Advent

2130 of 33 items

Surely the Day is Coming!

Download Life Guide So, are you counting the days until Christmas? I expect that some of you are. I expect that for some of you, especially the younger ones among us, Christmas can’t get here soon enough. You can’t wait to open those presents. For you, there are like too many days between now and […]

God’s Messengers Prepare Us for Hope

“Your King is coming!” Few phrases in a kingdom could produce such a flurry of activity as those four words. Men called “heralds” relayed the message, messengers sent ahead by kings to prepare people for their arrival. When a herald announced “Your King is coming,” townspeople went to work. They filled in potholes and leveled […]

Baptism prepares you for the coming of Christ

Download Life Guide Well, Thanksgiving has come and gone… December is upon us… and it’s that time of year again. It’s time to get ready for…that’s right… Christmas. For millions of Americans, and I’m sure for many of you here today, the Christmas preparations are already underway. Black Friday, and Small Business Saturday, and Cyber […]

Mary is Expecting a Baby

It’s an announcement which typically brings joy to the hearts of those who hear it. The announcement made by that young couple recently married, when they share the good news, “We’re expecting a baby!” Isn’t that right? I mean, it’s got to be right up there with “I just got engaged!” After that announcement, the […]

Dealing with Doubt

Download Life Guide Your teenage son isn’t home yet– 30 minutes late for curfew. What assumptions pop into your head? “He was in a terrible car accident! He’s dead in a ditch somewhere! He’s been kidnapped!” But…5 minutes later, he walks through the door totally fine, just a forgetful teenager. A young woman’s boyfriend hasn’t […]

Defining Repentance

Download Life Guide What do you think of when you hear the word “repentance”? Maybe you think of a child tearing up after you put them on a timeout… a husband buying flowers for his wife after an argument… or a wife apologizing for… well, actually… it’s never really her fault… but you get the […]

Certainty in the Unknown

Download Life Guide Is there a more annoying customer service phrase than, “Your repairman will arrive sometime between the hours of 8am and 4pm”? Whether it’s the plumber coming to fix your sink, the cable guy coming to install your cable, or the dishwasher repairman coming to unshackle you from the nightmare of handwashing your […]

Have yourself a Mary little Christmas

In 1944 Hugh Martin wrote a song for the MGM musical Meet me in St. Louis. And I’m sure the song is familiar to most of you. It’s called Have yourself a merry little Christmas. In the movie Judy Garland’s character sings that song to her little sister who’s upset about the prospect of moving to […]

Repent with Rejoicing!

Download the Life Guide. A young boy, outraged that his little brother had the gall to play with his favorite dinosaur toy, smacks him. As his brother cries, Mom rushes in, sees what happened, and demands that the boy apologize. With his arms crossed, the boy squeezes out through a pouty face, “I’m sorry.” But […]

A Ruler for David’s Throne

We are about two weeks away from Christmas. How’s everyone doing right now? Could you use a little bit more of anything? Do you need a little more time? Time to finish Christmas shopping… time to get to all the parties and family gatherings…? Do you need a little more money? Money to pay for […]