Happy New Year!

Don't count it strange to have the 2019 hangover. Our mind need to catch up to the reality that this is a New Year. You know it, but it don't quite feel like it. Nevertheless, move purposefully forward with anticipation and expectation for greater things in your life.  Don't wait for your mind to catch-up. Minds like our bodies can get lazy. Shock your mind into reality now by taking the opportunity to set goals for yourself that you know are possible if you are willing to stretch, and put a "right now" start  day down. I am praying for you because I want God's best for you. I am counting on you to give your best and expect nothing less. Don't let me down. Your future is waiting to meet me you.

Without question, love is the most powerful virtue on the planet. Nothing compares to it. People can do the unthinkable when they feel like they are not loved. The bible doesn't waste anytime trying to define what love is. Rather, it gives us examples of what real love looks like. Without a doubt, most people can describe what love looks like, even when they can't exactly define it. The church is suppose to be the place where people can experience real love. Don't get me wrong, real love can be tough! Real love can be direct and painful.Because something is done out of love don't mean you are going to like it, or understand it. Loving like Jesus is not weak, it is strong! Jesus loved everybody. This doesn't mean that he agreed with them, nor does it mean that he gave them a pass when they needed to be confronted. It simply means that his heart was in the right place for the words he uttered and the actions he took with people. In the same way, you can love like Jesus. Loving people won't make you a door mat for people to walk on. It means that like Jesus, your heart is in the right place for the words you say and the action you take.

The church was born out of an act of love. Jesus death on the cross was a radical act of love on our behalf. God's love for us is so powerful that he allowed His Son to make the ultimate sacrifice of dying on a cross of execution. God's vision of the church is one that  loves the way Jesus loved. Just to be clear, the church is not a zip code or a location. The church is a community of believers who gather each week for the purpose of conducting themselves in a way that gives glory to God and help people find faith in Jesus Christ. If you belong to Jesus, you belong to the church. You might not belong to a physical church. Nevertheless, you belong to the church of Jesus Christ. Whether or not you attend church regularly does not determine whether you belong to the church. Every believer should find a community of believers to belong too. You deserve to be loved and to share God's love with others. When you are able to honestly say, I love my church, you have truly found a place for you to belong.