Coming Home - Candlewood Church

Coming Home - Part 5, A hard place to be yourself.

December 31, 2023 • Pastor Glenn Garvin • Luke 4:16–21

If you have ever left your hometown or home church and come back after a period time, it may be hard for people to see you as more than a baby, a teen, or a youth. You’re different from when you left and coming back home can be very difficult. Jesus had a similar story. After Jesus was born, He left his home in Nazareth to be on mission for God. When he returned home, it was a little awkward. Then…Jesus said something so unusual it triggered his own community to decide to mob him. What did Jesus say and why did it bring such a response? Let’s find out together!

Coming Home Part 4 "Christmas Eve"

December 24, 2023 • Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve Service

Coming Home, Part 3, To Chaos and Uncertainty

December 17, 2023 • Pastor Glenn Garvin • Luke 2:1–7

Mary and Joseph’s “Christmas Season” was very uneasy. Last week we noted that God did not hide the way Jesus was conceived. Putting aside the facts of having a child in ancient times, the journey ahead of them once Jesus was born was also going to be difficult. None of this season was easy. There was tension, chaos, and probably even fear. Have you had as season like this? God knows and He sees you. Let’s talk about it together this Sunday.

Coming Home: A Controversial Story (Part 2)

December 10, 2023 • Pastor Glenn Garvin • Luke 1:34–35

God decided to become a human in such a known and controversial way. He wasn’t trying to keep it a secret! Both Mary and Joseph could be considered common, ordinary, unknown people from a regular town. Last week, we talked about Advent and how it means “the coming,” specifically the coming of Christ. We know why Jesus had to become human…to save humanity. We also know this was foretold thousands of years ago. Joseph and Mary were forced to come home to their ancestral beginning in Bethlehem, and they did it while also carrying a heavy load…a story covered in controversy.

Coming Home - Part 1 - A Real Family Story

December 3, 2023 • Matthew 1:1

The Christmas Story is seen as the bright ray of sunshine in a dark world and is celebrated worldwide as people come home for Christmas. We can also refer to this time as Advent, which means “the coming or arrival.” As we read about Jesus’ birth, we may glamorize the characters of this popular story. The Christmas Story is a real story about real people who had real, authentic realities that may not be as dazzling as we think. Nevertheless, this story is monumental and THE pivotal point in human history. Let us celebrate the arrival of Jesus together!