Month: December 2021

Underdogs

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This past Sunday we took another step forward in exploring the story of Jesus’ birth through the Gospel of Luke. When Mary received the news that she would be mother to the Messiah, everything she knew about the world got turned on its head. More than that for her, everything about her own life got turned on its head. What she came to recognize early on in this journey, though, was that this God she was following was in the business of turning the world upside down. In a powerful proclamation of praise, she acknowledged as much, and in the process reminded us of something important about God’s character. Let’s explore that together here. Thanks for reading and sharing.

Underdogs

I have basically three sports teams I cheer for and whose progress I follow during their relevant seasons. The Kansas City Royals, who have historically been a mostly mediocre team (2014 and 2015 being delightful exceptions). The Kansas City Chiefs, who have historically been pretty good, are really good right now since we’ve figured out how to play defense again, and things look bright in the years ahead. The third is the University of Kansas basketball team. They’re always good and this season look to be particularly fun to watch. Fun fact for UNC fans in the room, next year will be the first time since 1962 that your coach has not come to you by way of Kansas, so I have no way of guaranteeing any real success for you in the future (we’ll pretend Matt Doherty didn’t happen). 

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My Favorite Songs of the Season

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Last year I began using Fridays during our Advent journey to feature various songs that really spoke to the heart of the season to me. I got enough positive feedback on it I’ve decided to go full tilt in that direction this year. Each Friday of the Advent season I am going to feature another of my favorite Christmas songs with a few comments as to why. My hope is that this will remind you of some of the greatest music the birth of Christ has inspired, and stir your heart with a combination of great theology and moving performances. And since we are starting something new, we might as well go for broke from the beginning. Here is my all-time favorite song from the season of Advent.

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Morning Musing: Micah 5:2

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“Bethlehem Ephrathah, you are small among the clans of Judah; one will come from you to be ruler over Israel for me. His origin is from antiquity, from ancient times.” (CSB – Read the chapter)

Christmas morning is a time when kids all over the place are looking forward to waking up, going to wherever their tree happens to be, and laying their eyes on their big Christmas surprise. The bigger the better too. I remember a few Christmases when I was little where I had some big toy or another greeting me as I walked in the living room. As you start getting a little older, though, something happens. The toys tend to get a little smaller. Then they get a little smaller still. And the first few times you find something smaller – still exciting, but smaller – it hits a little like a slap in the face. Yet, as the old cliche goes, big things can come in small packages. This verse offers us a potent reminder of that truth. As we continue our Advent journey this morning, let’s talk about God’s tendency to work big things in unexpected ways.

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Morning Musing: Genesis 3:15

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“I will put hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.” (CSB – Read the chapter)

Jesus came to save sinners. That was His basic purpose in a nutshell. I mean, sure, there’s the whole thing about announcing the inauguration of the kingdom of God, but the growth of God’s kingdom happens as sinners are saved and enter into it. So, Jesus came to save sinners. What’s even better about this is that, as Paul wrote in Romans 5:8, He undertook this whole effort when we were still living in open rebellion against Him. That is, we weren’t particularly interested in being saved if it meant giving up our sin, but He came anyway because we didn’t really understand how bad off we were. His love for us was that great. This program of saving sinners, though, wasn’t something that came out of nowhere. It wasn’t like God finally got tired of our being separated from Him and suddenly threw a plan into action. It was the bringing to fruition of something He had been planning for a very long time. This morning, let’s take a quick look together at the first time that plan was announced.

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