A Stable Turned a Temple
READ:Â Matthew 1:1, 18-25 In 2012, Larry preached a sermon from the genealogy of Jesus found in Matthew 1. That sermon and the sermon from the following Sunday sparked an idea for a new hymn that would express the glorious significance of the way in which God the Father brought His Son into this world. This Sunday we will be examining the Scriptures that unpack the importance that Jesus is the Son of Abraham, the Son of David, and the Son of God. As you prepare for Sunday, read through these lyrics and listen to the song here. Take time
Can We Really Compare Todayâs Pain to Godâs Goodness?
Programmers know about incompatible datatypes. If you check to see if âhello worldâ (a string of letters) is greater than 0.05 (a number), most programming languages will refuse. So does it make sense when Christians say this? âLife in 2020 is hard, but we can give thanks because we have Jesus.â It only makes sense if the worth of Jesus can be compared to the disappointments now. If having Jesus is in one category, but âreal lifeâ is in another, it will make no sense for you to compare the two. But if you can think of the goodness of having
Hark the Herald Angels Sing
Written by Phillip Holmes https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/hark-the-herald-angels-sing READ: John 3:16-21 When I was growing up, âHark! The Herald Angels Singâ by Charles Wesley (revised by George Whitfield) was one of my favorite Christmas songs â but the point of the first line went completely over my head. Donât get me wrong, I understood lines like âPeace on earth, and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciledâ and âLight and life to all he brings, Risen with healing in his wings / Mild he lays his glory by, Born that man no more may die.â However, there was that lead archaic imperative that escaped
O Come O Come Emmanuel
Adapted from:  https://www.thirdrva.org/sermons-index/o-come-emmanuel READ:  Isaiah 64:1-12 O Come O Come Emmanuel may be one of the most ancient hymns that we sing. Probably written in the 8th Century by monks, the Latin text was discovered by an English pastor named John Mason Neale in the 19th Century. He translated it into English and introduced it to the English speaking world. The hymn is jam-packed with biblical imagery about the long-awaited Messiah. Each of the seven verses addresses Jesus by a different name, from âEmmanuelâ to âRoot of Jesseâ to âKey of David.â And in each of the verses we are crying out for
ADVENT: Looking Past, Present and Future
The season of Advent is a season of waiting designed to cultivate our awareness of God's actions - past, present, and future. In Advent we hear the prophecies of the Messiah's coming as addressed to the people of Israel and the rest of the earth. As we live in a very similar circumstance, our hearts are meant to empathize and even find comfort in their waiting for Christ's second coming and the consummation of His Kingdom. In Advent we heighten our anticipation for the ultimate fulfillment of all Old Testament promises, when the wolf will lie down with the lamb
Giving Thanks in 2020
Written by Gary D. Myers on Monday, November 16, 2020 (https://www.nobts.edu/geauxtherefore/articles/2020/Thankfulness.html) The account of Paul and Silas in the Philippians jail (Acts 16:25-34) captured my attention as a child. Being in prison was about the worst situation I could imagine at the time. The fact that Paul and Silas praised God and sang hymns surprised my young mind and provided a powerful testimony of what it means to trust God. But my marvel at what happened did not stop with them singing praises â it continued as God used them to lead an entire family into the faith that night.
GEN12: Blessed to Be a Blessing
Written by Mike Pettengill.  https://www.billygraham.ca/stories/living-in-light-of-the-resurrection-the-same-power-that-raised-jesus-from-the-dead-is-at-work-in-us/ Read:  Genesis 12:1-2 God has provided enormous blessings to todayâs Christian church in the Western world. We enjoy amazing freedom, resources, and opportunity. Yet world poverty and Christian persecution endures. Why has God blessed our churches in such times? Godâs call to Abraham gives us insight: âAnd I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessingâ (Genesis 12:2). Our country, our churches, and our families have been blessed in order to be a blessing to the world. Are we using
What to do with the end of Markâs gospel?
Here is the article I alluded to in the sermon this past Sunday (11/8/20) concerning how to think about the ending of Markâs gospel.  May it encourage you to trust and rejoice in the amazing reliability of our Bibles! https://ca.thegospelcoalition.org/columns/ad-fontes/what-do-you-do-with-the-end-of-marks-gospel/
Living in Light of the Resurrection
Written by Kjell Axel Johanson.  https://www.billygraham.ca/stories/living-in-light-of-the-resurrection-the-same-power-that-raised-jesus-from-the-dead-is-at-work-in-us/ Read:  Mark 16:1-8 As a Scandinavian I know what it means to pine for the new life of spring to appear every year. Our winters are long, cold and dark. It is the assurance of spring with its abundant lifeâsnow melting, birds singing and thousands of flowers blooming in the life-giving warmth of the sunâthat keeps us persevering through the winter months. When spring and summer come, our countries change dramaticallyâit is as if we all moved to another country. We change from introverts to extroverts. Even during the most severe winters we are certain spring
Wise Thoughts as We Wait for the Election Outcome
As we wait for the clear decision on who will be our next president, I ran across this thoughtful post by pastor Bart Barber.  It is his pledge concerning his response as a Christ-follower to whomever wins the election.  What ought your pledge be? https://www.christianitytoday.com/edstetzer/2020/november/election-day-pledge.html
