t's always interesting to watch how the holiday season changes people and their thinking. The festivities of Thanksgiving have barely settled as the frenzy of Christmas takes hold of our culture. People begin to plan and purchase or make things they hope to share with family and friends. The newfound desire to be a blessing to somebody renews virtues like courtesy and openness that take a holiday themselves the rest of the year. Folks that haven't been together since last Christmas are now figuring how they will get together. We want this season to be the best ever. There is a good reason for that.

Paul wrote to the church in Philippi that he prayed for them to grow in their knowledge so that they would come to know what was excellent. After all, we have the most excellent Savior, Christ the Lord. This Savior has given every spiritual gift needed to grow and care for His most excellent body, His Church. This same Savior is currently preparing a place for His church so that we can be with Him. John calls this most excellent place Paradise in the book of Revelation. God's excellent plan and provision for it calls for excellence in our response to it. There simply is no place in the Kingdom of God for mediocre. The Best deserves our best.

We're going to do our best to honor the Lord this season at Hillside. We are going to give our best to have meaningful services that focus on the truth in God's Word. We don't want to "just get by" in our efforts to help people know what God really had in mind when He planned Jesus' birthday.

You and yours are warmly invited to come share every season with us. We're saving a place for you.