Have you noticed, except for the most bitterly cold days here in the Midwest, most of us don't wear coats anymore? On any given day in February, we move from our climate-controlled homes to our heated garages to get in our warm cars. We drive to work or school or the store, park close, and dash inside to take care of business in a comfortable setting. On the way home, we pick up dinner or the cleaning at the drive-thru and arrive back in our warm garages without having suffered more than a very few moments of the uncomfortable cold. We highly value our comfort and go to great lengths to maintain it. Jesus, on the other hand, doesn't seem the least bit concerned with his comfort - or ours. Jesus is much more concerned that everyone always knows that they are loved, welcomed, and wanted in the family of God. As we love like Jesus we will find ourselves in uncomfortable situations with uncomfortable people. But be encouraged, Jesus shows us just how to loving there, too! Worship link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhWpUKPDXRo&feature=youtu.be

You don’t have to look very far or very long to see that the world can be a harsh place. Hatred, division, bad behavior, and violence are around every turn. The news gives us a steady diet of chaos and conflict. Popular TV shows and movies bring the worst of it right into our homes. It is so pervasive that we despair at being able to overcome any of it - with either our words or our actions. But the world that Jesus came into was just as broken as ours is today. And he came with a strategy for overcoming the hate, hurt, and dysfunction. Jesus’ plan - love. And he left that plan for his followers to carry on. Loving like Jesus is not easy, but it is pretty simple. We just need to look to Jesus himself for our example. Just as Jesus has loved us, we are called to love others. And by this, the world will know. Worship Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkrN0WY35-I&feature=youtu.be

Do you remember your first love? When every thought was about that person? When you couldn't get - or give - enough time and attention with them? When we fall in love, our heart takes the lead and inspires us to words and actions of adoration, affection and service. Being a follower of Jesus is also a matter of the heart. For all that we love about our lives - and our lives of faith - the Bible invites us to return continually to our First Love. Jesus invites us to fall in love with him every day, and live in love with him, our First Love. Worship Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwlHI6jSpPw&feature=youtu.be

It's Football Sundaaaaaaaay! Don your favorite jersey, grab your tailgate snacks and get ready for a special worship experience! We might be tempted to think that football is the only thing on the minds and hearts of championship players -- that they are driven solely by the hope of football success and celebrity. But these players have a different story to tell - a much more important story... Hold on tight and get ready to be ENERGIZED! Worship link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVZe967j1XE&feature=youtu.be

Detours may delay one's arrival, but arrival is assured - and we see and experience some amazing things when we wander off the beaten path; especially when we wander with God! Worship link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xv33YYgoXjo&feature=youtu.be

Have you ever encountered a dead end when you are driving? We all have. And just as surely, we have all experienced dead ends in our lives - those predicaments and situations from which we don't see a way out. But don't despair. We are not alone at those dead ends. Jesus is right there with us. And dead ends are never dead ends with Jesus. Jesus always provides a way forward. Worship Link: https://youtu.be/YwtgKYijHrM

Today's Worship Experience: Have you ever found yourself lost? Or winding your way through unfamiliar territory... feeling very alone. Life - and faith - can feel that way at times. Trust, however, that you are never alone and never without a Guide and Helper. Discovering the Art of the Journey means discovering joy, adventure, and meaning in the journey of life and faith. Worship Link: https://youtu.be/c_7pcf3INvM

Memories of Christmas are still fresh in our minds. Though Christmas may have been 'distanced,' we still found ways to connect with family, to give and receive gifts, to worship on Christmas Eve, and to enjoy favorite movies, cookies, and traditions. And on New Year's Eve, we said goodbye to 2020 - with maybe too much enthusiasm - and welcomed what we sincerely hope will be a better year. But now - - - The extra pounds, the extra bills, and that extra-tired feeling we can't seem to shake makes us wonder if it was all worth it. We enjoy so much in our lives at Christmas and throughout the year. We pack our calendars full of experiences, activities, responsibilities, and events, and yet, we often find our lives lacking the joy we thought it would all bring. How can a life that is so full feel so empty? What's missing? What more could we possibly do to add meaning to this life? Worship Link: https://youtu.be/c6jVXuZsqds

January always brings New Year Resolutions in some form or fashion. It's a season that lends itself to new starts, new goals and objectives, new - or renewed - hopes and dreams for yourself, your family, and your future. Maybe for you this year the objective is to lose weight, or exercise more, or get healthy. Your hope might be to find the perfect mate, the perfect job, or the perfect house. You might be planning to start back to school this year, or start a new hobby, or start being on-time more often. Our New Year hopes, dreams, and ambitions generally grow out of a desire for more... more health, wealth, satisfaction, or happiness; more time for relaxing, working, being with family, or travel; more energy, more peace, more patience, or more motivation. But in organizing our futures around our own hopes and dreams for more, we might be missing out on the 'more' that God has for us. God hopes even greater things for us than we can hope for ourselves. With God, there is more to us, for us, and in us, than we can imagine! Worship Link: https://youtu.be/tOKuU6BjoxY

As we prepare to celebrate this most holy night, we invite you to gather into your space your advent wreath, if you've been using one this season. And you might also want to gather additional candles, one for each person worshiping in your location. Of course, if you don't have these things nearby, please don't give it another thought. Worship Link: https://youtu.be/cYwf7p8rvaY