We wish you a very Merry Christmas

Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold,an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger."

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: "Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!"

Luke 2

May you know the fullness of the PEACE Christ came to give us. As we celebrate the gift of salvation that Christ was born to bring to us, we also celebrate the gift that is you.

Merry CHRISTmas and Feliz Navidad from Transitions Church.

Live God First

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.

Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and depart from evil. It will be health to your flesh, And strength to your bones.

Honor the LORD with your possessions, And with the first fruits of all your increase; So your barns will be filled with plenty, And your vats will overflow with new wine.

Proverbs 3:5-10

As we approach the start of a new year, we consider the things we put first in our lives. The scriptures are full of encouragement and the promises God has for our us when we live for God first. When we seek Him and trust Him in all areas of our live, God responds.

Each new year comes with a new hope and anticipation. Our energies are renewed and what seemed hopeless no longer seems impossible. As we enter the new year with renewed energy hoping to finally lose that weight, improve our finances, spend more time with our families, get ourselves to a church or make a difference in our community - whatever it may be, these promises fuel the inner ember that only need a slight breath of encouragement to ignite into a flame that is contagious and effective.

In the verse above, we are told to acknowledge the Lord in all our ways. In our time, talents and resources we should seek to acknowledge and make God first in these areas. As we enter into not only a new year, but a new decade, purposefully decide to surrender the best of all you are and of all you have.

When considering your time, ask yourself where the Lord would have you give your time so that you can have the biggest influence. If it's your talents, prayerfully determine whether the gifts the Lord has given you are being utilized for his honor and glory. And as to your resources, be strategic in your giving. Lay out the resources that God has entrusted to you, plan and budget, then challenge yourself to give a specific amount or at a particular level. Make that the first line on your budget and then follow through with that commitment faithfully and joyfully.

When you give of your financial resources, you are becoming a part of Kingdom Building. In the Lord's prayer we read, "thy Kingdom come, thy will be done on earth". Kingdom Building here on earth is about spreading the gospel of Jesus to all people. Kingdom Building comes at a cost. It takes a surrender of time, commitment, talent and creativity to spread that gospel. And it costs money for outreach resources, equipment and facilities to get that work done.

We don't give for personal reward or increase. Not at all. But isn't it comforting that God is telling us that we can trust Him to provide for our needs? Isn't it awesome that he also promises to bless us to overflow when we give him our first and best so that we can be a blessing to someone in need? And all of this only brings further glory to God, makes us more like him and increases the spread of the good news about our God who is good and just and merciful to us, even though we don't deserve it! Sounds like a great investment, doesn't it?

God is good, you can trust that when you do what he asks of you, he will take care of you. He knows the plans he has for you and has plans to prosper you and will never hand you any challenge he hasn’t already given you the tools to conquer.

We are on the verge of a new decade! Personally, I want that decade to be marked by putting God first. I challenge you to do the same, and LIVE GOD FIRST.

It's only the beginning

Did you think your life would be perfect once you gave it up to Christ? The Bible doesn't tell us we will be perfect, but that we will be perfected. There is a difference.

Living for God doesn't mean that you'll suddenly stop making mistakes, be exempt from temptation and free from sin. But it's a common misconception.

The truth is that giving your life to Christ is not the end of the transformation process, rather its the beginning of an amazing story that will unfold.

Don't be discouraged. You have faults and flaws. God knows that. He knows it all. He loves you despite your imperfections. He sees your potential. He sees what he created you to be, and he knows the plans he has for you. It's not a secret. He wants you to know those plans as well, through his Word. Through his Word you can find the comfort and confidence we all seek in our lives.

He has promised to be with you through every step of your life's journey. Are you ready for your new beginning?

You are tempted in the same way all other human beings are. God is faithful. He will not let you be tempted any more than you can take. But when you are tempted, God will give you a way out so that you can stand up under it. I Corinthians 10:13

In his likeness

At Transitions Church we believe you should be who God created you to be. But you may be asking yourself, who is THAT?

God created us in his image, and it is his intention that we should grow in likeness to him. All of us were created to be individuals, different and unique in our abilities, talents and gifts. We were never meant to be exactly the same.

Growing to be like someone, means you possess many of the characteristics of that person, but you are still uniquely you. We know who Jesus was through the scriptures, where we can learn the characteristics he displayed while on this earth - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control, which are the fruits of the spirit.

These fruits have many different forms and expressions, which makes it possible for us to achieve them in varying ways. In his humanity, Jesus showed us that we too could live the life God intended us to live as we grow in relationship with him.

Whether you're new in your faith, or an experienced believer, we can all grow in likeness to Christ through his Holy Spirit, our comforter and teacher.

But the Comforter, which is the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. John 14:26

For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. Ephesians 2:10

What should I do with my life?

What should I do with my life? Everyone asks this question at some point. Most times it comes when life is long and ahead of you and the world is ready to be conquered. Other times it comes after a CHANGE, when things haven't quite gone as expected and we find ourselves seeking new direction, something different, something better.

We all have DREAMS, goals and visions for our life. Like a picture painted in our mind.

That picture may be beautiful. When you share it with your friends they all ooh and ahh at its grandness, the color, the vibrancy and emotions it invokes. But honestly, it's just a simple version of what GOD has in mind for us. It's merely a child's drawing and his version is the Michelangelo.

So when asking what should I do with my life, doesn't it make sense to ask God the creator of life?

Before you were born he knew you, he made you! He knows the PURPOSE for which you were created. He knows what would make you happiest. He knows how and where you can have the biggest IMPACT in the world.

At Transitions Church we want you to be who God created you to be. We believe that the greatest satisfaction in life, the greatest happiness, fulfillment and impact on your life comes from seeing God's vision for your life, and pursuing it relentlessly.

Ask God what his vision is for your life today. You'll be so glad you did.

God is the one who began this good work in you, and I am certain that he won't stop before it is complete on the day that Christ Jesus returns. Philippians 1:6

Vision–a revelation from God; something presented to the mind; the object of sight.

Destiny–the state or condition appointed or predetermined; invincible necessity; ultimate fate; to set, ordain, or appoint to use.