It's not praise until you let it out. Pastor Ryan concludes our Christmas series with the shepherds and what it looked like for them to release their praise of the incarnate Jesus, the present Messiah and King of Israel. They weren't formally trained, they didn't have experience as orators, but they knew the message they had received and the encounter with the angels that they had experienced. No slick argument could undo that and they extoled the glory of God as a result.
Part 3: A Night for Christ Revealed
December 10, 2023 • Cami Wittwer • Luke 2
The Light of Christ is always shining, and on Christmas Night it burst forth in a fresh and glorious way. It revealed itself to the lowest of lowly social outcasts in the shepherds. It burst forth and lit the way out of the bondage of their poverty, oppression, and low standing. What's more, Christ continues to be revealed to us today and continues to light the way through the darkness.
Part 2: A Night for Relationship Restored
December 3, 2023 • Ryan Oddo • Luke 2:1–7
Sin has driven a wedge between humanity and the God that created them. Put simply, choosing what seems good in our own, limited eyes at the expense of trusting the way of the loving God who created everything has led us away from relationship with that benevolent God. Praise God, though, that He sent His one and only Son to pave the way for our relationship with God to be restored. What's more, is through His Holy Spirit we have the ministry of reconciliation in our grasp, putting down offense, and engaging in emotionally healthy and healed relationships with those around us.
Part 1: A Night for Hopes Renewed
November 26, 2023 • Ryan Oddo • Luke 2:1–6
Hope is the frame that informs all of how we approach life. So the question is, where is your hope? Is it in a bonus at work this Christmas season? What about next years elections in the US and who wins the presidency? Is it in your family to take your hurts away and soothe your pain? Or is it in the only good and perfect One; Maker of Heaven and Earth; The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit? Biblical hope in God and who He is will carry you through any time of waiting and uncertainty, looking forward to a promised future where He restores heaven to earth and makes all things new.
