It’s been about a week since we “fell back” to Standard Time. Many mourn the loss of daylight hours and post their frustration on social media. But I’m thinking about Christmas and how we celebrate light. In some ways, this frustration is a celebration. It reveals our deep need for light and how we ...
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Christmas
The Promise of Christmas Advent Brings Joy
The holidays are upon us! Soon we will celebrate Thanksgiving and immediately following, the Christmas rush begins. Children are easily caught up in the excitement of Christmas. For them, it’s almost magical. As we mature, however, childlike awe dissipates. “Adulting” replaces wonder. Pressure to ...
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Are You Searching for that Christmas Feeling?
Not too long ago, I made a trip to Houston. I drove near The Galleria, a favorite shopping place for our family during the holidays. Each year we go window-shopping for a few hours. Sometimes we make a purchase or two and then go out to eat. Afterward, we look at Christmas lights. It’s been a fun, ...
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Wishing You Christmas Joy!
Joy.
I don’t know of a more delightful word. Just saying it does something inside me. Christmas Joy is extra special.
Joy was the angel’s message to Zechariah, when he announced the birth of John the Baptist.
But the angel said, “Don’t be afraid, Zechariah! God has heard your prayer. Your ...
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Jesus Is the Gift of WONDERFUL
What's in a name? Expectant parents spend hours determining the just-right name for their child, giving great thought to its meaning. In the Bible, names carried significant meaning, too. Sometimes it represented a parent's hope for their child's future. Sometimes it represented the current state of ...
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Anticipating The Birth Of The Son
Long ago a young Jewish girl received some startling news. As a virgin, she would conceive and give birth to a Son--the Savior of the world (Luke 1:29-33). The people of Israel had been living under a cloud of darkness. But soon, their promised Messiah would be born. Although they didn’t know it, ...
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Your Christmas Lights Chase The Darkness Away
On a typical evening, like most neighborhoods, ours is relatively dark. Sparsely spaced streetlights and occasional porch lights provide minimal visibility. Come Christmastime, however, all that changes. Light is everywhere! Some people decorate their houses tastefully. Others look like something ...
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3 Steps for Giving the Gift of Peace
I thought I was finished blogging for the year with the Christmas post I published a couple of weeks ago. But then, some life happened, and God moved in my heart. This, I must share with you. Did you know that one of the best gifts we can give this Christmas is the gift of peace to those we ...
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![This week in our small group study, I felt the Lord’s gentle chastisement.
We looked at the promise in Luke 11:28, “He [Jesus] replied, ‘Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.’”
At first glance, the promise of blessing comes from obedience. But it’s much more.
In the preceding verses, Jesus had cast out a demon that caused a man to be mute. The crowd accused Him of casting out a demon with Satan’s power.
Jesus explained how ridiculous it would be for Satan to drive out his own demons. Then a woman cries out, “Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you,” (v 27).
This is the sticking point. Jesus was in the middle of an important discourse when this woman interrupts Him. He corrects her with this:
✨ Blessed are those who HEAR the word of God and obey it.
That word HEAR means to LISTEN with FULL ATTENTION.
✨ We cannot truly obey God if we don’t know what He’s saying to us.
Basically, Jesus told this woman, and the others in the crowd, “Pay attention!! Don’t get distracted from my voice. I have important things to tell you. You won’t know what they are and what I want you to do, if all you’re thinking about is what you want to say or how you can gain attention. Put your attention on ME.”
It’s never fun to be Jesus’s object lesson.
The questions I’m asking myself …
✨ What keeps me from spending time alone with Jesus?
✨ When I finally get alone with Him, what distracts me?
✨ What keeps me from focusing on God’s Word?
✨ What causes my kind to wander when I’m praying?
➡️ Eliminating distractions …
➡️ Exercising discipline …
… to bring every thought captive to the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5)
… brings true blessing.
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