READ: LUKE 22:24-27; PHILIPPIANS 2:1-18 “Pastor, could you follow me to make sure I get home okay?” Mrs. Nelson asked this question. The pastor was my dad. It was New Year’s Eve, and it was very late. In fact, it was technically New Year’s Day. Our church always had a potluck, games, and a service [...]

READ: 1 CHRONICLES 16:8-14; ECCLESIASTES 3:1-8; ROMANS 8:28-29; 35-39 A lot can happen in a year. A year can seem like both a long time and a short time all at once. Already, this year is nearly over. Isn’t it crazy? A new year is right around the corner. What was this year like for [...]

READ: 1 CORINTHIANS 13:1-7; 1 JOHN 4:7-21 The simple note written on a card and given to me by a family member echoed in my mind. It read, “Love you! Proud of you!” I couldn’t stop thinking about those words. I felt a nudge, as if the Holy Spirit wanted me to pay attention. And [...]

READ: ROMANS 5:5; 8:1-2, 8-11; EPHESIANS 1:13 Imagine you saw a pair of shoes walking down the street without anyone wearing them. You’d probably think it was some uncanny new technology or an elaborate prank, right? Obviously, shoes need to have a wearer to move around. They can’t move by themselves. It’s only when someone [...]

READ: LUKE 15:1-32; JOHN 13:34 I said, “Give me my portion of the goods,”And in my youthful heart I knew he would.I took, and turned, and quickly walked awayAnd relished in the freedom of that day.For pleasures I had dreamed about I’d roam,Not once regretting ever leaving home.I traveled far until one fateful dayI found [...]

READ: PSALM 107:8-9; MATTHEW 13:44-46; JOHN 4:1-30 During Christmas, our hearts are full of expectations. Things like, who we will see, what we will eat, and what we will receive. Then, once all the gifts are opened, the food is gone, and the guests are saying goodbye, we may experience an instant breath of fulfillment. [...]

READ: ISAIAH 53:2; LUKE 2:4-7; JOHN 3:16-17; 10:10-11 What matters more, the fancy wrapping on a gift or what’s inside? Once the paper and bows are off the present, we rarely think about them again. All we care about is what we’ve just unwrapped. Jesus proved that all the fancy “wrapping” didn’t matter when He [...]

READ: ISAIAH 43:1; LUKE 2:8-20; JOHN 3:16 When Jesus came into the world, God could’ve invited anyone to welcome Him. God could’ve told the angels to invite priests, soldiers, or kings to visit the newborn King. Instead, He sent the angels to proclaim the news of Jesus’s birth to ordinary, everyday shepherds. It may seem [...]

READ: 1 CORINTHIANS 12:4-13 Do you ever wish you had someone else’s talent? Maybe you have a friend or family member who’s really good at math or basketball or singing. Sometimes, when we look at what others can do, it’s easy to feel like we don’t measure up. In times like these, it can be [...]

READ: ACTS 2:42-47; 1 CORINTHIANS 12:12-27; PHILIPPIANS 4:10-20 One year, our family faced long months of unemployment. Jobs were scarce. So was money. I did everything I could think of to make ends meet, but a Christmas feast would be out of the question this year. It wasn’t the end of the world. It was [...]