MOST SIGNIFICANT TRUTH: Big moments hit every life. You face problems you cannot fix, control, or carry. God responds when His people pray together with focus and urgency. Prayer moves God’s power. God frees people. God does what you cannot.

Big things were happening in the early church. A leader was killed. Peter waited in prison for execution. The church could not fight this. They prayed. They prayed earnestly. They prayed for one clear outcome. They prayed together. God answered. Peter walked free. The church struggled to believe it. God proved His power. God strengthened their faith. Prayer did not change God’s plan. Prayer aligned people with it.

ACTION: You face a big problem right now. Name it. Do not scatter your prayers. Choose one clear request. Pray with urgency. Pray with others. Set a time. Stay consistent. Trust God with the outcome.

Most significant truth: God saves people to send them. The church does not wait on the future. The church walks into it by faith, led by the Holy Spirit.

Simple explanation: In Acts 1, the disciples want answers about what comes next. Jesus gives them a mission instead. He promises power through the Holy Spirit and sends them to be witnesses where they are, beyond comfort, and into the world. Following Jesus always leads forward.

Application: You step forward, not sit back. You rely on the Holy Spirit, not your strength. You live on mission where you are and beyond it. You choose faith over comfort this week.

You do not work only to earn a paycheck. You work because God sent you there.

Work did not start as punishment. God gave Adam work before sin. Sin added frustration, not purpose. Jesus restored meaning to what sin made heavy. Because of that, your job matters to God.

Scripture says whatever you do, do it in the name of Jesus. That includes emails, meetings, parenting, teaching, labor, and leadership. Your work becomes worship when you show up aware of who you represent.

Scripture also says work with all your heart. Excellence is not perfection. Excellence is faithfulness. You give your best because you work for Jesus, not people. People forget. God does not.

Your job is not random. Your schedule is not an accident. Your workplace is part of your assignment. God uses your work to carry out His mission through you.

Action:

This week, change how you show up. Work like Jesus is your boss. Treat your job as worship. See your coworkers as people God sent you to.

Most significant truth. You cannot build a strong family on effort alone. God has to lead it. When God builds your home, your family grows the right way.

You dedicate your family by making three choices. You let God lead your home. You stop fighting His plan and trust Him. You value what God values. People matter more than success. Your spouse and kids matter more than work and money. You follow God’s plan for your kids. You guide them. You shape them. You point them toward God. Then you let them go.

Action. Ask who is leading your family. Check where your time goes. Choose God’s way over control.

Change happens through dedication, not decisions. God works when you give consent and follow with cooperation.

Resolutions fail because motivation fades. Dedication lasts because it leads to action. Jesus invites you to follow Him. That invitation starts with consent. Real change comes through cooperation. You deny yourself. You grow over time. Calling follows obedience. The question is simple. Where are you. Consent. Cooperation. Or ready for the call.

Now What? Stop trusting resolutions. Start practicing dedication. Ask what you need to deny in 2026. Ask what you need to return to spiritually. Decide if you have only consented or if you are cooperating. Commit to obedience, not intention.

Welcome our new Student Pastor, Brian Baldwin.

Peace does not come from a calm season. Peace comes from Jesus. When life stays loud, divided, and heavy, real peace stays available through the presence of Christ. Jesus does not remove every storm. He enters the storm with you.

Christmas talks about peace, but stress often wins. The world feels chaotic and personal life feels heavy. The first Christmas looked the same. Political pressure. Fear. Silence from God. Into that mess, Jesus was born and peace was announced. Peace is not the absence of problems. Peace is the presence of Jesus.

Jesus gives three real forms of peace. Peace with God. Sin created separation. Jesus repaired it through the cross. Trust in Him ends the war with God. Peace with yourself. Anxiety and fear lose control when you hand them to Jesus in prayer. His peace guards your heart and mind. Peace with others. Jesus breaks down walls between people. Old grudges, family tension, and division do not get the final word.

Communion reminds you of this truth. Jesus paid for peace with His body and blood. You come to the table as family, not enemies.

Action steps for you Make peace with God today. Surrender fully to Jesus. Name what is shaking your heart. Pray honestly and hand it over. Make the first move with others. Forgive. Apologize. Lower your guard. Come to the table with a clean heart. Confess sin. Release anxiety. Choose unity.

Real joy does not come from gifts or circumstances. It comes from your relationship with Jesus and the people around you. Happiness fades. Joy lasts. This message shows you where joy starts, what steals it, and how to refocus your life on what brings lasting joy at Christmas and beyond.

Simple action steps for you. • Check your focus. Ask what you stare at most this season. Loss or grace. • Heal relationships. Ask if being right matters more than love. • Reorder priorities. Spend more effort on Jesus and people than on decorations and gifts. • Give yourself away. Serve. Encourage. Forgive. Show up. • Stay connected to Jesus. Abide in His love daily. Obedience follows love.