Pastor Matt begins a new series called "Rethink Christmas" by inviting us to step back from the cultural holiday current—the shopping, decorating, expectations, and stress—to ask what God truly wants for us this season. Christmas, he explains, is fundamentally "the celebration of the birth of the Savior King" whom we can know personally. Tracing God's promise through Scripture from Genesis 3:15 through the prophets, Pastor Matt shows how Jesus fulfilled centuries of anticipation as the promised Messiah.

Looking at the nativity scene, Pastor Matt highlights three aspects of worshiping fully: being fully available like Mary who surrendered herself as "the servant of the Lord" (Luke 1:38); being fully present like the shepherds who immediately responded to God's message and witnessed the Messiah firsthand; and being fully invested like the Magi who traveled for months bearing valuable gifts to worship Jesus. He concludes with practical applications, encouraging us to surrender daily to Christ, read Scripture during Advent, and invest in God's kingdom through service and giving.

In this bonus episode of The Sunday Extra podcast, Matt, Jeremy, and Luke begin by sharing their Thanksgiving experiences before discussing the recent sermon delivered by guest speaker Mike Poff, who shared ten lessons he learned during his ministry at Hope Church. The hosts reflect on several key lessons that resonated with them, including "be a learner," "get wise counsel," "ministry comes at inconvenient times," and "God defines success as faithfulness."

The conversation then shifts to approaching Christmas with the right mindset, focusing on three critical areas: expectations, priorities, and focus. Matt emphasizes that unspoken or unrealistic expectations lead to disappointment and resentment, while proper priorities should center on pleasing God rather than pursuing happiness directly. The hosts remind listeners that when we focus on Christ rather than ourselves during the Christmas season, true fulfillment follows as a byproduct of our obedience and faithfulness to God's commands, as Ecclesiastes 2:26 teaches that God gives wisdom, knowledge, and happiness to those who please Him.

Former Hope member and current Senior Pastor of Cornerstone Baptist Church in Warrenton, Virginia, Mike Poff shares ten life-changing lessons learned over decades of ministry—lessons that moved him from doubt and failure to discovering God's genuine purpose. Whether you're new to faith, skeptical, or just searching for direction, you'll find timeless principles that actually work in real life.

Mike openly discusses his biggest struggle: watching his church decline while questioning everything. Through this painful season, he discovered that God defines success differently than we do. His vulnerability and the real stories he shares—including how one phone call led to 15+ baptisms and changed families—will help you understand what it truly means to follow Jesus in everyday life.

If you've ever felt lost, doubted God, experienced failure, or wondered if faith actually works—this is for you. Mike's honest storytelling about his own struggles makes these lessons feel real and immediately applicable. You'll hear about actual people whose lives have been completely transformed, and you'll get practical tools you can use right away.

What if gratitude could become a way of life—even on the hard days? Pastor Matt explores how seven ancient festivals from the Old Testament point us toward seven powerful reasons to live with overflowing thankfulness every day. Discover how Passover, First Fruits, Pentecost, and four other feasts all foreshadow Jesus and reveal what we have in Christ: forgiveness, new life, resurrection hope, empowerment, cleansing, and God's constant presence. Whether life is amazing or difficult right now, this message offers practical ways to cultivate lasting gratitude through faith.

In this concluding message of the "I AM" series, Pastor Matt reviews the seven statements of Jesus that reveal His divine identity: the bread of life, light of the world, the door, good shepherd, resurrection and life, way/truth/life, and true vine. Each statement offers a unique invitation, collectively calling us to respond to God's invitation to relationship through Christ. Pastor Matt celebrates that 26 people surrendered to Jesus and 12 were baptized during the series.

Pastor Matt then transitions to explain discipleship as the process of transformation where followers grow to be more like Jesus in character and conduct. This leads to the launch of the church's annual Christmas offering—an 11-week generosity campaign with a goal of $155,000 to support kingdom-building initiatives locally (like Union Gospel Mission), nationally (church plants), globally (missionaries), and on college campuses. He encourages everyone to participate according to their ability, emphasizing that "a little adds up over time" and that together they can accomplish more than individually.

Pastor Matt wrapped up the church's "I AM" series by reviewing how Jesus revealed His divine identity through seven statements in the Gospel of John. Each statement—Bread of Life, Light of the World, Door, Good Shepherd, Resurrection and Life, Way, Truth and Life, and True Vine—offers a unique invitation to relationship, collectively inviting us back into relationship with God through Christ. The sermon emphasized that discipleship isn't a tiered system but the natural state of every follower of Jesus, who should be "following Jesus, being changed by Jesus, and committed to the mission of Jesus."

Pastor Matt then launched our annual Christmas offering campaign with a goal of $155,000, supporting local partners like Union Gospel Mission, national church planting efforts, global missions, and campus ministries. This 11-week generosity initiative aligns with Jesus' final command in Acts 1:8 to be witnesses "in Jerusalem and all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth," while also supporting Vision 2028—the plan to start a new work by our 50th anniversary.

In this sermon, Pastor Brian explores Jesus's declaration "I am the true vine" from John 15, delivered during His final hours with the disciples before the crucifixion. Pastor Brian explains that in ancient Jewish culture, the grapevine symbolized Israel, but Jesus now claims to be the "true vine," indicating that what Israel failed to accomplish as God's chosen people is fulfilled in Him. The Father serves as the vinedresser who both removes unfruitful branches and prunes fruitful ones for greater productivity.

Pastor Brian emphasizes that the key to spiritual life and fruitfulness is abiding in Christ, comparing it to his own 25-year marriage where "not getting divorced" is fundamental but insufficient for a thriving relationship. Similarly, believers must actively abide in Jesus through Bible reading, prayer, obedience, and sharing their faith. The fruit of this abiding includes transformed character (the fruit of the Spirit), worship, and spiritual reproduction—making new disciples. Pastor Brian concludes with an invitation for non-believers to be grafted into the vine, for wayward believers to return to abiding, and for faithful believers to express gratitude for Christ's sacrifice.