When did we stop seeing playgrounds and start seeing only problems? Kids look at an abandoned lot and see an adventure park. Adults see an eyesore. In this second week of our "Kid Again" Advent series, Pastor Howard explores Isaiah 40 and Mark 1 to discover how God builds highways in wildernesses—and why your ruins might be the exact place He wants to start building something beautiful. If you've been waiting for perfect conditions to pursue your dreams, rebuild that relationship, or step into your calling, this message is your permission slip to start playing again.

First Sunday of Advent | Isaiah 64:1-9, Mark 13:24-37

Kids ask for ponies, world peace, and impossible things at Christmas. Adults ask for gift cards and towels. Somewhere between childhood and adulthood, we stopped believing God could do the impossible—and we called it "maturity."

In this first message of our Advent series, Pastor Howard challenges us to become kids again. To pray bold prayers. To stay awake and watch for God to move. To believe that breakthrough is coming—not someday, but now.

What if the "realistic" thinking we've embraced is actually spiritual death? What if God is still tearing open heavens, shaking mountains, and doing things no one expects? What if we can actually hasten the coming of His kingdom through watching, praying, and living with holy anticipation?

This Advent, stop settling for the possible. Believe God can do what only God can do. Stay awake. Keep watching. And discover what happens when grown-ups dare to believe again.

Challenge: For the next 3 Sundays leading through Christmas, live like a kid on Christmas Eve—eyes wide open, fully expecting God to show up and do the impossible.

What if the best Thanksgiving you ever had was the one where you had the least?

Pastor Howard shares two contrasting Thanksgiving memories: one as a 9-year-old surrounded by abundance yet consumed by anxiety about getting his portion, and another as a 26-year-old father of five serving nothing but a pot roast from the freezer—yet experiencing profound peace. The difference? Learning to trust God's measurement instead of anxiety's demands.

In this powerful message, Pastor Howard unpacks Exodus 16 and the story of manna in the wilderness, diving deep into two Hebrew words that will transform how you think about provision: מָן (man) - "What is it?" and עֹמֶר (omer) - "just enough." Discover why the Israelites couldn't recognize God's provision when it showed up, why hoarding what God told them to trust literally bred maggots, and what it means that God provided double on the sixth day so they could rest on the Sabbath.

This isn't just another Thanksgiving sermon about gratitude. This is about breaking the scarcity mindset that keeps us hustling even when we have abundance, understanding the neuroscience behind why our brains go into survival mode, and learning what it means to trust "just enough" in a culture that demands "more than enough."

Perfect for anyone who's ever felt the pressure to create the Instagram-perfect Thanksgiving, anyone lying awake at 3 AM worried about provision, or anyone exhausted from trying to be their own provider.

Key Takeaway: Peace doesn't come from having enough. Peace comes from trusting the One who provides.