IT'S A NEW YEAR

Last week we looked at a number of Scriptures.  One that that we might re-visit is :

 Luke 2:10 “But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.” (NIV 1984)

 I would guess that the shepherds were petrified.  They were afraid of the angels, they were afraid of the directives to go and probably did not understand the peace that came over the animals in the presence of this newborn child.  Are we any different? 
This Sunday will be the first day of a brand new year.  It always evokes thoughts of the past and hopes or fears of the future.  It is a great time of reflection across the entire world.  Different peoples from every tribe nation and tongue will do the same on the potential of tomorrow.

 WFC has so much potential.  As we Gather, Grow and Go this year, what is your role?  How will you grow by taking next steps in your walk with Jesus?

This week read how Jesus sent out the 70  (or 72) in Luke 10:1-17. ( Maybe it was January 1^st  when they were sent.)  No matter what day it was, it was a new day in their view of who Jesus was and is.  Let’s talk about that,  not with New Year’s resolutions, but with ears for the call that comes from the Lord.

Love. Hope. Peace.

When you simplify what Christmas is about, Immanuel,  “God with us”, we begin to see the gift of God’s love for us.  We begin to know the hope that we have in His rescue plan, reconciling the world to himself through Jesus.  For the remainder of this week, I would encourage you to focus on experiencing the peace of God, “which transcends all understanding [and] will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”  When we start to experience this peace of God in our heart, the hope of reconciliation will spill out into our relationships, community and world.  

The angels announced peace to the shepherds on that first Christmas and we have the privilege to see what Christ accomplished in His death and resurrection.  Reconciliation and peace are realities for us as we wait for the returning Prince of Peace.   What a gift we have in Jesus!

Read the verses below and meditate on what we were really given with the birth of Christ - Immanuel.

Romans 5: 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us…….. 10 For if, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! 11 Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. (NIV 1984)

Col. 3:15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. (NIV 1984)

John 16:33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (NIV 1984)

Rom. 15: 13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (NIV 1984)

^{2 Cor. 5:18} All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: (NIV 1984)

Luke 2:10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying 14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.” (NIV 1984)

Our Hope

But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”

Luke 2:10-14 (NIV1984)

Read John 1:1-14, Colossians 1:15-20 and Romans 5 in preparation for Sunday as we talk about the hope we have in Jesus.

See you Sunday,

Alex

Simply Christmas

Last week we finished our Discovering Character series.  I am always curious to know your takeaway from the series.  How has God been working in your life?  This is beneficial in a couple of ways: 

• It gives testimony to God’s work
• It helps you to process what you are leaning
•  It gives the staff good feedback on what is hitting home with you, helping us plan future sermon series. 

We are fully engaged in the Christmas season and it is our goal to focus in on Jesus.  We want to clear away all that distracts us from our savior.  We are often focused this season on gifts, shopping, decorations, food, parties and the like.  We are also faced with the sadness or pain of tough stuff occurring in our families.  Let's shift into the simplicity of Christmas by looking at God’s love, hope and peace.  If one of the reasons for Jesus coming to earth was to show us what God the Father is like, what do we learn about Him in this first Christmas?

Join us this Christmas season as we dig into what the angels declared to the shepherds on the night our Savior was born.   

But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”

Luke 2:10-14 (NIV1984)

See you Sunday,

Alex

Love God - Love People

I trust your thanksgiving went well.  The past two weeks we have discussed some very important pieces of our maturing process as Christians.  Scott taught about simplifying your life to create the space for relationships with God and others.  We cannot become mature followers of Christ if we have no margin in our life.  Dave taught about the importance of engaging our losses through grief.  Many of us have had our hearts buried by some kind of loss in our life.  Our heart will stay in that buried space until we do the hard work of grief.

Are you simplifying your life to give relationship with God and others space to grow?  What activities are you going to cut to reduce the business of your life? Have you grieved your losses in life?  Is your heart buried somewhere in your past, unable to mature into the healthy adult God is calling you to be?

This week we are wrapping up our Discovering Character Series.  We will be learning the number one benefit of being a spiritually healthy adult...LOVE.  One thing I am always asking myself is, am I loving Jesus and other people better?  I think we all want to do the Great Commandment better.  We want to be better friends, family members, neighbors, coworkers and followers of Jesus.  This requires love and it seems love does not come naturally.   Read Luke 10:25-37 in preparation for Sunday as we discover the "under the surface work" that Jesus wants to do in us.

See you Sunday,

Alex