A Force Will Awaken - 4th Sunday Advent Devotion

A brief prayer is offered that you can add to your daily prayers this week. The scripture is from our Sunday Service Bulletin for 20 December 2015. Some of the Devotion comes directly from a commentary on Luke by Professor Judith Jones of Wartburg College.

Gospel Reading
Luke 1:39-45
39 In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, 40 and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.41 And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, 42 and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43 And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45 And blessed is she who believed that there would be[a] a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.

Devotion:  Whom does God send to work in our lives?

In this Fourth Sunday in Advent, our Gospel text has Mary visiting Elizabeth. In those days an unmarried woman with child would not be accorded an honored status. But!!!

A Force Will Awaken - 2nd Sunday in Advent Sermon

A long time ago a galaxy was created by “The Creator”. He saw that His creation was Good. Then a force of evil infiltrated the creation and stole it for His own. But the Creator had a plan. From the beginning He set in motion an operation to rescue His creation back. It was clever. It wasn’t only fought by angels and all the company of heaven. The battle would be engaged with a non-descript tribe of people living outside of the great Egyptian empire. It would involve a young baby born in a small town outside of Jerusalem. When this baby opens His eyes for the first time - A FORCE WILL AWAKEN!



Download Audio

A Force Will Awaken - 1st Sunday in Advent Devotion

A brief prayer is offered that you can add to your daily prayers this week. The scripture is from our Sunday Service Bulletin for 29 Nov 2015.

Gospel Reading
Luke 21:25-36
And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, 26 people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 27 And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” 29 And He told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. 30 As soon as they come out in leaf, you see for yourselves and know that the summer is already near. 31 So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. 32 Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all has taken place. 33 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. 34 “But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap. 35 For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth. 36 But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”

"Its The End Of The World As We Know It" Sermon Devotion

A brief prayer is offered that you can add to your daily prayers. The scripture is from our Sunday Service Bulletin. Some of the ideas in the devotion were inspired by a commentary authored by Grant R Osborne.

Matthew 25:1-13

Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3 For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, 4 but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. 5 As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. 6 But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ 7 Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9 But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ 10 And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut.  11 Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ 12 But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ 13 Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

Devotion: “Not perfect, but prepared”

Thanksgiving is coming this week and some of us Americans are preparing for the annual ritual.