Submission: Impossible

Good morning, Mr. Phelps. Your submission, should you decide to accept it, is to obey the authorities in your life, respect them and cooperate in every way you can. They may be neither right nor righteous, but you must still recognize that God put them in positions of power and they serve as His deputies. Should you disavow all knowledge of God’s instructions and fail in this submission, it is quite likely you will self destruct.

Series themes:

• respect
• submission
• authority
• cooperation
• compromise
• government
• absolute truth
• protest
• boycott

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iWitness

Our annual tradition on the Sunday before Thanksgiving is to set aside a day to thank God for who he is and what he’s done. Throughout the course of the service, you will hear testimonies from people in our congregation as they share how they’ve witnessed God at work in their lives, hence the name: iWitness. The theme for the day: thanksgiving.

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Rediscover Christmas

Rediscover Christmas is about discovering the Christ that’s already a part of your Christmas traditions. Here are some of the traditions we’ll be highlighting during the four Sundays leading up to Christmas:

Decorations. Have you stopped to consider the Christian significance behind the symbols? The evergreen tree that points to the eternal life Christ’s incarnation brought to earth. The decorative lights that remind us of Jesus, the Light that came into an utterly dark world. And many other signs that point us to Jesus’ birth.

Family. Here’s a double-edged sword! Many of us look forward to being together with family during the holidays, but let’s face it: family time can be the most stressful part of the season! But as we spend time with our families, we are reminded that relationships are at the core of God’s vision for humanity. Our time with loved ones can be an incredible opportunity to experience, and model, God’s love, grace, forgiveness, and patience.

Presents – part 1. We love to give gifts at Christmas. Do you ever think about the first Christmas gifts ever given? They were from the magi, who gave their gifts essentially as an act of worship. We give gifts to show how much we love someone, and we worship God to show how much we love Him. Every time we give a gift, we remember that worship is at the heart of the Christmas experience.

Presents – part 2. Not only do we love to give, but we love to receive. Every time we receive a gift this Christmas, we are experiencing generosity (grace) from someone else, which can point us directly to God and his amazing grace toward us through the gift of His son Jesus.
 
With Rediscover Christmas, our goal is to point out the spiritual significance that is at the heart of our Christmas traditions. Rather than shaming people for kicking Christ out of Christmas, we hope to point out the Christ that is already there. This will enhance everyone’s experience of Christmas, both Christian and non-Christian alike, as they (re)discover the deeper significance of the season.

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