On the way to Jerusalem, Jesus stops to check on a fig tree because he's hungry. Finding no fruit there, he curses the tree, and it dies.

One of the greatest gifts that Christmas brings us is God’s favor, also known as "grace." This grace is a gift available to all of us. And it's not just available to us; God's grace pursues us.

Our pastor brought us this message as part of our Jubilee Celebration of 50 years as a church community. According to the book of Leviticus, in the year of Jubilee, slaves and prisoners were set free, all debts were forgiven, and all property was returned to the original owners.

Sloths sleep up to 20 hours a day, hanging upside down in a tree. When they move at all, it’s at an extremely slow pace. In fact, they move so slowly and so rarely that green algae grows on their fur from staying in their tree spot for so long.