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Often we understand the church as something we "do" on Sundays verses something that we "are" every day of the week. We fill our spiritual tank by worshiping and engaging with one another on Sundays, and we can also build the church when we live our lives. It is not good for us to try and walk out our salvation alone, as much as a personal relationship is necessary in Christ. He called us to be one, not to be individuals. Being the church is more than just attending the church, but it is incredibly important to come together and be reminded, refocused, and rejuvenated in our purpose as the church.

We are joined this weekend by Martha Tennison, a dynamic speaker whose story of tragedy during her and her husbands time in ministry continues to bring hope and direction for many after many years. Through a horrific bus tragedy, God showcased His glory, kindness, and sovereignty in ways that reverberate into today. Her message was one of urgency, however; what matters most in this life, the things we have, or the gift of the loved ones we are asked to steward? We hope this message brings you to a point to consider, what is the point of what you are doing?

Last we began the conversation of what matters most. If we aren't focused on loving God with all we are and others as ourselves, we will miss the purpose of our lives here on earth. This is largely our battle, to not do only what we want to do. Many Christians will live this life knowing they are saved and entering into heave...but what are we building in this life once we reach heaven? Stay tuned to what we can do to impact our heavenly home waiting for us.

We are beginning a series on where our priorities matter most. As we live our lives, we find what should have the first access to our time, resources, availability, and faith. And we can also be quick to lose sight of these things as the anxieties and arbitrary nature of life hits us. However, Christ said two things can sum up the whole law that Christ fulfilled: love the Lord with everything you are, and love your neighbors. No matter where we focus our priorities, if they are not fit in this vision, it is excess and a distraction!

We are joined by guest speaker Randy Jumper this Sunday for our spotlight on missions, and the impact the Gospel is making around the world. The challenge for us Christians is largely based in how we prioritize: our time, our energy, our resources, our passions. Randy tells stories of faithful Christians who are finding what life in Christ is like, and, ultimately, their greatest priority; to serve Jesus, even when everything else is lost. We hope this message encourages you to see how the church is working in tandem on a global level!

When life gets to a point where we are exhausted, run-down, beyond our capabilities, and uncertain, how are we getting filled back up? Perhaps the greatest fallacy is believing that we are in control of our life after we gave it to Christ. If Christ is the Lord, and our Lord, then who's battle is it that we face in this life? If it is Christ's, shouldn't we just let Him fight this? Our response should always be worship; worship is for God, and the way that we experience how great our God is. This truth magnifies the victory we have in Christ!

Our call as believers can sometimes be a demanding lifestyle: to love others, even when they are actively against us; to be at peace with all people, even when they are threatening us, and the list goes on. It isn't easy to be a light in our dark world, but the light is always what draws others out of their hopelessness, their unrest, and loss. But we aren't the light, in the sense that we weren't the light originally. We have the Spirit of God within us, lighting the way through us, and ultimately, causing us to be the light for others. How is our life reflecting this light, though? Are we being effective to light the darkness, or are we dimming?

As believers in Christ, our great reward is that of Heaven; our home that we long for. Christ teaches us to pray for our home to not be something that we look forward to only, but also to be brought down here and now. SO what does heaven look like? Many wonder what the final home will contain, but how about the people in it? Ultimately, what makes Heaven brought down isn't the physical attributes of a structure, but the way those who have given their life to Christ act, think, speak, and, ultimately, relate. As believers, we bring heaven down in a number of ways, but most importantly, through UNITY. A christian who does not seek to be unified with their fellow brother or sister in Christ causes division, and division can tear a kingdom apart. How are you living a unified life?

What we do can often become who we are. Even if we don't mean to, or identities as parents, employees, citizens, etc., can shape the way we think and act. We have an endless store of ideas and methods, but perhaps maybe without much thought. Not all of this is bad, but when we lose our identity to the things that don't bring us life, we find ourselves in an unbreakable cycle; this is why the Gospel of Christ is so effective. We can be full of the Spirit, and yet still full of ourselves. However, we look to Christ as not just the model, but the method; He is the WAY, the Truth, and the Life. Let's seek to be full of Christ and His goodness, and look to Him to trust that God is capable through us to do more than we could ever dream or imagine for His Kingdom!

Living our life can be on of legacy...or disappointment. We don't consider these things when we are young and have much potential, but as the years slip by, we are faced by the question, "what has my life accomplished?" The truth is, we cannot truly accomplish anything worthwhile, because what is relevant today, may change tomorrow. But if our legacy is who we are in Christ, then our PURPOSE becomes far greater. What is the legacy you are leaving?

Our salvation as those in Jesus is a wonderful gift; it's not for the sake of going to heaven, but to live life right NOW. With this said, to live on this earth doesn't feel like heaven, considering all of the hardships and toil we find ourselves in. This is where community is so critical. But what makes community that much more effective isn't a community based on the smaller details like race, culture, etc., but a community of one mind, no matter where you are. This is the power of the body of Christ, for we are united not in those small details, but in the power of the Holy Spirit. Let's be reminded we are on the same team, working for the same purpose: to see His Kingdom come!

Our identity in Christ is confirmed. When we are in Him, we are no longer the sinful person we once were. But to live in this way can be difficult; to live life outside of what we know can be very difficult. Our usual gets in the way of the unusual God calls us to, a life of not living according to culture's standards. It's especially difficult when culture has what we "should" be doing plastered every where. We need to find our way back to Him, in every situation, otherwise we may be drawn back to what we know!

Our great hope is in Christ. There is no other way to life or to the truth. He is the only one who is worthy of our whole being. When we consider Christ in this way, we see that we are left with only one response: to worship Him exclusively, forever. To know Christ as our savior leads us to contentment that our sins are no more, and our life is eternal. What should we do with this life, though? Should we go on and live it the same way? On the contrary, if Christ has our life, then our life is meant for Him, and He lived life doing the will of His Father. We are to renew our mind to conform to this lifestyle as well!

We live in a world where connecting and talking is a natural part of our everyday. Regardless of where we find ourselves, there is typically a community either we are working with or alongside. However, loneliness plagues our society at an ever growing level; ironic, considering how connected we are with the advancements in technology. Being connected and staying connected are very difficult things to do, because the effort to connect doesn't always pan out accordingly. Jesus understood community, and also the need for a healthy one. Tune in to learn more on what He means by "healthy."

On 4th of July, we consider what another year in our nation has brought us; much success, much sacrifice. And sacrifice is often what we remember most, because our nation wouldn't be home without it. But with sacrifice comes the misunderstanding that this was something that was already ours, and when we consider our salvation, if we are not careful, we can carry the same mindset. Entitlement isn't what has made this nation home for so many, as rough as it can be at times. And in the same way, we give glory to God for this "land that we love." Our greatest hope is in Christ, and ultimately, in His great sacrifice for us to build our lives upon. We hold truths that are self-evident, that all are created equal, but we must not forget the one who died FOR all. His great sacrifice holds the keys to our true home, heaven and eternal, abundant life in God that starts RIGHT NOW. Surrender to Jesus today, let Him be your Lord, and discover what true freedom looks like!