Behold Him
Behold Him - The Christmas Story - December 17, 2023
December 18, 2023 • Brock Tharpe • Luke 2:1–20, Romans 1:20
Where is the most beautiful place you have ever been? Maybe it was the Grand Canyon, or Niagara Falls, or a mountaintop on a Caribbean island overlooking the ocean. Great artwork gives us a desire to learn more about the artist who made it, and it is no different when it comes to creation. There are so many things we can learn about God by looking at the world he has made. But while creation tells us so much about God's greatness, it is the incarnation that informs us of his goodness. God becoming a man in the person of Jesus tells us that God is not only great and holy and magnificent, but also that he is relational, kind, and loving. In this message on the Christmas story, Brock urges us to cultivate a faith that clings tightly to both of these ideas. God is great, and God is good, and it is at Christmas that we see the two fully.
We Have Seen His Glory - December 10, 2023
December 11, 2023 • Cody Zimmerman • John 1:1–18
Figuring out how and where to start a story can be tricky. In telling the story of Jesus, the Gospel of John opens very differently than the other three gospels. While Mark starts with the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, and Matthew and Luke start with the beginning of Jesus’ life, John starts with a different perspective entirely. Cody leads us through the prologue of the book of John in this week’s Advent sermon, and in it, John makes the claim that Jesus’s story doesn’t even have a beginning. He has always been. The opening verses of John reveal a whole lot about the identity of Jesus, and it extends to us the invitation to behold him for who he really is.
Behold Him - Week 1 - December 3, 2023
December 4, 2023 • Brock Tharpe • Matthew 17:1–8, 2 Corinthians 3:18
Our theme for our celebration of Advent this year is simply, “Behold Him.” Brock begins this year’s Advent series by going through the story of the Transfiguration in Matthew chapter 17. While that story isn’t your typical Christmas reading, Brock uses it to invite us to slow down, to be present, to be careful not to miss the beauty in front of us; to Behold, to look for a deeper glimpse into God’s glory in the person of Jesus, just like Peter, James, and John, as well as Moses and Elijah did on the mountain of Transfiguration. Because seeing Jesus in his glory represents thousands of years of God keeping his promises. And also, because seeing Jesus in his glory leads to our own transformation. This is a full service video from our 2023 sermon series titled, "Behold Him". For an audio recording of only the sermon, check out our "podcasts" series within the White Stone App, or go to the White Stone Church audio messages podcast on your podcast app of choice.