What will you do with your 52 Sundays?

There are exactly 52 Sundays coming in 2015. How many of those Sundays will find you and your family investing in the local church? Hebrews 10:25 says, "Not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the day drawing near." This is the classic Scripture that encourages belonging to a local expression of the Body of Christ. It is very easy in our busy culture to neglect assembling together.

Notice that the writer of Hebrews points out that this is the "habit of some", typically we don't think of not doing something as a habit. But not doing something can be as much of a habit as doing something. As you start to think about positive changes that you will make for a New Year, I want to encourage making church a priority. There are many reasons why this is important, but here are three big ones to think about. 

Three Big Reasons New Life Church and Rick Bezet are good for Arkansas

Leading a church is both a challenging and rewarding proposition on any level and in any community. The Church is the only institution that Jesus left us, and the early Church impacted their world with a life changing message. It was known as the good news, and indeed it was, to the first century audiences who heard the message of the life, death and resurrection of Christ. Much has changed in the two thousand years since the Church was empowered and launched at Pentecost. The message has not changed, but the method with which the message is delivered has changed and continues to change. As a Pastor I continue to be challenged by the demands of our culture, which seeks to marginalize the message and the institution of the Church of Jesus Christ.

The greatest gift of Christmas

"God the Father gave up His own Son for us. For you and me! The true cause for wonder this Christmas is the mystery of God's love for us."

During the holiday season, we often focus on the main characters of the Christmas story – Mary, Joseph, Baby Jesus, the shepherds, the wise men – but we forget the role of God the Father in this epic gospel drama. It's easy to be excited over the narrative facts of Jesus being born in a barn, of angels chorusing the lowliest of men, and of kings traveling miles to worship a child. Yet we should celebrate the story in light of what the Apostle Paul writes in Romans 8:32: "He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him graciously give us all things?" Did you catch that? God the Father gave up His own Son for us. For you and me! The true cause for wonder this Christmas is the mystery of God's love for us.