A Reminder of What Christ Will Be Isaiah 9:1-7 When I lived and ministered in Germany, there was a couple we met whose last name was Rousseau. The husband’s first name was “Peace with God in Jesus Christ.” That was his name. They nicknamed him “Peace.” But if you looked on his driver’s license, as I did to get proof of his name, it was printed in real small letters: “Peace with God in Jesus Christ” Rousseau. That name was... Read more
Learning to Rejoice This Christmas Psalm 92:1-15 If there is a single word that describes what Christmas is all about, it’s the little word “joy.” Several of our favorite carols mention it: “Joy to the world, the Lord is come,” “O come all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant,” “Shepherds, why this jubilee, why your joyous strains prolong?” “Good Christian men, rejoice, with heart and soul and voice,” “Joyful all ye nations rise, join the triumph of the skies, with th’... Read more
7 Reasons to REJOICE This Christmas 23 December 2017 Year B Psalm 92:1-15 Recognize God and His role in my life (Psalm 92:1) “It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praise to your name, Most High,” (Psalm 92:1, CSB) Christmas is a time for giving thanks. Being thankful is part of having joy in your life. The joy that God gives is directly related to giving thanks to Him. Joy starts with recognizing God’s role my... Read more
The Four by Scott Galloway The Four by Scott Galloway is an intelligent work that addresses the hidden DNA of Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google. Scott Galloway is uniquely qualified to assess the power of these four corporations. Galloway (@profgalloway), Professor of Marketing at NYU Stern, teaches brand strategy and digital marketing. He is also the founder of L2, a firm that is a leader in digital marketing and consulting. The Four In The Four, Galloway takes the reader through... Read more
Remembering the Voice of God’s Goodness This Christmas Isaiah 40:1-11 A mother was having a gathering to celebrate the birth of her newborn son. She invited a bunch of friends over to celebrate his arrival. She welcomed her guests, and they all had a great time celebrating, eating, and drinking. After a while, one of the ladies said, “Well, bring the baby out. Let us see it.” The mother went to get the baby from his crib—he was nowhere to... Read more
How God Turns My Tears Into Joy 14 December 2017 Year B Jeremiah 31:15-20 There are times when you and I may feel abandoned by God. We may feel all alone. We get so down and depressed that we think that what we see in front of our eyes is what is all there is to life. The problems with our emotions is that they can rule us. They can overtake the mind and the spirit. Being guided by our... Read more
5 Future Assurances for God’s People When Jesus Returns 12 December 2017 Year B Isaiah 4:2-6 When Jesus returns, what are some assurances one has about the world we will encounter? Will it be better than the one we live in now? How different will it be? The Bible clearly shows that there will be a future in which Jesus will return and make things right for His people. Here in Isaiah, we have a set of assurances for God’s... Read more
The Art of Restoration with God Psalm 80:1-19 I want to spend this Christmastime known as Advent to talk about four important skills that we all may go through as Christians. We all have an opportunity to: Restore Remember Rejoice Remind During this holiday season, I want to ask you ask a question: “Who do I need to spend time making a restoration?” “Who do I need to restore a relationship with?” I want us to look at a psalm... Read more
How to Walk Through My Emotions With Jesus John 11:28-44 Most psychologists agree that there are a set of major emotions: fear, grief, anger, and joy. These basic emotions may express themselves in different ways, forms, and varieties. This is the reason why some psychologists will say that there are eight, or sixteen emotions. They are just expressions of the basic emotions. The Bible shows Jesus experiencing four basic emotions during His difficult time dealing with the death of his... Read more
Things Will Eventually Get Better 4 December 2017 Year B Micah 4:1-5 Sometimes, life seems to be so terrible. Nothing seems to be going right. You are stuck in a rut and you wonder if things will ever get any better. That is how the Israelites felt when Micah came on the scene. They were in exile in Babylon. They were wondering if they were ever going to leave this place. Would things ever get better for them? God’s answer... Read more
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