Think about how a child's face lights up when they receive the perfect gift. You know that feeling as a parent, grandparent, aunt, or uncle when you've picked out something special, and you can't wait to see their joy. Now imagine that same desire to give good gifts magnified infinitely. That's the heart of God toward you and me.

If you’ve ever gotten lost because you followed your instincts instead of directions you were given, I’m sure you learned a few valuable lessons. First, if someone else knows the way to your destination, and you don't, you should probably follow their directions. And second, be careful who (or what) you choose as your guide.

I remember hearing about a pastor who had someone come up after his Sunday message and say, "I really liked your message, but you left something out. You didn't tell me what to do. What am I supposed to do now?"

Why do some people avoid church like it's filled with impossible hoops to jump through? A simple survey of our neighborhood in 1992 was eye-opening. Nobody said, “I don't go to church because I don't believe in God,” or “I don't like Jesus." Instead, their responses were primarily social barriers: you have to dress in a certain way, or you have to sit on hard pews, or you have to like old fashioned music, or you like to endure guilt, guilt trip sermons, or you have to pick a denomination.