Authentic Life thru Christ starts with believing Jesus. Belief in Jesus and Faith in Jesus are one in the same. But what does this mean practically?
At our lifegroup this week we considered our faith as if it were an object in the room, like a chair. That chair can be used to sit in, it takes up space, and I have to move it or walk around it if it is in my way. The chair is real. Real faith is the same way. Our faith, or rather our admission that Jesus is God means that his promises are real too. We can read about them in the Bible, they mean something in our lives, they can even get in our way (when we ignore them). If you believe in Jesus, you must now live with the reality of God existing in your life. What does the ruler of the universe want from you? Is he happy with how things are going? How do you know? Practically, Faith places God's presence back into our lives. Answering these questions is our task. We finally believe that God is real, so how will we live our lives because of this fact?

​Additional reading: John 10:10, John 7:38, James 2:18-26, Hebrews 11-12, Proverbs 3:6

I spent most of my life trying to be good enough. Good enough for my parents, good enough for my friends, and good enough for God. It was an exhausting process and I always seemed to fall short. I still meet people every day in the same pursuit. They, like me, are exhausted from trying to be good enough or doing enough good. There is something important that we missed:

The bottom line is that there is no amount of good that we can do to be enough. Jesus is the only one who can make us good. He is the beginning of good for us, not the end! So if you want to be good enough, believe in Jesus!
When you accept the gift of goodness through Jesus (we call this salvation) an identity change happens, and this becomes the foundation for the good we do. Before we were like a chef trying to cook the perfect dish without the essential ingredient. Now, we have not only the perfect dish, but an unlimited supply of it. We now can do good things as a result of the goodness that lives in us. Jesus says it this way: "Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water'".

Today I still have a lot to learn about living out God's goodness. However, when I remember that I am simply sharing out of the goodness of Jesus…all of a sudden I am free to serve wholeheartedly. The Good Life starts with Jesus, and it never ends!

-Devin
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Reference: Romans 3:20; Romans 8:2-3; Romans 10:9-10; John 7:38; Matthew 11:28-30; John 10:10

Those following or interested in following God,

For most of my life I believed that being close to God was only for the spiritual-elite. It was for people like my pastor, the elderly women who were always baking me brownies when they could barely care for themselves, and those well-dressed evangelists on tv, not someone like me. Knowing God personally was out of my reach.

Since then, God has shown me that Jesus' message was not only meant to be understood or received by the spiritual elite. It is for everybody and can be understood by all, even a child! The Gospel of John that we are studying in our current Sunday series is by a common man and written to common man. Maybe you have known Jesus for decades: there is so much still to uncover in John's gospel for you. More than likely though, you are like me and you need someone to speak plainly and simply to you. John was a fisherman before he met Jesus, but became part of Jesus inner circle, even closer than many of the other 12 disciples. John was close to God and he didn't have to become a priest to do it.

God has a place in his kingdom and a work that only a common man or woman like you can do!

-Devin

Before you created your facebook profile, before you ever had a name, God knew you. He was the very first person to be invested in our identity as he formed us in our mother's womb. God's mission is deeply tied to this identity. He has endowed each of us with unique abilities that allow us to contribute to the world, but more importantly, to serve Him. No one person has every gift and no one person has no gift. We each have a role to play in God's family and no one person is more important than the other.

If you have never considered how God has gifted you, then you should not go another step without finding out. Earnestly ask God to reveal your role in his family, then search His Word as you take an assessment in your life. You can also take a spiritual gifts assessment like this one online (click here). God's mission and spiritual gifts start with  your identity. "Who are you because of Jesus?" This is the foundation that God uses to change the world!

Ref: Psalm 139:13-16;1 Corinthians 12:12-31; 1 Peter 2:9 and 4:10-11

Whether by circumstance or by our own doing, it does not seem like Christmas brings with it the time of peace. The coming of the promised Savior, the fulfillment of God's Promise, the birth of the one who will usher in eternal peace all seems to be drowned out by the chaos of Christmas shopping, planning trips, and trying to take care of our regular needs. Peace is the last thing on our mind when our heads finally hit the pillow at night.

Luke 2 tells us the familiar story of Jesus' birth. When we reenact this nativity scenes in plays, movies, and even as decorations around the house we show a scene of peace, but we should also remember that even Jesus' birth was amidst the same chaos we face today. Mary and Joseph didn't birth their son at home, or even in a bed. They gave birth in a stable, with livestock neighing one stall over, and instead of a cute sanitary crib they laid their newborn in a feeding trough! All of this occurred away from Mary and Joseph's home, in the middle of a census, and to a family that was just making ends meet. The prince of peace was born in a kingdom of chaos!
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We all want peace this holiday season and just because there is chaos in our world, it doesn't mean that we can't have peace for ourselves. There will always be storms coming and going in the world, but we can lay hold of one consistent anchor, God is able to bring those who trust and follow him through it unscathed!