A far off Christmas is an understatement this week. We head to the North Pole and all the way back to the Garden of Eden. The past two weeks we considered the when and the where. This week we’ll look at why do we have Christmas?
A Far Off Christmas – Where
Last week we heard when Jesus was coming – when the time had fully come! The world was ready for Jesus some two thousand years ago. What about where? Today we explore what the ancients knew about the location of the coming Savior.
A Far Off Christmas
A far off Christmas sounds a little odd when everyone knows that Christmas comes around once a year. That wasn’t the case for God’s Old Testament people.
The Rider on the White Horse
The rider on the white horse might seem ambiguous to you, but it’s a very specific picture of our God. If we go into Revelation 19 we see the armies of heaven amassed and marching behind the rider on the white horse. Yet there is something that seems out of place.
Heaven is a Place
Heaven is a place might seem obvious enough, but many people don’t think so. The concept of the afterlife is a difficult one for people to understand. As soon as folks admit there is an afterlife, then they have to admit there is a God, higher power, or something greater than themselves.
The Last Day of the World
The Last Day of the World sounds kind of ominous, but it doesn’t need to be. God has had this day in mind since the creation of the world. He has known every step, every detail, the most important part of that plan was how he would get to know you.
Halloween and Potatoes
Halloween and Potatoes might not go together as well as chocolate and peanut butter, but there is a connection. In the 19th century the Irish Potato Famine displaced millions of people. Many of those went to find a new home in the New Country of America.
The Bible – Walking on Water
Walking on water is impossible. It doesn’t just sound impossible. Take anyone on the planet and plop him out of a boat on the the surface of water and he will sink. There is one exception to that rule, isn’t there? Jesus was out walking one evening.
The Bible – Rach, Shach, and Benny
Rach, Shach, and Benny is a cute, catchy description of the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego from Daniel 3. More commonly known as the three men in the fiery furnace, this story is all about trusting in God even to the point of death.
The Bible – David and Goliath
David and Goliath is more than a story of the underdog. It’s a reminder that the battle is not ours. The battle belongs to the Lord. This is true when it came to a giant who defied the God of Israel for 40 days, morning and evening. This is true for you when a challenge comes that you cannot win on your own. Cancer, addiction, loss… The battle belongs to the Lord.
The Bible – Parting the Red Sea
Why would God allow his people to almost be wiped off the desert floor? Didn’t the Israelites ask God to just let them be slaves! That’s not exactly how I remember the story either, but how quickly God’s people turn on their savior. How quickly do we do the same? Why does God allow things in life to get SO bad that there is nothing left to do?
The Bible – The Ten Plagues
The Ten Plagues are a powerful example of God bending man’s will to his own. We could talk about the power that God displayed in these ten plagues, but I want to look at the obduracy.
The Bible – Abraham Tested
Abraham Tested is the theme for the first lesson in our latest Bible study series. The History Channel created a series on a handful of chapters from the Bible. These videos will serve as a catalyst for discussion in our study.
Summer Catechism: The Doxology
The Doxology isn’t actually part of Scripture. To be sure, it’s Scriptural, but at it stands, the Doxology, as we know it – the last few words of the Lord’s Prayer – did not cross Jesus lips when he taught his disciples to pray.
Summer Catechism: The Seventh Petition
Deliver us from evil! This is the cry from the 7th petition. It’s not a fun exercise, but a look into the face of all the evil in the world can give us some perspective of all that our God fends away everyday. Yet there are some instances of evil that he allows into our lives. This week we look at evil in the world and how our almighty God protects us from it.