What can those who were involved in the birth of Jesus teach us about joy? How can you find inspiration from the story of Christ's birth that will carry you through the rest of the year? Watch this short vlog then listen to the full podcast of the same name.
What can Jesus' birth and our celebration of Christmas teach us about living joyfully?
The story begins with a young Jewish woman named Mary, who was engaged to a man named Joseph. The angel Gabriel visited Mary, and told her she would have a son named Jesus. God used his power - his Holy Spirit - to cause Mary to have a baby by a miracle. Watch this charming animated video for the rest of the story!
How can we be more thankful to God? When we think about God and everything He created for us, we can’t help but feel thankful and want to tell him in prayer. James 1:17 says, “Every good and perfect gift is from above..." Let’s dig deeper into how we can appreciate these gifts on a whole new level! Watch this short animated video for kids.
“To praise” means to express warm admiration. It’s always appropriate to praise our Heavenly Father! There are many ways to show Him our appreciation for everything He does for us. Singing hymns is also a wonderful way to praise and honor God. Hymns are like prayers set to music. We can praise God by studying the Bible and learning more about Him and His son, Jesus...
How do I know if I'm a true Christian? What should I look for to know if I am a real follower of Jesus or not?
People want to be happy. They think about it, they talk about it and they do things do find happiness. The United States' Declaration of Independence speaks of “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” Yes, we all want to be happy but have you ever thought about “joy”? Have you ever heard of people wanting and pursuing joy in their lives? Happiness and joy have several similarities in that they are both elusive and often fleeting. But joy, well, there is something profoundly special about joy. You see, joy is deeper than happiness. It can become a state of mind that unequivocally transforms you. Here is the catch – if you go looking for joy, you are actually pushing it further away from you. So, how do we find joy? Or more clearly stated, how do we let joy find us and change us in our every day experiences?
It has been 2,000 years since Jesus walked the earth with the good tidings of the Gospel. When he finished his work, he left the infant religion of Christianity in the faithful hands of the twelve Apostles. These men “prospered and grew” Christianity. So 2,000 years later, in a world that is mostly non-Christian and largely secular, is the work of the Gospel still “prospering and growing?" Are we now achieving what our Lord Jesus set out for us to do? Stay with us as we look at the cold hard facts of Christianity in the world today.
