Waiting goes hand-in-hand with pondering and, though not always easy to do, the results are certainly worth the effort. The story of Jesus unfolds one day at a time, just as our lives do. There was no button Jesus or his family could press that would leap them forward in the story. They had to walk out the plans of God in their lives like […]
We are half-way there! Today is the sixth day of Christmas, the one with the six geese a laying. Our culture has been selling Christmas so long this season that it already feels like it should be over. In fact, most of the stores I’ve been in have already shifted their merchandise and sales to Valentines Day. It is easy to feel like there has […]
“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” – John1:14 Sometimes, the greatest gifts come in the smallest packages. They often seem common, and their value may only be captured by those who truly realize what they have. I feel this way about this […]
“But to all who did receive him, who believed on his name, he gave the right to become the children of God.” – John 1:12 The impact of Christmas is both cosmic, and personal. Jesus was born for all of creation, and he was born for me and for you. In this holy child, God was beginning the greatest work of redemption and healing. This […]
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” […]
“And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told to them.” Luke 2:1:20 ESV The shepherds responded to the angel’s message by immediately going to Bethlehem to see the Promise of God in person. They arrived and told everyone what had happened to them, and what was told to them about the precious child […]
May you enjoy God’s richest blessings on this glorious day! Merry Christmas!
Today is Christmas Eve, and we are busily cramming for Christmas. A few things happening in our personal life required us to put off some of the planning we typically do much earlier, and from what I am seeing around me, we are not alone. Just as the birth of Jesus was for Mary, Christmas is coming, ready or not. We all like to have […]
“And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in […]
This has been a challenging Advent. Sure, there were the typical myriads of details that come with ministry as we journey toward Christmas, but that was not where the deep challenge arose. The real issue came in the tragedies and chaos of the world around us during this season. Right when I was writing sermons on peace, joy, hope, and love, we were confronted with […]