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What’s really important to God? If you study the Bible, you’ll discover that it says that God is on an all-out search for two kinds of people. Read it from cover to cover, and you’ll find that it pictures God in search mode. But He’s not like a casual shopper who strolls through the mall just to see what’s there. He’s intense and intent about finding and working with two kinds of people, and all of us can fit into one of these two categories.

If we're dead to sin—if sin isn't our master—how do we live that out? Living as a slave to sin takes no initiative on our part. Sinning doesn’t require willpower or self-control. But what does it look like to live without sin as master over our mouths, our eyes, our minds, our insecurities, and our appetites? In this message, we will discover three things we can do the next time sin comes calling.

We all have vices—things we know we shouldn’t do, that we tell ourselves not to do, and that we then do anyway. And most of us have been trying to fix those issues for years. We’ve doubled down on will power. We’ve sought counseling. We’ve recruited an accountability partner. And yet, we keep doing what we know we shouldn’t do. In this message we will walk through a passage of Scripture that suggests that maybe the real problem is that we don’t know what the real problem is. But it IS real.

You can't control when a storm blows up. You can't control how severe the storm is. You can't control how long the storm lasts. You can't control what people say about you. You can't control what people do to you. But you can control what you believe and you can control where you put your faith.

You’re not alone. God is with us in every moment. His name is Immanuel. He’s with us through the pain. He comforts us in the waiting. He gives us courage when we feel anxious. This three-week series is an inspirational reminder of the impact of Christ’s birth when we are going through difficult times.

Most of us don't become Christians with the intent of following Jesus. We become Christians because we were told obedience pays and disobedience doesn't. We become Christians hoping that spirituality will fill a hole in our souls. We become Christians hoping God will fix us or fix someone we know. Eventually, our agendas clash with Jesus' agenda and we have to decide whether we'll abandon Him or follow.

Jesus doesn't expect us to be perfect. He just wants us to follow him. Being a sinner doesn't disqualify us from following him. Being an unbeliever doesn't disqualify us from following him. In fact, following almost always begins with a sinner and unbeliever taking one small step.