First Baptist Church, Key Largo, Florida

Religions can get a little odd and more often than not get in the way of authenticity toward God. Rather than ask whose religion is right, the better question to ask is 'Who is Jesus?'

Religion has negative connotations and a checkered history. Jesus came not to start a new religion, but to give us a new starting point of faith - forgiveness.

The empty tomb has inspired many explanations, but the most convincing remains that Jesus rose from the dead.

Jesus invites us to follow Him. But to do so means the risk of faith and the reality of the cross.

The cross makes available to all who believe complete forgiveness, freedom from guilt, and eternal life.

There is a connection between selflessness and happiness. Sometimes the best thing you can do for yourself is to not be so focused on yourself.

Jesus tells us that we cannot serve two masters. And in saying that he indicates that a key competitor for our devotion to God is money.

Many mistake the pursuit of pleasure as seeking happiness. But they are much different and lead to very different outcomes: one leads to peace and the other becomes a prison.

Happy people are people who do have one thing: peace. And the most important peace we can have is peace with God.

The most complete record in the Bible of a sermon Jesus preached is known as the sermon on the mount. He begins it by helping to define what exactly happiness is.

When Jesus answers the question of what the greatest commandment of God is, he also gives us the key to happiness.

We hear from IMB missionary to Mozambique Jason Smith about how God is working in that part of Africa.

Sometimes a person's first steps toward God begin with an invitation from a friend.

As we begin a new year, we go back over the basics for our church by remembering our mission statement. Know Christ. Become Like Christ. Make Christ Known.

Herod, who makes a villanous appearance in the Christmas story, reminds me more of myslef than I care to admit.

God does work in our lives to make things easy. He is primarily interested in making our lives matter.

Sometimes it seems as if God takes us the long way, like He did for Israel when they left Egypt. But it is along that way that we learn God is with us nad He is enough.

As we await the coming Jesus, we can choose to focus on the difficulties of life or the promise of God.

God can work in and through us as we allow Him, trusting Him even in the small first steps of faith.

God uses the whatever we do and places us wherever we are needed so that as one people with one message we can glorify Him.