Church in the Valley Alhambra

Character is the key component in choosing what’s best and doing God’s will versus our own. Good fruit in life flows from having the kind of character that keeps choosing God’s will to bless others.

The way to peace without having everything under control, when there are all kinds of loose ends, the to do list is growing to gargantuan size, when interruptions abound, is to keep going to God in prayer.

The only way to be truly productive is to realize we don’t have to be productive. Embracing the truth that God accept us apart from good works is the precise thing that motivates me to excel in good works.

Jesus made it clear that God’s will is to love others (including enemies, those we don’t agree with, strangers, and all). You make the most of time by loving your neighbor, the person in your path right now.

The core purpose of our lives is to do good for others to the glory of God. Good works should be a part of our everyday lives as we aim to fulfill the Great Mandate, the Great Commandment and the Great Commission.

God made us to make progress in life toward the right things. He wants to help us be productive by bearing the right kind of fruit as we handle our stewardships.

Fret, worry and anxiousness cripples us. They stop us in our tracks to borrow trouble from the future. It's easy to fall into worry at the beginning of the year as we look into the unknown of 2016. So, how can we deal with worry?

The end of the year can either be exciting and fun as you look back on all that you have been able to accomplish or grow in over the past year or it can also be a time of regret as you look at some of the missed opportunities or times you blew it in the last year.

Scripture emphasizes the importance of giving and how generosity brings grace and blessing. Yet, all of us must start being generous for us to experience the blessing that comes.

Most of us are rich by the world’s standard. We all have extra of something—cars, clothes, food, etc. The key is what we do with the extra and what we’ve been given. No matter our situation we can be generous by looking at the extra’s we have differently.

God sets the pace in generosity. We did not invent generosity—God did. That is who He is. He is generous as Creator as He gave things for our enjoyment and He was ultimately generous in the sending of His son, Jesus, which represents gracious generosity which provides real hope.

Thanksgiving in Scripture flows out of recognizing all God has done for us. Much of our perspective of God is linked to how we view Him. How we see God is crucial for the way we relate to Him and how serious we take Him.

We all set a course in life, and what we do when things go wrong speaks volumes about our life’s focus. Paul's story is an amazing example of how to zero in on what’s most important and endure despite difficulties.

Where we turn when we need help and guidance is critical, and we’re often tempted to rely too heavily on ourselves or other people, but merely human power and insight are insufficient. It's forming daily habits of going to God’s Word & Prayer and therefore tapping into spiritual resources that truly change us.

Some people in life sound like a broken record. They always cycle around to the same subjects (whether sports, movies, current events, their faith). Paul was committed to preaching the good news of Jesus to as many people as he could.

The conversion of Paul sounds more like a shocking news story! How does a hate filled murderer who caused terror among the early Christian church become the instrument that God would use to evangelize people seemingly out of reach? Paul’s story is the greatest example that there isn’t a person too far gone.

Many times we ask ourselves “What was I thinking?” when we have made poor decisions, but often times we don’t actually take the time to answer that question. It would be helpful to help answer some of what drives people to make poor decisions again and again

This is aimed at how to begin again in our main responsibilities God has given us. Whenever we have failed at work (and other major responsibilities) we tend to become discouraged, want to give up, lose confidence and move hesitantly toward the things God wants us to take care of.

Many times people ignore their finances as they restart life. Yet, finances is an area of life that can enslave us and many of us experience great anxiety as we look at our bank accounts and the debts we have.

Rebuilding trust is key for broken relationships to be made whole again. Trust can be easily broken but can take years to rebuild. Yielding to Christ gives us the power as we re-grow trust with others through love and faithfulness.

We all have decisions we’ve made and experiences that we regret. Key point to connect from last week--A relationship with Christ ensures we have hope despite our past.

All of us experience problems and frustration in life. The starting point is to admit we need help and as we admit our sin we can actually experience restoration—not the condemnation we so fear.

Joshua shows how living to serve God is the priority that unfolds God’s blessing through the years and allows us to build a legacy for future generations.

Often in this world, to make progress and to do the good God has given us to do requires strength and courage in the face of adversity. Jesus and the apostles show us how to bear responsibility to accomplish God’s goals without giving into the fear of man.

Jesus gives us a compelling vision for the mission of the church. As we participate with the church community to reach others for Christ, we are raiders going behind enemy lines to bring people out of hell and into eternal life.