Scripture: Luke 3:3-6 John went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah, “The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made
Scripture: Luke 3:7-8 John said to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruits worthy of repentance. Do not begin to say to yourselves, “We have Abraham as our ancestor’; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. Thought for the Day:
Scripture: Proverb 23:18 Surely there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off. Thought for the Day: “When it comes to the future, there are three kinds of people: those who watch it happen, those who make it happen, and those who wonder what happened.” I don’t know who originally said those words, but they speak truth especially within institutional structures. I often picture the
Scripture: Matthew 2:12 And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road. Thought for the Day: I preached a sermon a number of years ago that I entitled, You’re not a coward if… I offered a number of ways one could finish the sentence, but concluded by saying, “You’re not a coward if God says you’re
Scripture: Matthew 2:12 And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, the Magi left for their own country by another road. Thought for the Day: Have you ever had a feeling, hunch, premonition or some other inclination that you were to do something uncharacteristic or unplanned? Has there been a time when you found out that the nudging and the decision to make the
Scripture: Philippians 4:15 You Philippians indeed know that in the early days of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you alone. Thought for the Day: Who is it for you? Whose sharing of the Gospel – in word or in deep – has been so beautiful and profound that it changed your life? Paul was
Scripture: Matthew 2:11 On entering the house, they (the Magi) saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Thought for the Day: At the funeral of a friend, I quoted Louis L’Amour, the cowboy author, who said, “The trail is the thing, not the end of the
DON’T FORGET One Service Sunday TODAY Scripture: Matthew 2:7-8 Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.” Thought for the Day: I have
Scripture: Matthew 2:1-2 In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.” Thought for the Day: One of the great pastors and preachers within our denomination was
Happy New Year Scripture: Philippians 2:16-18 It is by your holding fast to the word of life that I can boast on the day of Christ that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. But even if I am being poured out as a libation over the sacrifice and the offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you—and in the