New Life Wichita

First-centuries Jews expected the arrival of a messiah, a political and military leader. He would save their culture by driving out the Roman Empire and making Israel a feared military power in the region once again. But when God orchestrated Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem, he was up to something much bigger . . . and much more personal to you and me.

What are some things that cause people to drift away from God and the church? All of us have faced times when we felt distant from God. What were some of the factors that caused you to feel disconnected? If we’re honest, there’s a little King Herod in all of us. All of us can be tempted to focus on building our own “kingdom” rather than participating in God’s “kingdom”. But what do we do with all that?

The Christmas season is supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year. But for many people, it’s complicated. What do you do when the magic and wonder of the Christmas season feels out of reach?

How should we react daily when the God of the universe, instead of condemning us as we deserve, gives us grace and gives us new life?  You take it personal.

It doesn’t take long to discover; this world won’t provide you with what you really want, and it will distract you from ultimately matters. Our culture that is fascinated with upgrades and experiences will rob you of what you value. But is there another option?

What do you want…really? We’ll never get what we really want until we discover what is most valuable. In order to figure out what you really want, you first have to figure out what you value, but how do you do that?

We’ll never get what we really want until we discover what is most valuable. But choosing what’s valuable isn’t natural. We’ve all had the experience of getting what we naturally want, only to discover it's not what we ultimately want. But how do we avoid sabotaging ourselves by our short-term desires?

Have you ever wanted something, got it and then regretted it later? Maybe it wasn’t a something, but a someone. Getting what we want can be tricky . . . and even dangerous. It usually leaves us wanting more. If what we want leads to a cycle of wanting more and more, maybe we want the wrong things.

Happy couples decide they owe each other everything but are owed nothing in return. But that requires effort. Every married person makes a choice every day. That choice feels more like a reaction, so most people don’t think they have a choice at all. But they do.

As long as you think your spouse owes you, your marriage will be all about keeping score. That destroys intimacy. It destroys love. But what are we supposed to do about our hopes, dreams, and desires?