Prepare Him Room

Prepare Him Room: Living the Wonder of Christmas

December 29, 2023 • Pastor Jeremy Dente • Luke 1:47

Watching young children open their presents on Christmas morning can be so enjoyable and entertaining. But it can also be a powerful reminder of having the right perspective in life. When a child opens that present, they can be absolutely captivated by this new gift, and then, within mere moments, move on to the next gift, almost as if they forgot about the previous one. In light of all that this life and this world has to offer, we too can succumb to a similar posture in which we become more captivated by what’s new and shiny. But consider Mary’s response in her song “The Magnificat” in Luke 1. She exclaims “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.” All that she knew and all that she was experiencing in that moment thoroughly convinced her to rejoice in God’s plan of salvation in her life. What could we ever experience in this life that could offer us a better reason to rejoice than in the fact that we are saved by the grace of God? God’s plan of salvation was formed and fixed long before we ever came into existence, and it will stand true no matter how much we might get in the way. Praise God for his faithfulness and willingness to save…let us rejoice and be glad! 

Prepare Him Room: Living the Wonder of Christmas

December 28, 2023 • Pastor Jeremy Dente • Luke 1:46

As we survey the many individual stories found within the overarching Christmas story, there is little more impressive and convicting and encouraging than that of Mary and her response to the angel Gabriel. Maybe second only to the incarnation of our Lord, Mary’s song of praise, commonly known as the “Magnificat”, has stood the test of time as one of the most beautiful hymns in all of Scripture. In the opening line of this timeless hymn, Mary sings, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.” What a worshipful proclamation of praise and thanksgiving in response to a miraculous turn events in the life of a young woman. But rather than focusing on herself, look at the perspective of young Mary. Her very soul – the essence of her being – magnifies God. She’s making much of God and his glory because she’s beginning to ponder and consider the providential and salvific love of God. This Christmas, we too have the opportunity to make much of Jesus. Whether through our worship, our service to others, our love, or a kind word, the very essence of our existence should remain resolute in magnifying the Lord while seeking his fame and glory! Let us magnify Christ this Christmas! 

Prepare Him Room: Living the Wonder of Christmas

December 27, 2023 • Katie Baatrup • Luke 1:39–45

Family time is truly a time to rejoice and cherish one another. Your family, whether that's mom and dad, or a friendly couple from church, can be some of the most important people to have around during the Christmas season. It is necessary to see how fellowship within family can help spread the power of the Holy Spirit. In Luke 1:39-45, Mary visits Elizabeth, which helps us understand the importance of family time. Verse 41 says, “When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.” Mary’s visit with Elizabeth was so rewarding that Elizabeth even felt the Lord as she was greeted by Mary. We too can spread a joyful greeting to our families as we visit them this time of year. Take this family time as an opportunity to share the power of the Holy Spirit. Elizabeth continues in verse 43, “But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” Imagine how family time must have felt for Elizabeth and Mary, having the ability to celebrate what the Lord blessed them with that year. Let this be a reminder of the beauty of family time and how those experiences can bring encouragement and celebration with others.

Prepare Him Room: Living the Wonder of Christmas

December 26, 2023 • Pastor Glenn Moore • Luke 1:38

A child’s faith is something to behold. When our children are young, they trust us as their parents. And as they grow, while they may start asking for answers prematurely, they still know that we are trustworthy. We see this in Mary’s trust in the angel Gabriel who came to her with good news. Her response to his announcement was simple - “ Behold I am your servant.” (Luke 1:38) In contrast, we see the lack of trust on the part of Zechariah as he was serving in the temple. He questioned Gabriel and gave him reasons why it was impossible to have a son at such an old age. When we consider both responses, we find that there are consequences to our faith. For Mary, it was comfort, joy and peace, knowing that God was in control. For Zechariah, it was silence and frustration. How about you today? Do you trust Jesus like a child, knowing that God is in control? Or do you try to find answers and solutions to God’s plan for your life? Jesus said in Matt. 18:3, “Truly I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” So today, let’s trust in the babe of the manger who came to save us and offer eternal life.

Prepare Him Room: Living the Wonder of Christmas

December 25, 2023 • Derek Hogg • Luke 1:37

Has the Lord ever put something on your heart, or called you to act in faith which you thought that was impossible? Well, you are not alone! Moses thought it was impossible for him to speak to Pharaoh (Exodus 3-4). Jeremiah thought it was impossible for him to be a prophet because he was too young (Jeremiah 1:4-10). Mary thought it was impossible for her to be pregnant with the promised Messiah since she had never been with a man. And yet, the angel Gabriel tells her in Luke 1:37, “Nothing will be impossible with God.” God is all powerful and nothing is impossible with him. All throughout the Bible, we see all things are possible with him. God creating everything out of nothing; Jesus feeding five thousand people with only five loaves and two fish; even our salvation when we were powerless to save ourselves. If God can do all these things, is there anything he cannot do in your life? The more we follow God and live for him, the more we see his power and how all things are possible with him – just as Moses, Jeremiah, and Mary did. So, this Christmas season, lets prepare Jesus room by believing that he can do all things and nothing is impossible for him! 

Prepare Him Room: Living the Wonder of Christmas

December 24, 2023 • Luke 1:37–47

We hope and pray that this Advent season has been one of joy, grace, and reflection as you have prepared room in your hearts and lives for the presence of the living God. Christmas is such a special time in the life of the believer, because the incarnation of our Lord, whose life would radically transition from the manger to the cross, offers us the greatest reason to hope and rejoice! In this fourth and final week of our devotional series “Prepare Him Room”, we take one final look at the experiences of Mary and the events that took place leading up to the coming of her baby boy – the long-awaited Messiah and Savior of the world. Our hope is that the thoughts and reflections in this week’s devotions will help you remember the beauty of Christmas, while also causing you to grow in zeal and passion as you wait in hopeful expectation for the second Advent of our Lord. Christmas is a powerful picture of the past, present, and future being brought into clearer focus through the person of Jesus Christ. Its through him that we can make sense of the past, be content in the present, and yet yearn for the future when we will be with him! Christmas is a reminder that God is with us! He has not left us or forsaken us, but is ever working in each and every circumstance of life for our good and for His glory! May you continue to find time this Christmas week to get alone with the Lord, to reflect on his everlasting lovingkindness, and worship him for who he is! Merry Christmas, and God bless!

Prepare Him Room: Spiritual Readiness and Formation

December 22, 2023 • Derek Hogg • Luke 1:68–80

Providence is the governing power of God that oversees his creation and works out his plans. In other words, providence is God’s will. In this story of Zechariah encountering the angel Gabriel, we are seeing God’s providence. We are seeing God’s will for the coming Messiah to save people from their sins. It was in God’s plans and will for John the Baptist to prepare the way for Jesus and turn people’s hearts to him. We also see God’s providence in both Zechariah and Elizabeth being too old to have children, and yet by God’s power they have a son who would lead people to Jesus. But does God’s providence mean that we do not have a choice? We still have free will to follow God’s will or not, and the choice to not follow God’s will never ends well. There is a constant battle in us to follow God’s will or our own. When we follow our own will, we think we know what’s best, but far too often do our expectations turn into the complete opposite – Zechariah can testify to that. But when we follow God’s will, we see that he knows what is best for us, and things always work out for our good and his glory (Romans 8:28). So let’s prepare Jesus room by following God’s will for our lives, for his providential care for his people never fails!

Prepare Him Room: Spiritual Readiness and Formation

December 21, 2023 • Pastor Jeremy Dente • Luke 1:64–67

As a preacher of God’s word, little else in the Christian life compares to being filled with Holy Spirit and blessing God and declaring the truths of His word. The reality of God’s existence is often most tangible in those moments and experiences. By the time John was born to Zechariah and Elizabeth, I’m sure Zechariah’s faith had grown so exponentially that the bold proclamations of blessing the Lord and prophesying in His name seemed the most reasonable response to his new found faith. Zechariah had learned so much about God during those nine months between Elizabeth’s conception and John’s birth that he could not help but declare a word from the Lord. Have you been so radically impacted by God that the only reasonable response was bold proclamation? Has God’s love and providential care for you life caused to proclaim his goodness to the world around you? We’re just a few days away from Christmas, and yet we have ample time to remember the goodness of God and reflect on how he has provided and what he has done in our lives. Let’s be intentional this weekend to prepare room for Jesus and be open to him leading us to proclaim the riches of his glory to an unbelieving world!

Prepare Him Room: Spiritual Readiness and Formation

December 20, 2023 • Pastor Jeremy Dente • Luke 1:18–19, Luke 1:62–63

True growth in our faith in God is most notably accompanied by transformation in behavior. That’s when we know someone’s faith has truly matured – by how they behave in similar circumstances. Zechariah experienced significant growth and maturation in his faith in a relatively short amount of time. From the time that the angel Gabriel came to him in the temple and Zechariah responded in unbelief in Luke 1:18-19, to when his son was finally born and Zechariah  confirmed his name in verses 62-63, we can only infer that God had done a great work on his heart and mind to grow his faith. So much so that faith and obedience to God was as natural as breathing. How has God used time and experience to grow your faith? Has it been through trials and tribulations? Has it been through miraculous or otherwise inexplicable circumstances? Was it brought upon through disobedience or lack of faith? This Christmas season, consider how God might be looking to grow your faith. This week, take the time to prepare room for Jesus so he can grow you in your most holy faith, to grow you in the righteousness that is revealed from faith to faith, for the righteous shall life by faith (Romans 1:17)! 

Prepare Him Room: Spiritual Readiness and Formation

December 19, 2023 • Katie Baatrup • Luke 1:20–23

The advent season can be very busy and chaotic - Christmas parades, shopping, family events and more! It seems we cannot add another task onto our calendar. However, as Christians, it is important that we remember to continue to separate ourselves from distractions and give time to Jesus. Being in silence and solitude is crucial to our spiritual formation and allows us opportunity for great devotion. Reading Luke 1:20-23, “And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time...” Zechariah was taught through silence that trusting in the Lord would give him great reward. The Lord was preparing Zechariah to have full trust in Him for the impossible – that he and his wife would have a long-awaited son. Practice solitude with the Lord this Christmas. This devoted time can give you the strength to dive into the word, read devotions, or pray. Having intimate alone time with the Lord allows you the ability to give your undivided attention to building that relationship with Him. Prepare Him room by spending alone-time with Him regularly and continue that spiritual formation this Advent season.

Prepare Him Room: Spiritual Readiness and Formation

December 18, 2023 • Derek Hogg • Luke 1:5–6, Matthew 14:22–32

The obedience of Zachariah and his wife Elizabeth to God’s law teaches us a great lesson this Advent season. Their obedience to the Law showed their love and devotion to God. But obedience does not just come in the form of following God’s commands. Obedience is also having faith and trust in God; faith is not just a feeling or a concept, faith is an action. When Gabriel had a message from God that Zechariah and Elizabeth would have a son that would prepare the way for the Messiah, Zechariah did not initially respond in belief. Specifically, he did not have faith because of how old he and Elizabeth were. By not having faith, Zechariah’s unbelief was actually leading him to disobedience. If we don’t obey in faith, then how are we going to be obedient in following Jesus’ commands? Being obedient in faith means keeping our eyes on Jesus, while unbelief comes when we look at ourselves or the circumstances around us, or follow our own feelings. Peter walked on water because of faith in Christ (Matthew 14:22-32). So, if we want to prepare him room this Advent season, let’s keep our eyes on Jesus and put our faith and trust in him, and in so doing, we will be obedient to his commands and what he has for us.

Prepare Him Room: Spiritual Readiness and Formation

December 17, 2023 • Pastor Jeremy Dente • Luke 1:5–80

The Gospel of Luke offers us a unique look into the Christmas story by including a detailed account of the events leading up to the birth of the John the Baptist, the forerunner to Christ. These events in the life of John’s parents – Zechariah and Elizabeth – present some interesting insight that speaks powerfully into the life of the Christian still to this day. From their devoted dedication to obeying God’s law, to the angelic visitation in the temple, to the eventual birth of the unexpected baby boy who’d they name John, Zechariah’s and Elizabeth’s story reveals to the reader a magnificent picture of spiritual preparation and maturation. God used time and unexpected experiences not only to magnify his providential care in the world, but to teach us the importance and value of faithful obedience in the face of overwhelming circumstances. Maybe this devotion finds you approaching Christmas with hopeful expectation for what is to come. Or maybe you are struggling just to make it through each day as the thought of the future, in light of what happened in the past, only leaves a bitter taste in your mouth. Wherever you are on that spectrum, we pray this week’s devotion from Luke 1:5-25, 57-80 encourages you and that the story of Luke 1 lifts your heart’s desire to prepare room in your life for greater intimacy with Jesus. In the words of an unsuspecting priest whose life would be forever changed through hopeful expectation, “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people…” Luke 1:68. We pray this week and this Christmas season allows you to make the same proclamation in your own life!

Prepare Him Room: Choosing Your Master

December 15, 2023 • Derek Hogg • Luke 19:8–10, Matthew 6:19–34

Repentance means to have a change of mind and action. When we say we repent of our sin, we are acknowledging that the action was sinful, and we turn from it and turn to Jesus. This was the heart posture that Zacchaeus had. Zacchaeus was a rich tax collector who got rich by dishonest gain and was living in sin through his love of money. But when he had a desire to meet Jesus and had an encounter with him, Zacchaeus realized his sin, his love for money, and how he cheated people to get rich So he repented; he had a changed mind and heart. So much so that he tells Jesus “Look I’ll give half of my possessions to the poor, Lord. And if I have extorted anything form anyone, I’ll pay back four times as much.” Zacchaeus had such a heart of repentance that he was going to pay back double the required amount by the law. We can fall into the same sin with money. We can get so concerned with finances that we put money before God, especially during the holiday season. So let’s prepare him room with our finances this holiday season. You can repent of putting financial concerns before Jesus and make him first in your life. What a great example that can be that salvation has truly come into your life! Read Matthew 6:19-34.

Prepare Him Room: Choosing Your Master

December 14, 2023 • Pastor Jeremy Dente • Luke 19:7–8

I don’t know about you, but retail therapy is a thing! In God’s abundant grace, he’s opened my eyes to the reality of retail therapy in my own life. I can honestly (and shamefully) admit that I have identified times in which I shopped simply to make myself feel better. And yet, the truest evidence of a transformed heart by the grace of God is sacrificial giving. This is what we see in Zacchaeus’ life in Luke 19. After Jesus went to Zacchaeus’ home for a visit, we read, “And when they saw it, they all grumbled, ‘He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.’ And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, ‘Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor.’” Rather than sulking in his own shame and guilt often associated with being a tax collector, Zacchaeus exhibited a truly transformed heart because of being with Jesus. And this transformation was powerfully shown in his sacrificial generosity to the poor, to whom he gave half of all his possessions, not just his salary. We as Christians are to be generous simply because Jesus has been so generous to us through his grace and mercy. When we give from that posture of sacrifice and compassion, we show the world that grace is real, and the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ is the true healing salve for the sinner in us all!

Prepare Him Room: Choosing Your Master

December 13, 2023 • Derek Hogg • Luke 19:1–10

Zacchaeus showed great humility in our story. It’s fair to say that he was aware of what others thought of him. but rather than retaliating, he humbled himself and providing for those who were in need. Its not a coincidence that Jesus had something to say about meeting the needs of the poor (read Matthew 25:31-40). Effectively, Zacchaeus’s humility led him to use his finances for ministry. A lot of times we are not able to use our finances for the kingdom of God because we are not wise with our money. And as Jesus said in Matthew 25:40 “…what you did for the least of these brothers and sisters of mine you did for me.” When we use our finances for the work of the ministry, we are preparing room for Jesus by giving to his work. It takes humility to admit when we put money before God. And it can be so tempting to pridefully compare ourselves to others in order to justify our poor stewardship. But this Christmas season, let’s prepare him room by surrendering our financial concerns to God and showing humility in our acknowledgment that God owns everything, even our own money and possessions, which should therefore be used for his kingdom, not ours. Remember, God gives grace to the humble (James 4:6)!