Scripture: Luke 2:22-24When the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord”), and they offered a sacrifice according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves
Scripture: Luke 2:6-7While they were there, the time came for Mary to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. Thought for the Day: Good morning, Christmas! Maybe you’re not reading this in the morning, but whenever you find yourself glancing upon
Prayer for the Week:I can see you fast approaching;I have been looking for you; and dreaming about you for quite some time.They call you Christmas Day –They refer to you as a holiday –They unpack you and decorate you and then, when done, return you to the closet.The world loves ChristmasBut does the world love you, O Lord of the Manger?Do we love you,
Scripture: Isaiah 40:3-5A voice is crying out: “Clear the LORD’s way in the desert! Make a level highway in the wilderness for our God! Every valley will be raised up, and every mountain and hill will be flattened. Uneven ground will become level, and rough terrain a valley plain. The LORD’s glory will appear, and all humanity will see it together; the LORD’s mouth has commanded it.” Thought
Scripture: 1 John 2:5-6Now, dear friends, I am requesting that we love each other. It’s not as though I’m writing a new command to you, but it’s one we have had from the beginning. This is love: that we live according to his commands. This is the command that you heard from the beginning: live in love. Thought for the Day: In his life and ministry, Jesus both
Scripture: Luke 2:1In those days Caesar Augustus declared that everyone throughout the empire should be enrolled in the tax lists. Thought for the Day: To the ears of first century folks, these words were very interesting as Caesar Augustus was not just another leader among leaders. He was the one who had been sent to all people and their descendants as a savior. That language was found chiseled
Scripture: John 3:16God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him won’t perish but will have eternal life. Thought for the Day: Roy L. Smith was a very well known minister, serving the largest Methodist church in the world during the 1930’s. He wrote a syndicated column that made him a household name. One of my favorite quotes from
Scripture: Philippians 2:5-7Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. Thought for the Day: Today, I am going to get a bit personal. My mother is having another surgery, and
Scripture: Ephesians 2:14Christ is our peace. He made both Jews and Gentiles into one group. With his body, he broke down the barrier of hatred that divided us. Thought for the Day: I love the text from the Advent hymn, Christians All, Your Lord Is Coming. The fourth verse includes these words: …hope for peace is now at hand…Bear the word that God has given;share the birth that
Prayer for the Week: The days are going by quickly as we move closer and closer to that special day on the calendar. There is excitement that we see in children of all ages, O Lord, and you are the catalyst for this grace-filled energy. Yet as we prepare and join in the excitement, let us be cognizant and spiritually attune to those who are struggling each day