When someone you know is sick, how do you respond? Do you press in with compassion and prayer, offering to take a meal? are you temped to withdraw and leave their needs to others? In today’s passage, we will see Jesus repeatedly draw near to people in their time of need.

What is a Going & Glorifying Christian? God calls all Christians to "go and make disciples of every nation" (Matt 28:19). God wants everyone to know about His gift of salvation. That purpose can only be fulfilled if we will "let [our] lights shine before others, so that they may see [our] good works and give glory to [our] Father" (Matt 5:16). Let's take a look at the 4th & 5th G of our series.

What is a Giving Christian? Growth in our relationship with Christ should bring comprehension of the magnitude of what God has done by solving our sin problem. A desire to "serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace," comes from the marriage of gratitude for what God has given to us and the growing love for others that they would know God's love as well. Let's take a look at the third G of the 5 G series.

What is a Growing Christian? When we accept Jesus as Lord and Savior we start a direct relationship with Him. If we receive nothing besides salvation we would still be blessed beyond comprehension; however, God's loving plan doesn't stop there. God calls us to exercise spiritual disciplines and to grow. Let's take a look at the second G of the 5 G series.

What is a Genuine Christian? How do we know if we are truly following Christ or simply going with the flow? The starting point is to acknowledge our need for a relationship with God and to recognize that Jesus is the way to have that relationship. Through confession of sin and the Lordship of Christ we become Genuine Christians and become part of the family of God. “…To all who receive Him (Jesus), to those who believe in His name, He gave the right to become children of God…” John 1:12. Let's take a look at the first G of the 5 G series.

We've all felt some degree of hunger at one time or another. We may have had a long day and feel the hunger from missing a meal not eating much. Jesus was hungry when he was in the wilderness, and it was there that Satan tempted him to desire things different than His heavenly Father's will. Jesus set the ultimate example for us to hunger only for God's way.

In the Gospel accounts of Jesus' baptism, we see John the Baptist offer words of warning that lead us back to the question “what gives you hope?” John warned the Pharisees sternly that no family, tradition, or outward practice is sufficient to pay for the consequences of sin. It is only by accepting the grace of God received through faith and repentance that we are saved. That is good news and John the Baptist preached that news!

This weekend we read how Jesus was born and dedicated! God had promised the birth of His son, the coming of a Savior. When Simeon and Anna saw Baby Jesus, they knew he was the Messiah, the Savior. We can trust Jesus to save us from our sins and just like Simeon and Anna - we can tell other people the good news!

This week we see that confession of sin is lead by the genuine recognition of the holiness of God. God's people had promised to be faithful, but following their return from exile, the people turned to being unfaithful to God and disobeying His commands. Yet God remained faithful. The people saw the greatness of God which led them to repentance.

Ezra was approached by the nations leaders who shared the negative behaviors and lifestyles of the people. It was as if they had forgotten God. Ezra's response of honest confession before a holy God ought to teach us something about his character and about our need to do likewise. Ezra confessed the sins of the nation to God through prayer and sought forgiveness. Ezra took his sin seriously, asked for repentance and celebrated God's grace .

5th Sunday is a day of fellowship, worship in main service, and fun! Join us as we take a break from our unit and watch Story Keepers Episode 4! Next week we begin our next series and, a new year!

Summing up our unit on God’s mercy, we read in Luke 18 that Jesus told a story of a pharisee and a tax collector. While the pharisee looked down on the tax collector, the tax collector knew he had sinned and asked God for forgiveness and mercy. Everyone is a sinner who needs God’s forgiveness and mercy. We can cry out to God like the tax collector because of Jesus, who took the punishment for our sin.

5th Sunday is a day of fellowship, worship in main service, and fun! Join us as we take a break from our unit and watch Story Keepers Episode 3 (Owlegories for our younger kiddos)! Next week we tie up our unit on King Solomon.

In our unit study of King Solomon and the topic of mercy, we see that though God had blessed Solomon, Solomon continued to want more and more. This angered God, and the Kingdom would become divided. God’s people needed a better King. And we can be glad that later, God did send a better one - His own son, Jesus!

This weekend we finish up this unit on King David by reading Psalm 51. King David confessed his sins to God and spoke of His grace and compassion as he asked God to change his own heart. Next week we begin our unit on Solomon!

This weekend we read 2 Samuel 11-12, a very heartbreaking story of covetousness, deceit, and even death. Yet, God is a God of mercy and grace. David repented of his sin and God forgave him - but David learned sin always comes with a price.

5th Sunday is a day of fellowship and fun! Join us as we take a break from our unit and watch Story Keepers Episode 2! Next week we begin our annual review of the 5 G’s of Christianity.

God is the judge over all the earth, and He always does what is right. God will punish the guilty. The good news of the gospel is that Jesus took the punishment our sin deserves, and everyone who trusts Him is declared righteous before God.

God made Saul king, but King Saul did not obey God. God sent His Son, Jesus, to be King over everything. King Jesus obeyed God perfectly, even to death, for our forgiveness and salvation.

God chose Saul to be the Israelite’s king - and with His help, Saul brought the Israelites together to defeat their enemy. Similarly, God sent us His own son, our eternal king Jesus. Jesus brings together everyone who trusts in Him to have victory over sin & death!