Love God Love One Another

Happy New Year! Welcome to the new you! Is it your resolution this year to become a better version of yourself? Begin with connection to your operating instructions and a relationship with the God who uniquely created you. Studying these plans and following God's ways are the superior pathway to happiness! #Trust #Obedience #Happiness #messiahyl

Mary, the mother of Jesus, sang a song of joy in the midst of a time of great trouble and uncertainty. Her song of hope, justice, and joy is a lesson in enduring all circumstances...to see our life in a frame of God's gracious favor. As prodigal children, the passionate loving gaze of God's eyes accepts our poverty and welcomes us home. #sing #exhaltation #messiahyl

The thrill of hope is made real in the work of Jesus on our behalf. How does that hope resonate in your life? What response might we have to receiving unconditional love, grace, and mercy? Humble service to others is our opportunity to show appreciation and share the thrill of hope. #Hope4Kids #ThrillOfHope #messiahyl

Are you a little weary? Making up for lost time or making do with less? Where is the thrill of hope to be found? Maybe what we crave is not to get excited about something new; rather, find a feeling of peace, a sense of hope, a presence of joy, and a deeper experience of love. Advent brings these, starting today. #Peace #BeWithYou #SaviorReigns #messiahyl

Do you see God as a handyman to fix your life? What happens when God doesn't seem to show up? Hearing how Jesus handled and grieved the death of a friend can help us understand where God is in our times of need. Our pain matters to God; it is more than enough for us to know He is beside us. #JesusWeeps #ForMe #messiahyl

Reformation reminds us how change has moved the church—and continues to moves us—forward. It is the work of Jesus, not our own works that save us. We only have righteousness through faith and are justified by grace through Christ Jesus. #SaveByWorks #OfJesus #messiahyl

What we willingly fund becomes important to us. This is the principle of investment intent, stewardship...and, more deeply, faith formation. God calls us to use our God-given time, talents, and financial resources wisely. Living into God's values is how we proclaim that Jesus is Lord of our life. #thrive #faithful #living #messiahyl

Is any part of your life excluded? Have you had a transformative conversion of heart, mind, and money? Why is it important to release our grip in each area? Ability, materials, talent, and success all come from belonging to God. What we give up and what we sacrifice is our worship response! #devotion #expression #messiahyl

Looking for a sense of joy in your life? The key to finding abundant joy is being grateful. Happiness is often elusive, but gratefulness and joy are simple to achieve. Take the time to reflect on the gift of love...establish a rhythm of spontaneous gratitude for the presence of God in that moment. #stop #look #go #begrateful #messiahyl

What burden do you carry in your heart that holds you back? It is possible to release and surrender that pain to God. Being blessed is not dependent on a "good and comfortable life." Blessed is standing in a sacred presence with God. You are loved just as you are—especially in you brokenness! #Blessed #BeABlessing #messiahyl

Solitude is a positive state of engagement with yourself—a refreshing replenishment from resting in God's presence. It is a spiritual discipline that can bring deep inner fulfillment. Use solitude to prepare for a major task, recharge after hard work, work through grief, prepare for important decisions, or concentrate on prayer. #solitude #listening #messiahyl

How do you face extreme conditions? Heat, relationships, and faith? The keys to patience and endurance are training, preparation, encouragement, and fueling our soul and spirit. Challenge is normal and inevitable situation—a pathway to developing character and hope. #patience #endurance #messiahyl

Learn to go beyond and discover new ways of living and loving...like Jesus. Enriched by pilgrimage stories and the recent sabbatical journey of Pastor Bob and Jeannie, love, grace, and gratitude can be discovered and practiced by being present and embracing time as a holy gift. #ultreia #goingbeyond #messiahyl

Our outlook is often very short sighted...limited to what is immediate and present and discounting consequences in the future. Knowing what is good for us and doing what is good for us are two very different things. We default by nature to be arrogant, self-centered, and proud. Choosing (and following) what is right can be accomplished with God's help. #ChooseWisely #LifeGiving #LoveGodLoveOneAnother #messiahyl

Something inside us longs for change....bridging the gap between who we are and who we are made to be. How do we change? Jesus, an expert on transformation, has shared a framework for it: teaching + practice = change. #Practice #WayOfJesus #TheGoodLife #messiahyl

The old testament prophet, Jeremiah, delivered a message to God's people. He painted a picture of the kind of community God wanted Israel (and us) to be: people who act with justice and righteousness and who deliver the alien, orphan, and widow from the hand of the oppressor. #DoRight #LoveOneAnother #messiahyl

What is love and what does love have to do with faith? Jesus gave himself for us, in love...and over time we become more Chrstlike, in love. Loving another is a marker and reflection of our faith—bringing glory to God. No one is too far, too evil, too lost to be saved by God. #LoveOneAnother #messiahyl

Participating in something greater than yourself has the potential and the power to change you. Such is the process of faith formation. God's great love transforms us from death to life. God's favor alters our outlook...it changes our reality and the potential to shape our conduct. Authenticity to be more like Jesus is a true enabler. #GodsHandiwork #Relationship #messiahyl

Have you ever had good intentions but fell short of completion? There is one thing that moves us from intention to intentionality: commitment...and commitment drives conduct. Jesus faced and overcame death to demonstrate his commitment to each of us. From a grateful heart, we can commit to move from I should, I want, I need, I will for him and others. #commitment #intentionality #messiahyl

Does music trigger a memory, a transcendence, a closeness to God? Hearing God's voice in music is a thin space between physical and spiritual worlds. It allows us to meet Jesus with lower barriers...connecting us emotionally to spiritual presence and energizing our faith formation. #SingOn #MusicOfFaith #messiahyl