Waiting is a universal experience during the holiday season. We are waiting for packages, waiting in lines, we are waiting in traffic. 

So what if we saw this everyday experience as an opportunity to be reminded of what it means to wait for God? Waiting is a massive theme of the Bible, as we see God's people being constantly hopeful and expectant for God to come and restore the kingdom.

Last Sunday was the start of Advent. Advent means "coming" in Latin and is a period of time we dedicate to celebrating the coming of the Messiah, Christ Jesus. We often feel a tension this time of year between our desire to draw near to God and enjoy his peace and presence, and the frenzied bustle of holiday festivities and end-of-year chores.  

"A Simple Christmas" is a time to direct our hearts to delight in Jesus. 

These are serious questions, and we're glad we can have this conversation. 

There has been a great turnaround in the media around the challenges of mental health with a growing awareness of how significant this space is for overall health that spans across so many sectors of our world. But what does the Bible say about mental health and mental illness? Can Christians struggle with depression and anxiety? Is there physical medical healing we should pursue, or should we just trust Jesus?

These are serious questions, and we're glad we can have this conversation. 

The simple meaning of Christmas is that God came to be with us. And as we’ve celebrated God’s presence, we’ve also added layers upon layers of extra activities that have kept us from enjoying the original focus, Christ with us. But in our layering, it’s possible for us to get distracted with the things of Christmas and miss God in Christmas.

One of the hottest topics in the world today centers around sexual identity and expression. And one of the the highest ideals and values of our culture today is having a fulfilling and satisfying romantic relationship.

The church doesn't often speak into these areas, but the Bible speaks to the most important identity we have, that we are made in the image of God.

I feared the world. I sought the world. I wanted the acceptance of the world.

But then God moved, and my heart changed.  

Being honest with yourself - how would you rate your level of self-sufficiency? How might you describe your neediness? Would you consider yourself more worldly-wealthy or more kingdom-wealthy? What even is kingdom-wealthiness?

Jesus speaks to the church in Laodicea with both heavy reproof and great grace in way that the church here in Charlotte should consider also for themselves.

Red and Blue. Black and white. There’s so much division in the political arena today, and so little room for conversation. And the church has remained separate from the conversation of politics, by nature of the church and state separation.

But how did Jesus engage in the political sphere around him? What does the Bible say about political engagement or disengagement?
 

Welcome to the third and final week of our series, The Art of Neighboring, as our church is participating with approximately 100 churches in the greater Charlotte area, reaching over 60,000 people in those churches in our city with a unified message of THE central teaching of Jesus...to love God and love our neighbor as ourselves.
 

God calls us to a kind of generosity that puts the needs of others before our own, not one that is determined by what leftovers we have. His calling is for us to consider the needs of others as we go about our reaping, not passing along our meager remains after gorging ourselves. It seems that this practice has been lost in today’s society. People who experience God’s compassion and love each and every day should want to show this same love and compassion to others, right? So, what is the problem? The issue seems to be a matter of the heart and our desires. Our selfishness can get in the way of reaching out to those in need because we are too inwardly focused. There needs to be a shift where people begin to look outside of themselves and notice their neighbors and what they can do to serve them.