Glendale Christian Ky

Showing compassion in a digital world can be tricky and hard to do. Is it enough to just click "like" or "share" on social media to show that we care for others? Clicking is clean and easy, but compassion gets messy and demands action. The struggle to show compassion is real.

There is no denying that Jesus changed the course of human history through His life and teachings. Yet, His greatest (and most controversial) miracle was His resurrection- His victory over death- which we celebrate on Easter. So how can we trust the historical accounts of this event? And why do we celebrate? Let's talk about that.

One of the biggest steps of faith anyone can take is to commit their life to following Jesus. In doing so, you become a part of the body of Christ- the body of believers joined together to form the church. But how does being in the body of Christ change how we live? What role do we play in the church? Let's talk about that.

We often look at the steps God calls us to in life and question His plan, timeline, or purpose. How do you know you can take your next step of faith in confidence? For answers, we turn to the story of Abraham- a man who learned that God is faithful in keeping His promises.

No matter who you are, everyone has a next best step! Here at GCC, we believe that. As a church, we are called to reach out to others and help them take steps toward Jesus. That means we also have to continue stepping forward in our own faith. So what is your next step?

Why is Glendale Christian Church here? What is our mission? How do we engage our community? Do we sit back and assume that people will come to our church, or do we actively reach out and invite them to church? We ask a lot of difficult questions this week as we discuss what our role as the Church is in our community.

When we look at the history of the church, we see a lot of division. How did this happen? Was this a part of God's plan? Which church or which system of belief is the right one? These are difficult questions, but they're worth talking about, and today we try and find some answers.

One big question churches often struggle with is: whose church is this anyway? Who does the church belong to? Who is it for? The ministers? The congregation? The big givers? The lifelong members? The truth is that the church was made by God, for God- and we get to experience His grace at work in the church together!

Throughout the Bible, we see a significant sequence of people coming to Jesus: they FOLLOW, they BELIEVE, and they OBEY. Often times, we get these out of order, and we think people we have to obey Him and clean ourselves up before following Him. Jesus called people to follow Him first, then he called them to live radically for Him.

Everyone has a next step in following Jesus to help us grow closer to Him. For some, this means stepping out in faith and following Jesus for the first time. For others, it means taking a new step in learning to be like Jesus. What step is Jesus asking you to take with Him?

Jesus liked spending time with people who were unlike him. If we are going to follow Jesus, one simple fact is that we are called to reach out and to love others who aren't like us. Do you approach people with that same mindset of grace and compassion that Jesus showed so many?

Many times Christians and non-Christians will ask themselves, "Do I have to go to church to be saved?" If we told you the answer was no, would you be surprised? But what if we told you that you need to go anyway? Being a part of the church is critical to our identity and encouragement as Christians.

What is the ultimate factor in sticking to a New Years resolution? Or to becoming a better version of ourselves? Change. Real, life-altering change. So what does that change look like in our faith? Jesus wants to change our lives, to look and act more like Him each day, and the way we do that is through repentance.

Many days can leave us feeling like we have an angel and a devil on our shoulders. Everyday we make a choice to follow the Holy Spirit or to follow our sinful nature. God's Word tells us that following the Spirit leads to life, while sin leads to death. Today, who will you follow?

We often start a new year off with resolutions to grow, making commitments to change parts our lives. We may even commit to growing closer to Jesus. But commitments mean we still have control of how much we give to God. Jesus doesn't want a commitment- he wants us to surrender ourselves completely to him.

As we celebrate Christmas, it's important to be reminded why we celebrate. The joy of the birth of Jesus Christ gives us reason to gather, sing, and share in this holiday! Jesus came so we could know the deep and personal love of God!

So far in this series, we've talked about our presence in the home and the church. This week, as we close out our series, we take a look at one last calling for our presence of faith: reaching the world. We all have a presence in the world around us (our job, friend groups, etc.) - use that presence to share the hope of Jesus!

As Christians, we are called to serve in the kingdom of God, and there are many ways to do so. When we serve the church, we show that we value what God has done in our lives, and want to pass that on to others. God is calling you to serve in His church today - how will you respond?

Your home presence is defined by how you treat your family, both in the home and elsewhere. Colossians 3:12 tells us, as Christians, to clothe ourselves "with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience." Does the way you approach your family reflect this command? Where is your presence in the home?

Do you ever find yourself stuck in a difficult chapter of your life story that you wish was over? Maybe the encouragement you need today is simply this: just keep reading. Even though life is hard, God is always good, and He has a purpose for every chapter in our lives!