The first few weeks of January can lay a foundation for the spiritual discipline of prayer for the entire year. Our new study series, "Handle With Prayer," encourages us to make prayer a daily practice in our lives in 2025. A new year can offer challenges, unplanned detours, and difficult decisions. But we don't have to face them alone! Perhaps the most effective warning label for this new year should read: Handle with prayer.
What does our faith give us? Victory! The Greek word for victory in this verse is nike. It is properly pronounced 'nee-kay', but in our sports-obsessed culture, the only acceptable translation is NIKE. Our faith is NIKE! It is victory for us! I don't know about NIKE shoes or clothing, but there is one thing I do know that will help us in life, and that is the victory gear that is our faith in Jesus Christ.
In a commercial whirlwind of activity during December, many miss or ignore the true meaning of Christmas. In a study series entitled "What Child is This," we are reminded that first-century residents reacted in similar ways to the question, 'What child is this, born in Bethlehem?'
