What would it take for you to describe 2025 as the best year ever? Living your best life hinges on surrendering to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

"For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” -Philippians 1:21 NIV

The Church (according to Christmas) is an Incarnational, Missional and Sacrificial community of imperfect people centered around Jesus.

What would it look like to approach our shared life and ministry together this way in 2025?

“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” -John 1:14

Darkness is the typical and consistent experience of all people in our broken world. But Jesus, the light of the world, is the Gospel.

Reflection Questions:

1. How can you celebrate and give thanks for Jesus being the light of your life and the world?

2. How can you be more intentional about letting the light of Christ shine through your pain, difficulties, and darkness?

3. Today, will you choose to trust Jesus to shine light into the darkness within you and around you?

“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” -John 8:12

The story of Christmas is a demonstration of the good news of the grace of God.

1) How is the grace of God affecting (transforming and redefining) my identity?2) How is the grace of God affecting (empowering and redirecting) what I do?3) How could I share this good news of grace with someone else this week?

The invitation of the Gospel is to trust in a better covenant and better promises.

How is God inviting you to trust in a better covenant and better promises in Jesus Christ?

1. Old Covenant: Outside behavioral modification vs. New Covenant: Inside out life transformation.
2. Old Covenant: Knowing about God vs. New Covenant: Knowing God.
3. Old Covenant: Striving to follow the law vs. New Covenant: Surrendering to trust in Jesus the Messiah.

"But in fact the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which he is mediator is superior to the old one, since the new covenant is established on better promises." -Hebrews 8:6

In our world today, many false gospels are competing for our attention. The true Gospel is GREAT NEWS, because it is the only path to beauty, freedom, joy, and abundant life in Christ now and for all eternity.

The alluring invitations of false gospels:

1. The Religious Gospel: Trust Jesus to accept your efforts to do right and avoid wrong.
2. The Prosperity Gospel: Trust Jesus to make you healthy, wealthy, and prosperous.
3. The Consumer Gospel (The "Me, Me, Me" Gospel): Trust Jesus to meet all your needs (according to your wants and expectations).
4. The All-Inclusive, Progressive Gospel: Trust Jesus to accept you (and everyone else) just as you are no matter what.
5. The Do-Gooder (Social Action / "I'm a Good Person") Gospel: Trust Jesus to accept you because you are being nice and doing good.
6. The Smorgasbord (all religions are valid) Gospel: Trust in your spiritual truth and you will get to heaven as you understand it.
7. The Secular Gospel: You don't need Jesus. Trust yourself.
8. The "I've Got Plenty of Time" Gospel: I'm young. I don't need to think about eternity yet.

The twofold invitation of the Gospel of Salvation in Jesus Christ:

1. Trust in Jesus as Savior: Receive the gift of salvation by grace through faith in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.
2. Follow Jesus as Lord: Receive the gift of sanctification by grace through faith in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.

"By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you." -1 Corinthians 15:2

This Advent season, we are celebrating "good news of great joy" and exploring the Gospel through the lens of the Christmas story.

Week 1: The God of the Gospel

1. The Gospel begins with God.
2. The Gospel hinges on Jesus being fully man and fully God.
3. The Gospel requires a response from every person.

"The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together." -Colossians 1:15-17

Jesus is a Holy Servant King who disrupts, defies and transcends the power structures of our world. Disciples of Jesus are called to be Holy Servants who disrupt, defy and transcend the power structures of our world.

“'Woe to me!' I cried. 'I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.' Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. With it he touched my mouth and said, 'See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.' Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, 'Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?' And I said, 'Here am I. Send me!'" -Isaiah 6:5-8