Advent FLASHLIGHT
Advent FLASHLIGHT: shareHOPE
December 20, 2015 • Peter Mueller
We live in what often seems to be a bad news world. The prophet Zephaniah spent a lot of time reminding God’s people of the existing bad news and of more to come if they didn’t turn back to God. However, in today’s reading, Zephaniah gives a beautiful description of God’s grace and hope - that found in Jesus, whom John described as being “full of grace and truth”. As we come near to Christmas, we can find great joy and hope in the amazing grace of the soon coming Savior, Jesus!
Advent FLASHLIGHT: renewHOPE
December 13, 2015 • Peter Mueller
Living in an occupied country, struggling to survive, and now faced with pregnancy carrying God’s son, Mary the mother of Jesus might have lost all hope. Instead, her hope is renewed as she considers the miracle that is occurring. In response, Mary sings a song of praise to God. Similarly, life is sufficiently challenging that we all need a periodic renewal of our hope, which is why renewHOPE experiences are one of the four ways that people can grow in living our mission.
Advent FLASHLIGHT: linkHOPE
December 6, 2015 • Peter Mueller
So often we think of preparing for Christmas in all of the rightfully fun, memorable, and joyful ways - hanging lights and greenery, decorating Christmas trees, making gingerbread houses and delightful cookies, buying gifts and preparing feasts. These things can be good and remind us of the joy of our Savior's birth. But Advent is a time of preparation - a time when we ask God to refine us with His holy fire to remind us of our sin and need for a Savior in the first place. This is also a time to get in touch with why we so very much need saving, and then to confess and repent of that sin, and only then to finally enter into the fullest of celebration of God's love in Jesus! If you invest some time and energy into this discipline, your Advent and Christmas season will be richer for it.
Advent FLASHLIGHT: gatherHOPE
November 29, 2015 • Peter Mueller
Today we enter the season of Advent - four weeks leading tp to Christmas where we retrace the ancient longing for good news in what is too often a bad news world and join with expressing our own ache for the life and light of God's love. The ancient people of God looked forward to the day when God will gather the people of the world to walk in His light because of Jesus; today, we we prepare to celebrate the birth of our Savior Jesus, we seek strength and hope in God's loving voice as we gather together to worship Him.