Tag: Christmas

The Gifts of Advent: Matthew 1:24

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“When Joseph woke up, he did as the Lord’s angel had commanded him. He married her.” (CSB – Read the chapter)

Think about the last time you got a gift that you didn’t want. While I can’t remember the gifts specifically, I remember a few Christmases when I opened something and had to swallow my disappointment so as not to hurt the feelings of the giver. Sometimes gifts that seem hard in a moment, though, prove later to be among the best we have ever received. This next gift of Advent we are going to talk about this morning doesn’t feel like a gift at all at first. Sometimes it feels more like a curse. Yet if we will receive it, it will prove to be utterly transformative in our lives. Let’s talk today about the gift of obedience.

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The Gifts of Advent: 2 Corinthians 5:17-19

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“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come! Everything is from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ and has given us the ministry of reconciliation. That is, in Christ, God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and he has committed the message of reconciliation to us.” (CSB – Read the chapter)

You’ve experienced it before yourself. If you have children, you now have the joy of seeing it through their eyes. I’m talking about the delight of Christmas morning. The glad anticipation of what waits under the tree builds and builds until everyone finally rushes in there for the great moment of discovery. Yet what is it that most thrills us in that moment? It is the gift of something new. We delight in new things. The season of Advent is a celebration of something new coming into our lives. Let’s talk this morning about the gift of new and just how it transforms us.

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The Gifts of Advent: Luke 2:10-12

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“But the angel said to them, ‘Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people: Today in the city of David a Savior was born for you, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be the sign for you: You will find a baby wrapped tightly in cloth and lying in a manger.'” (CSB – Read the chapter)

When was the last time you were truly and completely happy? Depending on your circumstances, that could have been quite some time ago. Maybe you can’t even remember the last time that happened. For you, every day is a slog. Work is a drudgery. Family is just frustration. Friends are fleeting. And social media sucks most of the rest of the life out of you. The thought of being happy is a nice one, but not something you see very often. Well, our next gift of Advent is not happiness. But it can lead to it in some most unexpected places. Let’s talk today about the gift of joy.

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He Gets It

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Jesus came to fix what’s broken. He came to fix it in our world and in our lives. Yet how do we really know that He can do this? What kind of experience does He have with brokenness that would empower Him to know how to meet us in our need? As it turns out, He has a whole lot more experience than you might expect. Let’s talk about what this is and why it matters in the next part of our Advent series, Broken to Mended.

He Gets It

You’ve perhaps heard the old adage that someone doesn’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. The idea, of course, is that until you have established some sort of a relational credibility with another person, trying to teach them anything of much significance probably isn’t going to work very well. I think there’s even more to this old adage than that, though. You see, given where our culture is today, people generally don’t merely want you to care about them. They want to know that you are authentic in your caring. They want to know that you can in some way empathize with their situation. Otherwise, you are just coming in as a white knight whom they aren’t going to trust. No, if you want to really be able to help someone today in a way that is impactful and sustainable, they’ve got to know you understand their situation in a meaningful way. Until you have that, they might deign to use you, but you won’t be doing anything of lasting significance for them. Once you can demonstrate your authenticity, though, you’re in. 

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Songs of the Season: Luke 2:10-12

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But the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people: Today in the city of David a Savior was born for you, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be the sign for you: You will find a baby wrapped tightly in cloth and lying in a manger.” (CSB – Read the chapter)

It is time once again for what has become one of my favorite annual traditions on here: Songs of the Season. Each year during the season of Advent I take time each Friday to share with one some of my favorite songs of the season. One of the richest parts of the Advent season are the many songs we sing to celebrate the birth of our Savior. In fact, Christmas songs in general are one of the most cherished parts of this time of year for many people whether they are sacred or secular. I defy you to find another season with as many songs dedicated to its celebration as this one (and with several new ones being added to the library each year). You can’t do it because there isn’t. And so, without further ago, let’s get to our first song of this season: Come Behold the Wondrous Mystery.

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