What is the real truth about Christmas? Truth is more than a series of propositions or a majority opinion of people, it is about knowing Jesus Christ because He is the truth and if you do not know Him you will miss the truth and the understanding of what it means to have a relationship with Him. The wise men travelled a great distance in search of the truth and to worship the true King - Jesus Christ.

In a world more united than ever before by technology and transport, people are more divided than ever. If you remove God from the picture this is inevitable. It is Jesus who draws all people to Himself and to His body the church, whom He sends out into the world to draw in more people. The church is where unity and peace should be seen, because that is what God has done for us and in us. It is not uniformity because God has made us each different, but unity is a byproduct as we work collectively on what God has called each of us to do.

Our individualistic world makes us think that faith is like that, but God calls us into a community. Jesus said that the quality of our community is to be the most attractional and distinctive thing about His followers. We know it does not tend to look like that, yet the church in Acts provides a model. It was a learning, sharing, worshipping and growing community. Our values at EPCBC are sound, but we need to make sure that we show them in practical terms.

We are part of this world and there are many good things, but even the things we need to survive can creep into worldliness. It is hard to navigate the line between loving the things of this world and loving God. We need to get our priorities sorted; ensure there is nothing coming between us and God and direct our cravings toward Him; and have the right perspective, remembering that everything in this world is passing away.

Are we 'Christ only' Christians or 'Christ and’ Christians? How we see Jesus will answer this question. We need to decide if He is sufficient for all we need. Colossians 1:15-20 shows Jesus is supreme, pre-eminent; all things were created by Him and for Him; everything in the universe depends on Him. He is also the reconciler of all things, the defeater of death, the head of the church...Jesus is in control of all things, big and small. If all this is true, then what else is needed?