Celebration Center

Over this season, we will unwrap the gifts of Christmas as we journey through the Advent season. It is our chance to listen to the stories, to remember the true meaning of Christmas, to celebrate the arrival of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world. As we more deeply experience the gifts of Christmas: the hope, love, peace, and joy of Jesus, we will also be challenged to give those gifts away.

Over this season, we will unwrap the gifts of Christmas as we journey through the Advent season. It is our chance to listen to the stories, to remember the true meaning of Christmas, to celebrate the arrival of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world. As we more deeply experience the gifts of Christmas: The Hope, Love, Peace, and Joy of Jesus, we will also be challenged to give those gifts away.

Over the next four weeks, we will unwrap the gifts of Christmas as we journey through the Advent season. It is our chance to listen to the stories, to remember the true meaning of Christmas, to celebrate the arrival of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world. As we more deeply experience the gifts of Christmas: the hope, love, peace, and joy of Jesus, we will also be challenged to give those gifts away.

Walking with God is a step by step process. In a time when no one else was committed to walking with God, Noah demonstrated that one person, willing to walk with God, can change the world. Even when we are not sure where all the steps will lead us, our best option is to keep walking with Him!

Walking with God when you don’t know the final destination takes faith. Without faith its impossible to please God, and it’s impossible to walk with God. Walking in faith, trusting God with your steps, could change your destiny.

One of the most powerful descriptions you can give of a person is “they walked with God.” The bible directs us to several individuals that demonstrate what a life that walks with God looks like. Hebrews tells us that Enoch walked with God in a way that pleased God. Perhaps we can too!

We live in a society steeped in the mindset of entitlement. Many believe we deserve or are owed certain benefits – from the government, our parents, the church, even God. This entitlement is the opposite of gratitude. A heart filled with gratitude lifts us beyond ourselves and provides a clear connection into His presence in every circumstance.

Before he delivered the Ten Commandments, God reminded Moses: “I am the LORD your God who brought you out...of slavery”. In other words, “I set you free, now here is the law!” Does that sound like a contradiction? The reality is that our soul longs to be free. Still, we find ourselves in conflict when things we desire ultimately desire to enslave us. God knows there is a path to true freedom.

We all get tired. Life is busy and stressful. Tiredness can cause negative consequences. But there is an antidote for the ill-effects of tiredness. A healthy, well-rested soul enables our total self to function at full capability and guards against the ill-effects of being tired.

Sometimes doing the right thing costs us. When others take the easy way out, it can be tempting to move away from what we know is right, in order to avoid potential pain or consequences. Our soul desires to move in alignment with God no matter what the circumstance, but those outside pressures can be hard to overcome!" Judges 16:16 “…she pestered him daily with her words and pressed him, so that his soul was vexed to death”

From soul music to soul food, we use the term soul to describe cars, people and preferences. Yet what is a soul? Do we have a soul? If we have a soul, what does it need? In Mark 8:36 Jesus says, “What good is it for a man to gain the whole world yet forfeit his soul?” Jesus implies we have a responsibility for our soul. What could that mean?

It’s amazing how often fear and anxiety are the deciding factors in our lives. When we’re overcome by fear, safety becomes our new god; a weight that mere safety cannot bear. Fear is an inevitable element of the world we live in, but it doesn’t have to rule our hearts.

We all face seasons where we wonder if anyone knows or cares about what we are going through. However we also know that God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." (Hebrews 13:5) So how do we guard our heart against loneliness?"

The Bible is clear that our heart needs protecting. A firewall is an intentional layer of security, designed to keep out specific threats. This week, we will explore how anger presents a threat to our heart, and how managing our anger affects our heart and helps determine the direction of our lives.

How do we overcome when faced with a Civil War? We have the hard conversation. Jesus taught us how to manage tension with people we are close with. Matthew 18 show us that going to a person and working through the issue is part of the process. However, it takes two to resolve a “Civil” War. If they are not willing, then it’s time for healthy boundaries.

What do you need to forgive someone? Do you need them to feel bad, do you need to get even? Do you need to feel like they have paid back whatever they owe you? A war can get pretty “un-civil” if it cannot end until we are “even”. This week we will focus who handles the revenge part of our lives. We need to learn to invite God into the tension – and trust he has this part handled.

Every conflict I experience has one thing in common. Me! When there is conflict one of the hardest things to do, is see things from someone else’s perspective. Even when we disagree with someone, seeing things from their vantage point can help us develop some empathy. With empathy we are on the path to reconciliation. The more we learn to see things from other perspectives the closer we are to winning a civil war.

James has been teaching us that interacting with God is a huge piece of our faith journey. As he wraps up his letter he stresses that prayer factors into every major area of our life. So how do we do it? We all have to start somewhere. Pick a time. Pick a place. The disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray. Perhaps we should do the same?

We all want to know the future. We all want to have the answers before we take the test. However, only God truly knows the future. I can make plans – I just can’t “guarantee” they will happen. Only God has that kind of power. James wants us to learn this important lesson – when we attempt to control every part of our future – we actually reject Gods will and Gods plan for our lives. That kind of brash declaration is a recipe for disappointment. How does God want us to handle our plans?

This episode the Holy Spirit will be speaking to you about an extremely critical principle of life. It is a foundational pillar! In fact, if sequence or order means anything in Scripture, it may be ranked among the most important LIFE HACKS in all of God's kingdom. "Okay Pastor, quit hanging the proverbial carrot out there and tell me what it is? What is this all important biblical principal I cannot live without?" Hmmm...I think I'll let you look it up for yourself! It is the first "spirit" in the seven Spirits of the Lord in Isaiah 11. And it is the first "gift" in the nine gifts of the Spirit in 1 Corinthians 12. But it comes with a warning label...like all medications. Beware!: There are two kinds - one from above and one from below. Join us as we unpack this marvelous truth.