December 15, 2015 Year C Numbers 16:20-35 People care for their community. Parents care for their children. Coaches care for their team. Military leaders care for their men and women who serve under them. Employers care for their employees. Name a group and you will find someone who leads them. In some form or fashion, the leader will care for the community entrusted to them. Three people show their care for the community in these verses. The first two are... Read more
A Christmas Alphabet Poem A Christmas Alphabet Poem lists different Christian items for Christmas according to the letters of the alphabet from A to Z. A is for Angels, appearing so bright, telling of Jesus that first Christmas night. “Suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying:” (Luke 2:13, HCSB) B is for Bethlehem, crowded and old, the birthplace of Jesus by prophet foretold. “Bethlehem Ephrathah, you are small among the... Read more
Celebrating Christmas Celebrating Christmas is a simple thought reflection for the Lectionary from Isaiah 12:1-6 that shows how Christians can celebrate and focus on Jesus during the Christmas season. December 11, 2015 Year C Isaiah 12:1-6 Many people are going to celebrate during this Christmas season. The Jews will celebrate Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights. Others will celebrate Kwanzaa. Even Muslims will celebrate the birth of their prophet Mohammed on December 24, 2015. (Because they follow the lunar calendar, his... Read more
Steeped: Recipes Infused with Tea by Annelies Zijderveld Steeped: Recipes Infused with Tea by Annelies Zijderveld is a book of recipes that focus on cooking with tea as the main ingredient. Steeped infuses your normal cooking routine with special recipes that will make your meals interesting as well as healthier. Zijderveld begins her book with an introduction to the world of tea. She talks everything about the nature of tea: where it comes from, how it is made, and how... Read more
Steeped: Recipes Infused with Tea by Annelies Zijderveld Steeped: Recipes Infused with Tea by Annelies Zijderveld is a book of recipes that focus on cooking with tea as the main ingredient. Steeped infuses your normal cooking routine with special recipes that will make your meals interesting as well as healthier. Zijderveld begins her book with an introduction to the world of tea. She talks everything about the nature of tea: where it comes from, how it is made, and how... Read more
December 10, 2015 Year C Amos 6:1-8 Christmastime is a time of celebration. Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. During this special time, we are involved in all kinds of activities that supplement the true celebration. These verses remind us that we should not let the celebration of Christmas make us complacent to the need for others to hear the Gospel. What are the signs that as Christians, we have become complacent at Christmastime when we are more interested... Read more
December 9, 2015 Year C Luke 7:18-30 We hear often about celebrities. Celebrities have a paparazzi who publicize their every move. They attract the attention of everyone. They rack up followers on social media outlets. People listen to Kim Kardashian and Justin Bieber just as they would a teacher. Even political celebrities like Donald Trump attract people’s attention – especially of his controversial comments about Muslims recently which have been widely criticized. John the Baptist was a celebrity prophet. People... Read more
2 Timothy 3:10-17 Personal Advice for Living the Christian Life The Bible teaches that we will encounter different kinds of trouble. Yet, at the same time, the Bible teaches that we can overcome this trouble. I want to list various ways that help overcome trouble in your life. Paul closes this chapter by giving Timothy some very personal advice. Paul bases his appeal to Timothy on his own experience. Timothy is called to turn away from the false teachers and... Read more
2 Timothy 3:1-9 Difficult Times Are Ahead I don’t know about you, but I have seen many changes in the religious landscape in the last fifteen years, and the changes have been increasing. When I entered the ministry, the Baby Boomers were entering the church. To accommodate them, churches built buildings, built bigger buildings, and made an a la carte approach to ministry: Celebrate Recovery, Singles groups, needs-based ministries like Divorce Care. Yet over the course of the last fifteen... Read more
2 Timothy 2:1-26 Pictures of a Christian Minister EIGHT PICTURES OF A CHRISTIAN MINISTER 1. The Manager (2 Tim. 2:1–2) “You, therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, commit to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” (2 Timothy 2:1–2, HCSB) The ministry is not something we get for ourselves and keep to ourselves. We are stewards of... Read more
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