Message Outlines

Undercover

“No one after lighting a lamp puts it in a cellar or under a basket, but on a stand, so that those who enter may see the light.” (v33)

Jesus doesn’t deny that Mary is blessed. However, He goes on to say that any one of us is more blessed than Mary if we hear God’s word and obey it.

You haven’t heard of the red dragon of Christmas? He’s right there in John’s nativity account.

Flattening the Hills

Last week we read about the noble wise men. This week we read about shepherds. Wise men don’t usually hang out with shepherds.  And gods don’t usually hang out with men.

God is not ashamed to make his home among us. Why should we be ashamed to spend time with one another?

Part of the meaning of Christmas is that in Christ, all barriers that we think are important – rich, poor, weak, strong, disabled, differently-abled, black, white (and every other beautiful shade of brown) – are forever erased.

The Villains of Christmas

I love Christmas time. At our home, we watch a Christmas movie nearly every night in December. Some Christmas movies are good for a few laughs, others make me cry, and others are totally ridiculous. Christmas movies make a lot of money, I’m sure, because Hollywood keeps cranking them out.

Second Sunday of Advent 2018

There is a gap between what we were meant to be in the Garden and who we are now after the fall.

First Sunday of Advent 2018

Christmas is not about having the perfect family, but inviting the perfect guest.

God's love takes mercy farther than we hope and truth farther than we dare.

I am no Eugene Peterson; the paraphrase of 1 Corinthians 13 that follows is my clumsy attempt to expose the heart of this sacred text and allow it’s thump-thump-thump to change the rhythm of your own heart.

“God so loved the world...” (John 3.16) The very important thing I notice about that verse is that there is no “because.” And if you can wrap your mind around this, it will knock you to the ground. When it comes to God “so loving” you and me, there is no because. You are simply beloved.