In a dark and restless world, real peace is still found in only one place — Jesus Christ. As we see in Luke 2, Simeon praised God for the prince of peace that he was able to see as he was promised. We pray that our time of worship today will be a blessing to you!

The Arrival - The Creator Has Come - Colossians 1:15-20 KJV

Since the fall of man back in the Garden of Eden, creation itself has waited for the promised Messiah to come and redeem a fallen world. As we launch our new series this week, we look at the book of Colossians as we herald in the Christmas season.

We’re approaching the end of our Flourish & Thrive series, and this week, we look at an aspect that holds everything together: character. So far, we’ve discussed how we can thrive spiritually, in our vocations, financially, in our health, and through our relationships. This week, we consider how God calls us to thrive through our character, our very way of being.

Relationships are central to God’s design for human flourishing. To truly thrive, we need to cultivate meaningful, Christ-centered connections that mirror God’s love. By following Jesus’ command to love one another, we enter into relationships that uplift, support, and refine us. These relationships are more than just companionship; they are powerful testimonies of God’s love, drawing us closer to Him and one another.

In a culture that often treats the body either as an idol or as something separate from our spiritual lives, it can be challenging to find a balanced, godly perspective on health. But Scripture tells us something powerful: our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, and we’re called to honor God with them. This means that caring for our health is not just a personal choice—it’s an act of worship and stewardship.

Flourishing in our faith means trusting that God is our ultimate provider, faithfully supplying everything we need according to His riches. Philippians 4:19 calls us to move beyond anxiety about material needs and instead live with gratitude, generosity, and trust. When we let go of a scarcity mindset and embrace God’s provision, we can live with the confidence and freedom that allows us to thrive in our finances as a natural expression of our relationship with Him.

Our work—no matter how big or small—is an opportunity to serve God and to live out our faith with integrity and purpose. In his letter to the church in Colossae, Paul calls us to approach our vocation as a form of worship, doing our work with dedication and excellence as though we are working directly for God.

This week we launch into a 7 week series focused on what it means to “Flourish and Thrive.” When we look at scripture, Jesus gives us a clear directive, a key into what will drive success for the believer straight from Matthew 6.