jesus as our Wonderful Counselor and reminds us that we have full access to His presence, His wisdom, and His wonder-filled counsel!

Have you ever experienced moments that have made you think, “Nothing will ever be the same again”? The greatest “nothing will ever be the same again” moment in history began with the most mundane of events—the cry of a newborn baby, delivered in an obscure setting to two ordinary humans. And yet, the announcement of Jesus’ arrival was anything but mundane. Pastor Dave Dummitt dives into Luke 2:8-14 and addresses how this announcement was indeed and is still good news for us as it continues to bring joy to all people!

Have you ever struggled to love someone who was different from you? What about loving someone who is in opposition with your really important beliefs and values? Luke 10:25–37 tells the story of a very unlikely stranger loving another very unlikely neighbor in need. Pastor Dave Dummit and Pastor Fabian Garza dive into the story of the Good Samaritan and remind us that God not only loves our enemies, but calls us to love our enemies, too!

We often think we have to go somewhere far to help those in need, but what about those facing challenges in our own communities? Matthew 25:31–46 shows us how much God cares for the vulnerable and calls us to love them, too. This week Megan Marshman reminds us that the opportunity to love the vulnerable is closer than we think!

Does God love all people? Matthew 25:15–30 gives us a glimpse of His heart. Pastor Shawn Williams kicks off For God So Loves and shares how God’s plan for our lives includes loving those within our reach with God’s love and playing an active part in bringing tangible hope and peace to our friends, family, and neighbors in all spaces!

What would the world look like if the dominant leadership style was servant leadership? What would the country look like if the main interest of those in leadership positions—government, municipalities, schools, churches—were to out-serve one another and their constituents? Can you imagine it? 

The heart of servant leadership is putting the needs of others ahead of your own while pursuing their good. From the moment we are introduced to Elisha in the Bible (1 Kings 19), we see this about him. 

In our final week of this series, Pastor Dave will use the story of Elisha in the Bible to show us the meaning and beauty of servant leadership. As a concept, servant leadership came about in the 1970s. And yet, well before the business world could articulate a leadership theory, there were characters in the Bible who lived it out as a model for us to embrace and live by. How can we all embody servant leadership as our own leadership style?

What does it mean to be a peacemaker, not a peacekeeper? Which one of those do you think requires the most courage? Abigail in the Bible shows us what real peacemaking can achieve; she saves the lives of her entire family! But puts herself at great risk to do so. Most of the time, being a peacemaker is much harder than being a peacekeeper; because it means sticking your own neck out on the line and that’s hard for anyone unwilling to lead with peace to do. But we would want someone to lead from the front for us, right? Someone willing to go for peace and the greater good for everyone. And that’s what we should be praying for when we pray for our leaders, and ourselves.

When you think about the leaders in your life, be it your boss, a parent, teacher, governor, or president; do you wish for them to lead with hubris, or humility? Hubris leads a person to inflated self-importance, which in turn leads to pride and over-confidence. Humble leadership, as demonstrated by Moses in the Bible, necessitates a person putting others before themselves, and not relying entirely on their own way of thinking. In the story of Moses, he is face-to-face with God on numerous occasions, and each time Moses realizes that his leadership is weak without God. When we look at Moses’ life, we see a man of humility—even if his story isn’t always that way. This week, Pastor Dave looks at Moses’s response to his father-in-law’s instructions in Exodus 18, and various other parts of the story of Moses, to learn what leading with humility looks like.

At a time when our world is so divided and strained, it’s important for us to remember that, as Christians, we’re commanded by God to pray for our leaders; no matter who they are, or if we like them!

In the lead-up to the general election in the USA, we’re bringing you an important series about leadership, praying for leaders, and how we might incorporate some of the qualities that matter to God into our own lives and leadership.

In week 1, Pastor Megan Marshman uses the story of Deborah in the Bible, an inspiring judge and prophetess in the book of Judges. Biblical Deborah is an example of a leader who retains her integrity throughout. What does it look like in our own lives to retain our integrity in leadership? Let’s explore that.

It’s likely that at some point in your life as a Christian you have wondered how to pray. Perhaps it’s how to pray for something specific, how to pray a more powerful prayer, or simply “how can I pray to God and will He hear me?” When you have a relationship with God, just like any relationship, communication is an essential part of it. God wants you pray and speak to Him. Yes, He already knows everything that is on your mind and heart; but communicating that to Him helps your own heart and partnership with your loving Heavenly Father. This week, Pastor Thomas shares how to pray, and listen to, God. How to pray privately, regularly and genuinely. And it’s really not complicated! We look at Matthew 6:5-13.