Christ Community Chapel (Audio)

In Luke 2, we are introduced to the shepherds of the Christmas story. These shepherds were "nobodies" going about their mundane jobs, but God chose them to not only see angels with their own eyes but to also be among the first to hear the most important news of all time. Why? Because God comes for everyone, no matter their status in society. And as the shepherds showed, no matter how great a fear we face - even being surrounded by the glory of the Lord - if we are beholding the power of Jesus, we really have nothing to fear at all.

Herod the Great, king of Judea at the time of Jesus' birth, was known for his impatience, bloodthirstiness and ego. He desired power above all else and was quick to lash out wrathfully if he perceived any threat to his own glory. Many people suffered at his hand, and he was, by all accounts, a pretty awful guy. As unlike us as Herod may sound, when you look at how he responded to Jesus' birth, we start to see similarities to our own lives. We profess a desire to worship Jesus (as Herod told the magi he did), but we are often unwilling to turn over control of our "kingdoms" to God. We call ourselves followers of Jesus, but we bristle at the idea of honoring him as king of certain aspects of our lives. So this week, let's ask ourselves: will we worship Jesus as the magi did or will we fight his control of our lives like Herod?

As we enter the Advent season, we'll be taking a look at the events surrounding Jesus' birth and connecting them back to our lives today. This week, Pastor Joe explains how the dangerous, 1,000-plus mile journey to Bethlehem the magi took was only part of what made their story remarkable. While the magi were considered amongst the wisest men of their day - similar to the world's most esteemed academics - they recognized that they didn't know everything. They knew there were gaps in their understanding of their world, and they went in search of answers. They determined that a star would guide them close to a soon-to-be-born Jewish king but were also wise enough to turn to holy scripture (as we all must do) to ultimately find Jesus. And once they did, a remarkable thing occurred: they saw Jesus for who he was - not simply a poor family's baby, but the lord of all creation - and fell down and worshiped him as king.

When we think about worshiping God for eternity in Heaven, it's easy to think of it as one long church service. At its core, though, worship means the act of enjoying God... And worshiping in Heaven will be more about having a greater capacity to do just that. Here on earth, we only get little tastes of the God's glory, but someday we will enjoy God in a way we never have before. This week, Pastor Joe explains the concept of "worshiping without limit" and how amazing it will be when we can do so in Heaven.

Relationships are critical to who we are. They define us. We were designed for relationship after all - not only with each other, but also with God. As sweet as our relationships may seem at times, they are only a dim reflection of what they could be. At best, our relationships with one another are flashes of harmony amidst a time of discord, and this week, Pastor Jim Colledge goes to scripture to explain why. Take heart, though - there's a happy ending in store. As Jim explains, we can all look forward to a time of perfect relationship with one another and with God when his true plan for relationships is realized once more.

What happens when we die? We know we exist in flawed bodies now, but what comes next? These are questions people have wrestled with since the beginning, and they can often seem unanswerable. Pastor Colledge explains, however, that there are more hints about our future selves in God's word than you may realize. Follow along as he travels through scripture, showcasing how our eager waiting for the redemption of our bodies will eventually be fulfilled as we finally encounter the "new you" in God's presence.

The Kingdom of God often appears as pinholes of light piercing through a world of darkness. We have a longing to live in that light for it is an innate longing for heaven and the way things were meant to be. This week, Pastor Joe dives into this longing, investigating what heaven truly is, where heaven is, and how heaven helps us now, given we still live in a broken world. As you listen, you'll realize that heaven isn't about playing a harp and sitting on a cloud, as one might see in a cartoon, but rather about being energized by the presence of God in a rehabilitated, perfect world. After all, this present darkness isn't all there is. If we remember that, we'll have the strength and courage to endure, fixing our hearts on the promise of what's to come.

We have a strange relationship with kings. There is a part of each of us that wants a king, fascinated by their power and portrayal as heroes in our stories. There is another part of us, however, that rebels against the idea of a king, resenting the idea that they might lord over us and tell us how to live our lives. We love kings, but we seem to hate them at the same time. That, fundamentally, is the problem of a king. But the fact is we need a king on an innate, spiritual level. God is the ultimate king, demonstrating complete authority over all things; yet as with any king, we pull away as part of our sinful desire to rule our own lives. If, however, we can learn to obey his commands, accept whatever he brings into our lives and look forward to the fulfillment of his kingdom, we can begin to experience the endless joy God intends for us as a part of his kingdom.

In Matthew 13:44-46, Jesus says that the kingdom of heaven is like a great treasure hidden in a field or a pearl of great value that, once discovered, inspires people to sell all they own to acquire it. Even though we don't spend much time hunting for pearls or surveying fields these days, the message is an important one as it tells us three things: the kingdom of God is hidden, it is valuable and it is paid for. This week, we hear about this "kingdom that's worth it" - a hidden treasure worth seeking because it is valuable enough that Jesus gave his very life for it. And like the men in Jesus' parables, we are created to be overjoyed once we discover the immensely valuable treasure that God intends for our discovery.

In Matthew 13:44-46, Jesus says that the kingdom of heaven is like a great treasure hidden in a field or a pearl of great value that, once discovered, inspires people to sell all they own to acquire it. Even though we don't spend much time hunting for pearls or surveying fields these days, the message is an important one as it tells us three things: the kingdom of God is hidden, it is valuable and it is paid for. This week, we hear about this "kingdom that's worth it" - a hidden treasure worth seeking because it is valuable enough that Jesus gave his very life for it. And like the men in Jesus' parables, we are created to be overjoyed once we discover the immensely valuable treasure that God intends for our discovery.

In Luke 10:25, Jesus is asked by an expert of the law, "What must I do to inherit eternal life?" He responds by confirming that we should not only love God with all our heart, soul, strength and mind, but also love our neighbors as ourselves. It was hardly a shocking response to the crowd, but Jesus went on to tell a parable that did challenge them: the story of the Good Samaritan. As Jesus explains, our neighbors aren't just people like us, but anyone who needs our help, whether they believe the same things as us or not. It's an important reminder in today's polarized political climate. And as Pastor Joe reminds us this week, people are never more willing to listen to the gospel message than when they're experiencing the love of a good neighbor, and that alone is a good enough reason for us to be more neighborly.

Throughout our series "Thy Kingdom Come Here," we've learned about what it looks like to bring God's kingdom to fruition in the places that seem most obvious but are often overlooked. We've heard about home and church, and this week, we hear from guest speaker Sean Ammirati on why we shouldn't overlook the workplace as fertile grounds for growing God's kingdom. Citing the example of Nehemiah towards the end of the Old Testament, Sean explains that God has a lot to say about how to use your work to further his kingdom and how he's used common people to grow his kingdom on Earth for millennia. If we recognize what we're uniquely equipped to do well, harness our strengths and know when to tap into the unique talents of others around us, we'll quickly find that God reveals opportunities to accomplish his plan and purpose in ways we may never have expected.

While it might seem like the church is a natural place for God's kingdom to flourish on earth, that's not always the case. We sometimes act like the church is a club that affects what we do for a day or two each week, like a cruise ship where we go to have our needs served or like an organization that primarily exists to do good works... but that was never God's plan. Rather, the church should be a place where people come to experience the transcendent love, life and majesty of Jesus Christ and be transformed because if it. This week, Pastor Coffey reminds us what we can learn from the earliest Christians - that we should ultimately make the church a place where people can be molded by the gospel and brought nearer to God.

As we focus on helping God's kingdom to shine in this world, it's important that we don't overlook some of the most obvious spots in which his kingdom should be present in our lives... including in our homes. At the center of many homes is a marriage - a reflection of Christ's relationship with the church. That marriage not only has a major impact on the husband and wife, but their children and many others around them as well. However, as anyone who has been married knows, marriages take work, and thanks to sin's influence on our lives, we're often driven by selfishness over love for our spouses. This week, Pastor Todd explains how a winning marriage takes more than hard work - it also takes the right fuel (wives feeling cherished and husbands feeling respected) and the right focus on one goal (putting Christ at the center of your marriage). That framework makes for an unbreakable marriage and empowers us to unleash the kingdom in our homes, leaving a strong legacy for generations to follow.

In Matthew 7:24-29, Jesus concludes his Sermon on the Mount by imploring his listeners to put into action what they have heard and build their lives on a foundation of their profession of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and a life lived in obedience to him. He says that those who hear his words and do not do what he says are fools - they are laying a foundation that will crumble in the present and future storms. If you do not have a relationship with Jesus, there is reason to fear when the final storm of judgment exposes and lays bare your foundation. Build on the rock, on the firm foundation, so there is no fear for you in the present storms nor the one to come. Are you confident in your foundation?