Devotions: Added to You
Day 1: Trusting in God's Provision
Reading: Luke 12:22-24
Devotional: Jesus teaches us not to be anxious about our lives, what we will eat, or our bodies, what we will wear. He reminds us that life is more than food and the body more than clothes. Reflect on the areas of your life where anxiety takes hold. How can you shift your focus from worry to trust in God's provision?
February 4 Sermon: Added to You
Anxiety is a topic that is talked about in abundance in our time. In a hyper busy, information soaked age, it seems as though we actually have an anxiety epidemic, and this really shouldn't surprise us. It's always been a concern and anytime people have been anxious I mean, obviously Jesus is talking about it here and of course, things are different in different times. What we worry about what we face in life is going to be different depending on where we are, what we're experiencing, but in a fallen world, there are always going to be times where we are put in positions where our heart rate increases and we get that way too familiar feeling that we don't like in the pit of our stomach. That is going to happen in a fallen, sinful world and, like I said, this shouldn't surprise us that this is on the rise.
Devotions: Where Is Your Treasure?
Day 1: Luke 12:13-21 - The Parable of the Rich Fool
Devotional:
As we embark on this journey, we start with Jesus’ parable of the rich fool. This story is a sobering reminder of the temporality of earthly riches. Take a moment to reflect on your own pursuits. Are they grounded in the material world, or are they reaching for something eternal? Consider how you might shift your focus from accumulating wealth to cultivating a rich relationship with God.
Question for Reflection: In what ways can you be 'rich toward God' instead of storing up earthly treasures?
January 28 Sermon: Where Is Your Treasure?
As a typical early 90s youth group junkie kid, I made a lot of trips to Christian concerts and Christian music festivals, and this was an important part of not only my entertainment, but this is also where I outfitted my wardrobe okay, and one of those events was coming up. I would not only set aside money for my ticket, but I needed to come home with a new T-shirt or seven, and many times there were more than just the T-shirts of the bands I was going to see and their merchandise tables. There were often walls of shirts that were Christian T-shirts and many of them, you may remember, they had like famous logos, but they like Christianized them. Like in the 90s, you would see people wearing orange shirts with the Reese's logo on it all the time, but the Christian version had the same font, but it said Jesus and some pithy slogan.
Devotions: Acknowledge
Day 1: Recognizing Jesus
Reading: Luke 12:8-9
Devotional: Today, let's focus on the importance of recognizing Jesus. In these verses, Jesus promises that those who acknowledge Him on earth will be acknowledged in heaven. Reflect on a time when you felt the need to stand up for your faith in Christ. What emotions did you experience? Consider the courage it takes to publicly declare Jesus as Lord and the eternal implications of doing so.
January 7 Sermon: Acknowledge
We like to be acknowledged, don't we? When you see someone and you acknowledge them with a wave or in our case it's more of a finger or a nod of the head and you don't get one back, it kind of invokes a variety of feelings in you, doesn't it? Am I just not important to this person? Did they not see me? Do they not even remember me? Did I do something to upset them? And at the same time, if you are acknowledged by someone who you don't expect to acknowledge you, you feel really good, right. Well, back in October I was at the Reformation and Worship Conference in Georgia and I had a conversation with an author who was there that he's sort of well known in Presbyterian and Reform circles.
Devotions: Fear Not
Day 1: The Call to Fear Not
Reading: Luke 12:1-7
Devotional: In today’s reading, we witness Jesus cautioning His disciples against the hypocrisy of the Pharisees, emphasizing that true faith must be inwardly sincere, not just outwardly showy. As we consider our own walk with the Lord, let’s reflect on where our deepest fears lie. Are we more concerned with human opinion or with living in a way that is pleasing to God?
Prayer Focus: Pray for the courage to live authentically in your faith, prioritizing God’s approval over man’s.
December 31 Sermon: Fear Not
When I first think of the phrase fear not, my mind initially goes to all of these passages of Scripture, like the one that we just read, that says that we are to not fear, that we should value God and what he has to say over the things of men, that we should have this fear and reverence of God. But as my mind wanders a little bit with this idea of fear not or no fear, I think back to many years ago. There were these t-shirts that were quite popular. You would see them as you were walking around and they would say no fear on the back.
Devotions: Now Disclosed
Day 1: The Mystery of Redemption Revealed
Reading: Genesis 3:14-15; Romans 16:25-27
Reflection: Begin your week by contemplating the ancient promise of a Redeemer, the One who would crush the head of the serpent. As you read Genesis, reflect on the initial mystery of redemption set forth at the dawn of time. Then, move to Paul's doxology in Romans, where Jesus Christ makes the mystery clear. Meditate on the role of Christ as the key to understanding God's plan of salvation. How does knowing the end of the story – the picture of redemption – affect the way you live your faith today?
December 24 Sermon: Now Disclosed
This week, we explore three key themes: Disclosure (Jesus revealing God's story), Depth (the universal reach of the gospel), and Doxology (praising God for His saving work). We see how Paul emphasizes the importance of understanding and living in accordance with God's message.
December 17 Evening Meditation: On Them Has Light Shone
As we planned the service for this evening. There were a lot of factors that we considered over the time and the conversations about what we were gonna do this evening actually started more than a year ago. We knew that we wanted to do something with candlelight, some sort of candlelight service. What we would do with the service we weren't sure about. We had some ideas. Should we have the children sing at the service? Do we have the choir sing? What kind of candles do we want to have? Probably the smartest thing we did was we decided to order the candles in February so we wouldn't be competing with other people with them for October and November.
Devotions: Hold Fast
Day 1:
Bible Reading: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Devotional: Today, let's focus on living a Gospel-centered life. Reflect on the words of Paul in this passage - to rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and give thanks in all circumstances. How can you apply these teachings in your everyday life? Remember, these actions are the will of God for us. How can you bring a spirit of rejoicing, prayer, and gratitude into your day?
December 17 Sermon: Hold Fast
As we find ourselves now in the third Sunday in Advent, we once again see another passage of Scripture that has us looking at a passage of the suggestion of impending judgment. Now it doesn't have some of the stronger language of judgment Not the language of judgment we even saw in Isaiah 61, as we were reading from the Old Testament today, but definitely not some of the stronger language that we saw in the previous weeks. But we do find this implication of the coming judgment of the Lord Jesus Christ, because the Apostle Paul prays that God might keep the people of God blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Devotions: What Sort of People Ought You to Be?
Day 1:
Reading: 2 Peter 3:1-7
Devotional: Reflect on Peter's words about the scoffers who question the return of Jesus. Like them, do you find yourself impatient for the second coming of Christ, questioning why suffering and injustice persist? Spend some time in prayer asking God for the patience to trust His perfect timing. Remember, He is outside of time, not bound by our limited understanding.
December 10 Sermon: What Sort of People Ought You to Be?
On the second Sunday of Advent, we reflect on impatience in a fast-paced world and contemplate our waiting for the return of Jesus. We dig into 2 Peter 3:8–9, which addresses the delay of Jesus' return, emphasizes God's patience, and calls us to live in purity and readiness for the promised new heaven and new earth. As we delve into Peter's message, we are reminded to consider God's patience as an opportunity for repentance and faithful living each day.
Devotions: Keep Awake
Day 1:
Bible Reading: Mark 13:1-8
Devotional: Today, reflect on Jesus' prediction of the destruction of the temple. His prophetic words came to pass, demonstrating the authority and inspiration of the New Testament. The anticipation and preparation for this event draw parallels to our anticipation for the second coming of Jesus. How can you better prepare and anticipate for Jesus' return?
December 3 Sermon: Keep Awake
Advent serves as a time of anticipation, alertness, and assurance as we look forward to the second coming of Jesus. As believers in the Lord Jesus Christ we are called to keep awake and focus on our call to a holy life and prioritize eternal matters over worldly distractions.
What is Advent?
As we dive into the rhythm of the holiday season, there's a gem often tucked away in the busyness of the Christmas season. Most people have heard of Advent, but what exactly is Advent? It's more than a calendar countdown to Christmas; it's a soul-stirring journey of anticipation and hope.
Devotions: Woes
Day 1:
Reading: Luke 11:37-54
Devotional: Reflect on Jesus' rebuke to the Pharisees and lawyers for their hypocrisy. How does this challenge your own walk of faith? Are there areas in your life where you might focus more on outward appearance than an authentic relationship with God? Pray for the Holy Spirit to reveal these areas to you.