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<p>A righteous and devout man, Simeon, waits for the birth of the Messiah, the Christ. He has been promised by God that he will not die until he sees the Christ. As in the passages we have looked at this Christmas/Advent season, Simeon speaks forth a hymn of praise in seeing the Christ child. He … Read more
What do you want for Christmas? If you were sitting on God’s knee, and God asked you what you wanted for Christmas, what would you tell him? Well, I’ve been thinking about that question, and tonight, I want to share with you what’s on my list. I’ve narrowed it down to four things. But first … Read more
Luke 2.8-20 The Wait of AdventChildren anticipate Christmas with a vibrant expectancy and excitement that compares to little else. Even the shyest or quietest of children cannot contain their enthusiasm at the splendor of the season, the beauty of the Christmas tree with it’s lights all aglow, and of course, the gifts they await, that … Read more
Zechariah’s Song Benedictus (Blessing)Luke 1.68-79 IntroductionImagine, you just had your first child.Women: you just survived 14 hours of hard labor, you’re cradling your precious newborn infant, you and your husband have been trying for years to have a child and now, finally, you hold a miracle in your arms.Men: you come racing into the room … Read more
Luke 2.8–20 One night, while shepherds were simply doing their job and going about their business, they were surprised and terrified by what happened next — they were visited by angels sent from God! It’s a wonderful story, and I think we can learn several important lessons from their experience that incredible night – the … Read more
We’ve been talking about Luke’s Christmas Songs. During the last two weeks, we looked at Mary’s Song. Today, we’ll take a look at Zechariah’s prayer. It all begins … I love the way Luke begins his gospel. After a brief introduction, he writes, “It all begins with a Jewish priest, Zechariah …” Zechariah & Elizabeth … Read more
Today is the second Sunday of Advent. Advent, which means “coming” or “arrival,” is a time of preparing ourselves for the celebration of the birth of Christ, as well as preparing for Christ’s second coming. Christmas is an Incredible Story: God coming to earth in the form of a human being, a helpless baby. Christ … Read more
The Magnificat Luke 1.46-55 Jesus came to turn the world upside-down Mary praises because finally things are going to be set aright. God is going to turn the world upside-down. And he has already begun. She is even proof of that. As we looked at humility last week, Mary exemplifies how God looks on the … Read more
Today is the first Sunday of Advent — the beginning of the Christian calendar. The coming of Jesus 2,000 years ago literally divided time and has impacted the world like nothing else. And for the next four weeks, we’re going to be focusing on the Christmas story. My prayer is that we read the story … Read more
The MagnificatLuke 1.46-55 Choosing TeamsAs kids, to play softball or kickball or whatever team sport, we would choose captains and those captains would then alternate back and forth, taking turns, choosing team members. “Pick me, pick me.” Back and forth, choosing the best, the strongest, the most talented, the fastest, the most popular. No one … Read more