Plymouth Haven Baptist Church

Core Truth: I’m sure some of you remember quite clearly the opening question of the Westminster Shorter Catechism, “What is the chief end of man?” and of course the equally well-known answer “The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.” Today, as we are given by God’s kindness and grace another opportunity to celebrate the wonder and beauty of the Christmas Season, I want to talk about the three basic ways by which we can do that, namely, by means of praise, thanksgiving and worship – and to that end I’d like us to consider three points.

Core Truth: According to Scripture, a heart of thankfulness is not an add-on to our lives as Christians, but is meant to be integral to who we are as God’s children. As Dr. John MacArthur once put it, “A thankful heart is one of the primary identifying characteristics of a believer. It stands in stark contrast to pride, selfishness, and worry. And it helps fortify the believer’s trust in the Lord and reliance of His provision, even in the toughest times. No matter how choppy the seas become, a believer’s heart is buoyed by constant praise and gratefulness to the Lord.”

Core Truth: An ugly scourge called “antisemitism” has once again raised its virulent head across the world and even here in our own nations of America. Described as “hostility to or prejudice against Jewish people,” it has been called “the most ancient hatred” – a deadly scourge that has stained the pages of Israel’s history through most of her existence – especially since the crucifixion of Christ. However, its Biblical roots go much further back and will only be eradicated by His glorious return at the end of this Age.

Core Truth: Among all of God’s creation, the power of choice is a freedom granted only to mankind and as a result carries with it profound implications both for the course and usefulness of our lives here on earth and ultimately our destination for all of eternity!

Core Truth: Resentment and bitterness over either real or perceived wrongs and injustices can literally destroy us – both spiritually, emotionally, and even physically. It can also be a highly communicable disease that poisons others, which is why Hebrews 12:15 says Look after each other so that not one of you will fail to find God’s best blessings. Watch out that no bitterness takes root among you, for as it springs up it causes deep trouble, hurting many in their spiritual lives. Asaph, a man of God who was no novice in spiritual matters, is a remarkable case in point, which is why in this message I’m referring to him as “A Good Man Who Almost Threw in the Towel.”

Core Truth: One of life’s most frustrating experiences for even the most dedicated Christians have often been those times when, no matter how many tears they have shed or how long and hard thy have prayed about something, God seems to have gone silent. It would be one thing if He did so due to stubbornness and disobedience on our part but when we know that to the bet of our ability we are living our lives in ways that please Him, why would He do that, how can we benefit from it, and how should we handle such times?

Core Truth: Throughout human history men have tried to “reset” the world to their own will and liking, but all have failed, and always at great pain and cost to mankind. However, the greatest reset of all will be glorious beyond anything mankind could ever imagine and is much nearer than anyone may think.

Core Truth: While it has been said that the only certainty of life is that it is uncertain, the actual truth is that there are a number of great certainties in this uncertain world, and that in God’s mercy and love, He has given every person a number of them to which, if we choose, we can anchor our lives and be able to ride out some of life’s severest storms and most difficult and trying times.

When God Speaks, Diligently Listen

Core Truth: The Bible is God’s living Word and as such, has intrinsic life and power within itself to change the heart of the most hardened soul, the most disobedient or discouraged saint, and even the youngest child, therefore to study its pages on a consistent basis is to release a power and force for godliness that can never be found in any other way.

Core Truth: Of the many gifts our kind heavenly Father so generously gives us, none can surpass the gift of a good and godly mother.

Core Truth: Phil 4:6-7 tells us that we are to “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” However, while our faithful and loving God is most anxious to share His love and blessings with us as His children by both hearing and answering our prayers, too often He cannot do so because He can’t get our attention long enough to even have a conversation with us about them.

Core Truth: Phil 4:6-7 tells us that we are to “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” However, while our faithful and loving God is most anxious to share His love and blessings with us as His children by both hearing and answering our prayers, too often He cannot do so because He can’t get our attention long enough to even have a conversation with us about them.

Core Truth: Throughout the Scriptures, whenever men and women say ‘yes’ to God’s call to follow Him, they did invariably so with far different expectations of what their lives were going to be like than what actually turned out to be the case, and if we today are really serious about answering that same call, we too will sooner or later find ourselves facing that same challenge, but in the end it will always be for our ultimate good.

Core Truth: Someone has asked: “Why does our view of God matter so much?” And their own answer to their question was “We must pursue an accurate view of God and not lose sight of His true nature. Our relationship with God, a result of our view of Him, is what makes us who we are. He loves us and He wants to have a relationship with us, which starts by getting to know Him for who He really is.”

Core Truth: “Faith deals with the invisible things of God. It refuses to be ruled by the physical senses. Faith is able to say, ‘You can do what you like, because I know God is going to take care of me. He has promised to bless me wherever he leads me.’ Remember that even when every demon in hell stands against us, the God of Abraham remains faithful to all His promises. Jesus Christ can do anything but fail His own people who trust Him.” (Jim Cymbala)

Core Truth: Praise always precedes worship. Until we praise God – that is, until we recognize and acknowledge how infinitely great and awesome He is, and until our hearts are filled with gratitude for all He has done for us, we will not worship Him – that is, we will not bow down before Him as our Lord and offer our lives in service to Him.

Core Truth: Not only are God’s ways always perfect but also His timing! Not only does He rule and overrule in the affairs of men and nations, but also in the most minute details of our own lives as His children – and nowhere is this more evident than in this wonderful event we celebrate each year called Christmas.

Core Truth: A glorious and wonderful fact is that from the smallest and most seemingly insignificant events in our own personal lives, to the most monumental and global-sized events happening and yet to happen in our world, almighty God is going to see to it that whatever He has said He is going to do will surely come to pass!

Core Truth: In light of the latest chaos and violence currently happening in the Middle East, it may be hard to imagine anything ever improving or true peace ever coming to world. However, the Word of the Lord throughout Scripture in general, and in today’s text in particular, assures us that the day will come when Christ, the Prince of Peace, will Himself bring the true and lasting peace that is so desperately needed and that ultimately there will be many – beginning with Israel – who are ready to “walk in the light of the Lord.”

Core Truth: The recent tragic events now unfolding in the Middle East have once again reminded me of something I’ve personally believed for years; that while there are many crises that have arisen to dominate much of the world’s attention from time to time, sooner or later God sovereignly allows things to happen that force the world’s attention back once again to the nation of Israel. Such, I believe, is the case with the current situation and in today’s message we’ll take a look at what may actually be happening now, what God’s Final End Game is going to look like, and what we can do to be prepared for it.

Core Truth:"Be Still and know that I am God"

Core Truth is: Contrary to what we might expect or prefer, being chosen and loved by God does not exempt us from life’s many problems and like David and all of the saints through the ages, trusting God in the hard places of life is always a choice. However, if in our own times of trial and adversity we are willing to trust our wise and loving heavenly Father as David did, then we, too, can join him in saying “You are my God. My times are in Your hands.”

Core Truth: “Habakkuk provides us with one of the most remarkable sections in all of Scripture – an extended dialogue between God and one of His prophets. Habakkuk initiated this conversation because of his distress about God’s seeming inaction in the world. He wanted to see God do something more, particularly in the area of bringing justice to evildoers.” (The Swindoll Study Bible)

Core Truth:When we find ourselves in some of the hard places of life it is quite tempting to question whether God has forgotten about us or whether He really cares about what we may be experiencing. However, it is at such times we must come back to His unchanging Word and trust that in the end all will be well, and that as the Psalmist once said, we too “…will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.” (Psalm 27:13)

Core Truth: In a world that is facing increasingly difficult and troubled times, it is the wise person who takes the time to learn how to find and enter the secret place of a strong and resilient relationship with God that will enable them to not just endure but triumph victoriously over whatever the Adversary and his forces of darkness will surely seek to bring against them. And those who do so will find themselves actually living in “the safest place in the world,” regardless of circumstances they may face.

Seeking God as your refuge
Having God’s people as companions in worship
Keeping your eye always on the Lord
Having the hope of resurrection
Having the right perspective of eternal life

Are you living the kind of life that pleases the Lord?

Core Truth: As with Israel and Judah of old, God still puts a very high premium on the attention and obedience we give to His eternal Word – both as found in the sacred pages of the Bible and in His personal words of instruction or correction given to us by the voice of the Holy Spirit.

Core Truth: The worst thing that can ever happen to an individual… a church… or a nation… is when God stops speaking!

King Jesus You are:
omniscient - therefore, I can call upon you for wisdom in every circumstance I face
omnipotent - therefore, I can truly do all things through Christ who strengthens me
omnipresent - therefore, I am never alone no matter the situation
omnibenevolent - therefore, I am constantly receiving your generosity and favor every day and all day.

Trust in the Lord. See His character, His kindness, His goodness, His faithfulness and His unfailing love. Sing His praises.

Core Truth: “Present suffering is not enjoyable, but life would be worth little without it. The difference between iron and steel is fire, but steel is worth all it costs. Iron ore may think itself senselessly tortured in the furnace, but when the watch-spring looks back, it knows better. David enjoyed pain and trouble no more than we do, but the time came when he admitted that they had been good for him. Though the aspect of suffering is hard, the prospect is hopeful, and the retrospect will start a song, if we are ‘the called according to His purpose,’ in suffering.” (M.D. Babcock)

Core Truth: A compromised church quickly becomes a voiceless church whose presence and witness in the culture is largely ignored and effectively neutralized, whereas, an engaged church empowered by courage and commitment to the Truth, has been known to even alter the course of human history.

Of the increase of His government and of peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from the [latter] time forth, even forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.

Core Truth: In last Sunday’s sermon we talked about What Shall We Name the Baby? as we emphasized the fact that names really do mean something. Today, we will consider just a few of the over 200 names or titles given to Christ in Scripture and how those names have relevance for us as Christians.

The Hope of a Coming King

Core Truth: A common understanding of these prophetic words is that just when Israel has finally been able to negotiate a peace with her neighbors – a peace that many scholars believe will be brokered between the Antichrist and his forces – this “Man of Sin” (2 Thess. 2:3) and his armies will invade Israel in an attempt to establish his own seat of world government in Jerusalem, even proclaiming that he himself is God (2 Thess. 2:4), which will trigger Christ’s Second Coming with His Church and the armies of heaven to destroy him “with the breath of His mouth, and with the brightness of His coming.” (2 Thess. 2:8).

Core Truth: God’s plans and purposes for mankind – made before the foundation of the world – are well underway and are not meant to be secretive or cryptic. However, to understand those plans and how we as His church fit into them, we need to understand the unique role He has given to the nation of Israel, an understanding that, unfortunately, many Christians today don’t have.

Core Truth: Our Scripture today is “a celebration of the unquestionable supremacy of God and His Messiah over all the rebellious forces of humanity, making the dramatic point that to attempt rebellion against God is absurd, because God has already decided the matter and has invested His power and authority into a human king, His Messiah. There is no question as to who would win in a confrontation between God and His Messiah on the one hand and rebellious humanity on the other: God wins. It cannot be any other way. Moreover, God wins through His Messiah. As far as humanity is concerned, there ends up being no substantial distinction between God and His Messiah. You serve God by serving His Messiah. If you rebel against the Messiah, you rebel against God Himself. To trust in the Messiah is to trust in God. (BiteSizeExegisis.com)

Core Truth:While we are often prone to blame the weaknesses of our flesh as the reason for our failure to live better lives as Christians, the truth of the matter is really not that we are too weak, but that we are too strong…too strong in self-will and self-sufficiency as we struggle to live the Christian life our way and in our own strength, instead of learning to allow the all-sufficient Christ to simply live His own victorious life in and through us – something He is patiently longing to do.

Core Truth: If what we say about our faith is true – that like Abraham of old, we really do “look for a city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God,” then why should we stop singing the songs of Zion, hang up our harps in despair, and wistfully long for the more peaceful and predictable days now gone by? It is certainly not what Paul and Silas did while languishing in the inner dungeon of a Philippian jail!

Core Truth: We live in a greatly troubled and increasingly dangerous world. However, for Christians – true followers of Christ – those are the very conditions in which He has called us to win the lost, to love one another devotedly, and to spread the good news of the Gospel in every way we can as we prepare ourselves for His imminent return. Such an assignment demands that we learn the secret of “dwelling in the secret place.”

Core Truth: As conditions in our nation and world become ever darker and more dangerous it is time to remind ourselves that God is fully aware of what is happening…that His mercy endures forever…but that His patience has limits…and that He has already prepared the ultimate answer in the Person of His son, who when He returns will “make all things new.” (Rev. 21:5)

Core Truth: Every father leaves a legacy of some sort to his family and since fatherhood is one of the most powerful forces in our children’s lives, it is a sacred trust - a trust that our heavenly Father stands ready to help us fulfill despite our own inadequacies, failures and limitations.

Core Truth:“A spiritual kingdom lies all about us, enclosing us, embracing us, altogether within reach of our inner selves, waiting for us to recognize it. God Himself is here awaiting our response to His presence. This eternal world will come alive to us the moment we begin to reckon upon its reality.” A.W. Tozer

Core Truth: “Waiting for God is not laziness. Waiting for God is not the abandonment of effort. Waiting for God means, first, activity under command; second, readiness for any new command that may come; third, the ability to do nothing until the command is given.” G. Campbell Morgan

Core Truth: While no rational person likes or welcomes suffering and difficulty; Scripture is quite clear as to what has caused it…when it will ultimately end…and how in the meantime if we are willing, it can transform the lives of those who put their trust in God.

Core Truth: While it is natural for us as people of God to question why God allows evil men to prosper and never seems to judge them or call them to account, the reality is that as ‘scattered exiles’ we are being called to live for Him across the grain of a world headed for judgment on a monumental scale and He wants us to know that in the end, ALL WILL BE WELL for those who put their trust in Hm.

Core Truth: As with the nations of Israel and Judah of old, the danger remains today that the people of God – the very people who should know better – may have become so compromised by the ‘spirit of the age’ – the values and judgements of the culture – that we, too, are in great danger of failing to realize how very near God’s final judgment of the world and the return of Christ may actually be. In light of these imminent realities, what time is it?

Where are you spiritually? You are precious to God. Come out of hiding and let God cover you with His grace.

Core Truth: Perhaps the most sacred and inviolate place in all the world to our Creator is the sanctity of a mother’s womb, and nowhere has fallen man manifested a more arrogant rebellion against his Maker than in the relentless destruction of our unborn children – a rebellion for which we shall surely one day give account!

Core Truth: If I try to live the Christian life under the old covenant, I am guaranteeing my continued failure. However, if I choose to live under the new covenant, Christ will be able to live His life through me, resulting in every-increasing victory over sin and fruitfulness in this life that will remain forever.

Core Truth: At various points throughout human history God has provided early warning signs of impending doom and judgment mixed with promises of hope and redemption – signs and promises that are meant to warn the wicked, encourage the righteous, and inspire the believer to keep on keeping on.

Core Truth: A “takeaway” from a meeting or an event is the key fact or idea that is to be remembered for future reference or action. Since through our Lord’s grace and mercy we have just been given the gift of another Christmas, what are the “takeaways” that we should carry into the New Year?

Core Truth: “It is fashionable in some academic circles to exercise scholarly criticism of the Bible. In so doing, scholars place themselves above the Bible and seek to correct it. If indeed the Bible is the Word of God, nothing could be more arrogant. It is God who corrects us; we don’t correct Him. We do not stand over God but under Him.” (R.C. Sproul, Five Things Every Christian Needs to Grow)

Core Truth: Our ability to rest in the refreshing offered us by the Lord will always be in direct proportion to our willingness to trust Him and to obey whatever He commands.

Core Truth: “Praise is the rehearsal of our eternal song. By grace we learn to sing, and in glory we continue to sing. What will some of you do when you get to heaven, if you go on grumbling all the way? Do not hope to get to heaven in that style. But now begin to bless the name of the Lord.” (Spurgeon)

The fear of the Lord delivers us from extremism (Ecclesiastes 7:15-18). The wisdom of God strengthens us to face our sinfulness (Ecclesiastes 7:19-22). The faith which God supplies, provides insight about our self, others, and God (Ecclesiastes 7:23-29). Look to Jesus Christ who enables us to trust God and benefits us when we do (1 Corinthians 1:30).

Core Truth: Since it is quite true that as the Apostle Paul once wrote (Rom. 10:12) that “the same Lord over all is rich unto all who call upon Him,” it also means that it is we who set the limits of how much or how little of Him we really want involved in our lives, and that each ultimately chooses for one’s self how we will finally slake our thirsts.

Core Truth: Because God has so much more planned for us than we could ever imagine, He wants to protect us from the danger of becoming too comfortable with the things of this present life and thereby losing sight of the glorious future which He already has prepared for us, and that requires that we “prepare our minds for action and to set our hope fully” on Christ’s return.

Core Truth: Against the backdrop of impending divine judgment for its persistent sins and arrogant rebellion against its Maker, the promise to Judah and Jerusalem of its restoration, healing and exaltation above all the nations of the world is a divine word that was intended not only to give ultimate hope to the righteous ones of Isaiah’s day, but also to all of God’s people who even now are called to live righteously for Him in this present evil world.

Core Truth: “And this is the condemnation (judgment), that the Light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than Light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the Light and does not come to the Light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But anybody who is living by the truth will come to the Light to make it plain that all he has done has been done through God.” (John 3:18-20)

Core Truth:The greatest gift we could give to ourselves, families and our world is to seek to know and do the will of God with all of our hearts, souls, minds, and strength and thus fulfill His purposes for us "for such a time as this."

Core Truth:Throughout history it seems that whenever our God is going to do a great thing, He has a delightful penchant for starting small! It is a principle He seems to love to follow - whether among the nations of the earth, in the growth of His church, or in the affairs of our own individual lives!

Core Truth: While current events can tempt the righteous to despair of ever seeing an end to the terrible injustice, corruption and evil being perpetrated against the innocent and helpless, today’s scripture is God’s own assurance that the time will come – perhaps very soon – when “...the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea, and the kingdoms of this world will become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign for ever and ever!” (Hab.2:14; Rev.11:15)

Core Truth: C.S. Lewis rightly said that “Joy is the serious business of heaven.” However, our Lord made it clear we don’t have to wait until we get there to enjoy it; we can have it even in life's darkest hour. “I have told you these things, that My joy and delight may be in you, and that your joy and gladness may be of full measure and complete and overflowing.” (John 15:11)

Core Truth: As with Israel of old, which was being punished for its continual rejection of Jehovah and its pursuit of other gods, so our modern world and especially our own nation are experiencing God’s hand of judgment with perhaps even worse days to come. However, such judgment is always intended to be remedial rather than punitive, and especially at the coming of another Advent Season God reminds us that hope will ultimately conquer despair and that Great Light is about to come to “those who live in a land of deep darkness!

Core Truth: When life’s challenges come to us - as they do at some point to every Christian - the tendency is to view our circumstances through the prism of our own desires, expectations, or preconceptions – all of which can tempt us to, as C.S. Lewis once wrote, “put God in the dock” - causing even the most devout believer to question God’s fairness, His faithfulness and yes - even His love.

Core Truth: Life has a way of presenting us with situations which greatly challenge our faith and tempt us to resort to remedies of our own making, which seldom work.  Such was the case in the life of David. But through it all he became a much wiser man and went on to become Israel’s greatest king, while giving the world a rich storehouse of truths in the Scriptures that feed and nourish our souls even in these difficult days.

Core Truth: Contrary to all rational thinking, it is possible to pass through some of life’s most frightening storms but still experience genuine and lasting peace. The keys are the right Source, a Fixed Mind, and a Believing Heart.

Core Truth: As we live our lives in an imperfect and troubled world, God’s eternal call to His people – His chosen ones – is to put our trust and confidence in Him and Him alone – the God Who does all things well!

Core Truth: Where we choose to live our lives will determine the level of peace, tranquility, and effectiveness for Christ as we adjust to the ever-changing world that is sure to come.

Core Truth: Life has a way of constantly reminding us that none of us is able to control the situations or events that come our way; however, Scripture is quite insistent that we “leave it to the Eternal” and that we learn to rest in His unfailing faithfulness!

Core Truth: The Hebrew word baca is related to bakah, which means “to weep.” Sooner or later every Christian will find himself passing through this valley, filling it with his tears. But for those who “make it a place of springs,” the end result will be well worth the pain, as he learns to “go from strength to strength” until he “appears before God in Zion.

Core Truth: As with Esther of old, God has providentially placed us as His people at this precise moment in history so that we may be part of the solution to the problems facing our world at this time.

Core Truth: Throughout history, God has intended fathers to be His primary means of shaping their families and cultures, and history is filled with examples of those who have done it well and some who haven’t. At some point every father must decide whether, like Joshua, he will also make the irrevocable decision that he and his house will also serve the Lord, regardless of the counter-culture in which he and those he loves have been called to live.

Core Truth: Throughout history, God has put Himself on record that whenever His people take Him seriously enough to humble themselves, turn away from their sins, and seek His face, He will always hear their prayers and respond with great and gracious blessings.

Core Truth: God’s position over all things gives him clear perspective about all things and He wants to share His position and perspective with us, so that we too can learn to see things as they really are and live our lives accordingly.

Core Truth: God never promised to keep His children from trouble; However, He did promise to be with them in the midst of it and to bring them safely through to the other side, while actually using their adversities to grow their faith and show them His loving kindnesses in new and unexpected ways.

Core Truth: Of all the questions being asked about the current COVID-19 pandemic, the most rational question to be asked is: where is God in all of this and what is God saying in this current situation?

Core Truth – The Christian martyr Dietrich Bonhoeffer once wrote: “It is by the grace of God that a congregation is permitted to gather visibly in this world to share God’s Word and sacrament. Not all Christians receive this blessing. “ Perhaps nothing is more keenly missed than those things to which we have become so accustomed that we scarcely give them thought until for some reason they are taken away.

Core Truth: Trusting God is not a magical panacea that excuses believers from all of life’s dangers. However, it does guarantee that nothing shall be allowed to happen that has not first been carefully evaluated by the One Who holds each one of us in the palm of His hand. Isaiah 41:10, 49:16

Core Truth: Just as there are sad and destructive consequences for refusing to obey God’s Word, so also there are incredible rewards for those who choose to obey it.

Core Truth: Throughout the Bible, God's promise to us is that our obedience to Him will always bring his loving-kindness and great rewards but that refusing to do so will always result in many sorrows and difficulties. As someone has said, “If you want to increase God's favor in your life, start obeying Him in every area of your life.”

Core Truth: As important as it is to us that our God is a God who keeps His word, it is infinitely more important to Him, for as Scripture says “I will worship toward Your holy temple, and praise Your name for Your loving-kindness and Your truth; for You have magnified Your word above all Your Name. (Psalms 138:2)

Core Truth: While God has promised us His absolute sovereignty, His sure and certain guidance, His unfailing strength, His ever-present help, His all-sustaining presence and protection, and His abiding peace, at the end of it all He has also promised that He will be glorified in all that concerns us as His children, both now and in the ages to come!

Core Truth: In a world increasingly marked by trouble and chaos, the child of God can choose to live in the peace that Christ has given and trust that God really is causing all things to work together for our good and for His glory.

Core Truth: The presence and the peace of God always go hand in hand and to the extent that we can learn to abide in His presence, to that extent we will also experience His abiding peace.

Core truth: Weariness is a part of life - weariness of body, mind, soul and spirit - and it happens to even the strongest among us. However, God promises that He will be our strength and that he will never leave or forsake us, no matter what challenges life may bring our way.

Core Truth: As we venture into another year in a world filled with great apprehensions and uncertainties, it is wise to remember some promises that God has spoken to us and to His people throughout the ages, realizing that to this very moment there has not failed one word of His good promise which He promised unto Israel. (Joshua 21:43)

Core Truth: Names are supposed to mean something and nowhere is this truer than in the names given to our Lord!

Core Truth: While each year at this time we rightly celebrate the wonderful things that happened that first Christmas, the greatest things were not angels singing, nor shepherds worshiping, nor stars appearing, nor wise men traveling from afar. Rather, it is what God the Father did in sending His Son to earth that changed man’s hopes and aspirations forever.

Core Truth: A thankful heart must be cultivated; it is not something most people come by naturally. Our natural tendency is to ignore or completely miss the good things God has given us, while focusing on the things we don’t have but think we should.

Core Truth: Christ living within us is God's guarantee that He will never leave us - not even for a single moment - until He has brought us safely home.

Core Truth: Both as a church and as individuals, there is a very real sense in which our willingness to stay close to God and to allow His Presence to lead us will determine what we will experience in 2019.

Core Truth: Whatever the past year may have given us, whether blessings or sorrows or a combination of both, the lessons offered in them can be great help in entering the new year if we are willing to believe that “… all things DO work together for good for those who love God and who are called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28

Core Truth: God not only usually uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things, He also chooses some of the most unlikely places to accomplish His will. As Dr. Francis Schaeffer has written: “With God there are no little people, and as there are no little people in God’s sight, so there are not little places.”

Core Truth: While some Christians (even some pastors) argue that we should not celebrate Christmas, I am not among them! Instead, in light of today’s materialistic, secularized and self-centered culture the need to celebrate the impact and meaning of our Lord’s birth is greater than ever.

Core Truth: When Jehovah said "You shall have no other gods before (in place of) Me", He wasn't just talking to the people of ancient Israel; He wasn't just talking to the people of ancient Israel; He was talking to us as 21st Century Christians as well.