Have you noticed that if you look online for a recipe you have to slog through commentary, personal anecdotes, photos, and cooking tips before you ever get to the recipe? While all that might be interesting and helpful, the practical information needed for the endeavor - in the form of ingredients, measurements, and instructions - is nearly the last thing on the site! In the Book of Colossians we find lots of beautiful prose and lofty writing about who Jesus is, the high calling of being a follower, and the power of a life lived with Jesus. While all inspiring and helpful, it's not until near the end of the letter that we find the 'how-to's' of connecting with Jesus in meaningful ways. And when we get it, just like so many recipes, we often find that the practical steps to the new creation are not all that complicated. A few easy steps can create a yummy dish - and a meaningful life of faith! Worship Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yTZbHa5zz4

Some of us like to be spontaneous and a bit 'by the seat of our pants.' Many of us like a plan for our days, our activities, our careers, and even our lives. And if those plans get disrupted, we get really uncomfortable! Yet few things go as planned. We are always rerouting, pivoting, or coming up with a plan B, C, or D. Often the new places we ended up, the unexpected things we did, or the updated skills we garnered are among our most valuable assets and most memorable experiences. Traveling through this life with Jesus is an adventure all its own that promises all this and more. Are ready to journey with Jesus to some new places? WORSHIP LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0OVJxr7Q9U

As a people, we tend to like new things... a delicious new recipe, new clothes, an exciting new destination to visit. Sometimes we choose the 'new,' and sometimes the 'new' just - - shows up. The Gospel of Matthew, the first book of the Christian New Testament, is about 'new' (among other things). And that 'new' is Jesus. In Jesus, Matthew shows his readers that Jesus is not just a new way to experience God, but that Jesus also brings a new understanding of faith and faithful living. And sometimes to fully experience the 'new,' some of the old has to go. Are you ready for a 'new' adventure!? Worship Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMZtJ5PM6_U