For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. John 3:17 This Christmas, what are you expecting? What do you want out of Christmas this year? Of this past year, what is one thing you have learned? One thing I have learned is to love and love with the overflow of God’s love. Matthew 22:35-44 says this, “And one of them, an expert in the law, asked a question to test Him: “Teacher, which command in the law is the greatest?” He said to him, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with…
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Advent: Day Twenty – Two
When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worship him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route. Matthew 2:10-12 Christmas!!! The feels of Christmas can be different for everyone. There is excitement, happiness, stress, sadness, and fear. Gifts can add to these feelings. The discontent of “This isn’t what I wanted.” “How are we/I going to pay for all this?” “Where do I…
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Advent: Day Seventeen
This will be a sign to you; You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger. Suddenly a great company of heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those whom his favor rests.” Luke 2:12-14 The angles declared the glory and splendor of God. This year for us humans, we will get to see the Christmas star according to the internet. I really don’t know what people are expecting. I think about the night Jesus was born and all the splendor and majestic it must have been. Can I really grasp…
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Community of Gratitude
And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day, those who were being saved. Acts 2: 46-47 Do you have a church that you attend? Are you breaking bread with your brothers and sisters in Christ? This has a twofold meaning. The first expression in Acts and the early church refers to sharing meals in one another’s home. How often do you cultivate relationships with others in your church? Do you ask them to your home for…
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God Is Good
OH, give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he has redeemed from trouble and gathered in form the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south. Psalm 107: 1-3 Giving thanks to God!!! How wonderful is it that we can thank God for all he has done and for all that he will do? Do you really take the time to thank God? Do you know what to thank God for? Sometimes it comes easy for me to thank God, and other times I don’t even…
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Giving Thanks In All Circumstances
Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 Is it easy for you to give thanks in all situations? Is it hard for you to give thanks in all situations? What does this mean exactly? Are we to give thanks in just the good circumstances or also the bad circumstances?? What does the circumstance mean? It means an event or condition connected with what is happening or has happened. It is easy to thank God for all circumstances when life is going well. It is easy to show gratitude to God and others when we have a roof over…
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Community of Gratitude and Hospitality
And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved. Acts 2: 46-47 Do you have a church that you attend? Are you breaking bread with your brothers and sisters in Christ? This has a twofold meaning. The first expression in Acts and the early church seems to refer to sharing meals in one another’s home. How often do you cultivate relationships with others in your church? Do you ask them to your…
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Not Giving God Gratitude For What He Gives
And she did not know that it was I who gave her the grain, the wine, and the oil, and who lavished on her silver and gold, which they used for Baal. Hosea 2:8 Have you ever done something for someone, yet another got the credit for it? Has God ever blessed you with a harvest of food, and you never gave him credit for it? Israel is not giving gratitude where gratitude is due. Year after year, God gives Israel plenty of harvest. Year after year, though, the Israelites offer what God gives them to Baal. A false god that doesn’t even exist. They honor Baal and not God.…
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Singing Your Thanksgiving
Then on that day David first appointed that Thanksgiving be sung to the Lord by Asaph and his brothers. “Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon His name; make known his deeds among the people. Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wonderous works. 1 Chronicles. 16: 7-9 You may want to read all the vers up to verse 36 of this chapter. This song of thanksgiving and praise show what to thank God for. David wrote this to praise and give thanks to God. He wanted to celebrate Gdo’s mercy and wonderful acts for Israel. This is a beautiful song that can help us…
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Complaining Hearts
And the people complained in the hearing of the Lord about their misfortunes, and when the Lord heard it his anger was kindled, and the fire of the Lord burned among them and consumed some outlying parts of the camp. Numbers 11:1 Do you grumble? Do you complain? We, humans, are complainers. When we don’t like something, we grumble and complain about it! Do you catch yourself doing that? Pay attention this week and see how often you do complain and what your grumbling about. When we are complaining we are not having gratitude. In fact, we have a terrible attitude. Complaining and grumbling show us and others where our…