(Ephesians 5:8-14) Paul doesn't say that we should live *like* light or shine our light. He says that we are children *of* light. Like a glass of water, or a block of steel, we *are* light in Christ. (Pastor Neuendorf)

(Romans 5:5) Overfill your mind and you can't think anymore. Overfill your ears and they ring. But be filled up with the Spirit and... well, guess what that produces. (Pastor Wentzel)

(John 3:1-17) How hard did you work on your birthday - the day you were born? How much of the labor was yours, and how much was your mother's? Jesus tells us that it is much the same with your spiritual birth. You can't take any credit... only the blessing is yours. (Pastor Wentzel)

(Matthew 4:1-11) We all go through periods of temptation - desert days. The result of Adam and Eve's sin was like kicking one stone down a mountainside - it began a slide that grew larger and larger over the centuries and has finally taken in our lives too. Like a landslide, we have been swept away by sin. But Jesus stepped into that slide - and he changed history. (Pastor Neuendorf)

(Matthew 4:12-25) Capernaum, quaint little town by the seashore, city of light from which the Savior of the world lauched his work, city of darkness and despair. Can one place be all these things? Like all of us, Capernaum could be more than one thing at a time - but sinner and saint. The crucial difference is - when Jesus was there.

Is it better to be dead or alive? That's an easy question to answer, but our first answer may be too fast. Life is not all it's cracked up to be - and being "alive" in earthly terms may mean misery and sadness. But dying to ourselves - dying with Jesus - brings us a more REAL life.

(Matthew 2:1-16) Christmas is full of so many warm memories, who wouldn't want to go back to their childhood - to stay in the holiday glow - or even, if we could, to just stay in the stable with Mary and Joseph and Jesus? And yet, even Jesus could not do that. His family had to flee for their lives from the soldiers of King Herod. In our lives today we have many enemies and troubles we would like to run away from. Jesus has an answer. (Pastor Neuendorf)

(Romans 15:4-13) Paul says that "everything that was written before" was written to give us hope. But how can that be? We're so buried under written things - spam - junk mail - news - opinion columns - internet blogs - magazines. And all of these things contradict each other! What can we find in the writings Paul talks about that will make a difference in our lives? (Pastor Neuendorf)

Romans 13:13 During this season of holiday parties and banquets, many people will be watching their weight. But believers in Jesus should be watching their wait. How are we waiting for Jesus to come? Expectantly? Joyfully? Or skeptically?

Luke 23:27-43 When Jesus was crucified, he told the women following him not to cry. Why would he do that? And how could we not cry? Perhaps remembering who our true king is, and what it means for him to be crowned and rule in our life will help. (Pastor Wentzel)