READ: 2 KINGS 6:8-23; PSALM 135:5-6 Wars, earthquakes, crime—all kinds of awful things are going on in the world. Sometimes it seems like there’s only bad news. But when things look bleak in our broken world, we can have hope as we remember that Jesus is coming back one day, and when He does, He’s [...]

READ: LUKE 2:4-7; JOHN 1:1-18 Christmas tends to get a lot of hype as far as holidays go. I love the holiday personally. It’s a time when I get to celebrate with my family, share presents, and eat good food. It’s also a time I get to remember the story about how God became a [...]

READ: PSALM 62:5-12; MATTHEW 2:1-11; LUKE 2:1-7 From the time we’re young, Christmas can leave us feeling disappointed. As a little kid, you might have longed for a certain gift and gone without it. You might have hoped a family member would be around to celebrate the holiday season with you and found that they [...]

READ: LUKE 1:26-56; 2:1-35; 1 TIMOTHY 4:12 In Luke 1, when the angel Gabriel suddenly appeared out of nowhere, Mary was probably no more than sixteen. As if the angel wasn’t terrifying enough, he also brought distressing news: she—still a virgin and engaged to be married—would soon become pregnant with the Son of the Most [...]

READ: GALATIANS 4:4-5; REVELATION 21:1-5 When He came the first time The world was in dire need Arriving as a newborn baby Not atop a gallant steed This might come to some’s surprise The way He came to us But, Jesus comes with power and love Not with pompous fuss When He came the first [...]

READ: ISAIAH 9:1-7; MATTHEW 1:18-23 God with us. Closer than our very breath, YH-WH, “I am,” here (Exodus 3:14). From the seeking of humanity in the Garden of Eden, when we first sinned and God called to us, “Where are you?” (Genesis 3:9). To the seeking in the desert, when the LORD spoke to Hagar [...]

READ: PSALMS 39:4-7; 90:1-17 When I was young, my family would visit my grandmother 750 miles away, and at night, she would sit with me on her lap and read from her Bible and tell stories of her life. She often said, “It wasn’t long ago I was your age.” I would look at her [...]

READ: LUKE 2:25-35 Long ago, God promised Simeon that before he died, he would see the Messiah. And so, Simeon waited. I imagine that, as he grew in years and felt his physical strength lessen, Simeon became weary of anticipating and expecting. The Bible tells us that Simeon looked forward to “Israel’s consolation” (Luke 2:25). [...]

READ: EPHESIANS 6:10-20 If you live in a part of the world where the winters get cold and snowy, you’re probably used to putting on layers of warm clothes before venturing outside. Hats, mittens, coats, and boots protect us from the cold and wind, and they can also help us understand today’s Bible passage. In [...]

READ: PSALM 25:16-18; 1 PETER 1:3-13 Lonely, sad, life isn’t what I hoped Desperate, scared, I feel alone No one is for me, I stand by myself Many are against me, I can’t face them I need mercy, need someone to help I need strength, need to be held I cannot go forward on my [...]