Posts with the category “company-at-christmas”

GPSSierra CombsIf you know me well, you certainly know that I do not like to drive. I also do not like being the navigator. Prior to iPhones and GPS, putting me in this position was absolutely useless, if not detrimental. Even with the technology, I am more than likely going to get distracted and forget to tell you where to turn. I have always wanted to go on “The Amazing Race” but my terrible sen...  Read More

The Directions of OthersFerdinand Sanders“Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, ‘Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.’ And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt and remained there until the de...  Read More

Difficult DirectionsPhilip PiaseckiChristmastime is one of the best times of the year. There is nothing like all the family gatherings, parties with friends, and celebrations with the church during that season. I always thought Christmas was special, but it became even more special once I had kids. The look and joy on their faces opening up presents on Christmas morning are unlike anything else. H...  Read More

GPS AngelJeannie YatesHave you ever had difficulty communicating directions? Or maybe, you have been the one on the receiving end of some poor directions, especially in the early days of GPS devices! All too many times, I remember hearing a kind British voice say, “Turn around when possible; you are going the wrong way!”I often think of angels as messengers that bring good news, but in Matthew cha...  Read More

Angels: The Servants of GodWilliam KinneyI have often wondered what it would be like to get a message from an angel; would it be in a dream, in direct conversation, or perhaps in the form of signs? How would I react if an angel approached me? Would I know it was an angel from God?As I have pondered these questions, I thought about the birth of Jesus Christ and how the angels of the Lord directed a...  Read More

Socks and Underwear Again?Joanna MontgomeryChristmas is a wonderful time of giving and receiving gifts. Have you ever received a gift you needed, but really did not want? When I was a child, every Christmas I knew what I would be getting from my grandma, socks and underwear. Ugh! Each year I thought, “Maybe this year she will get me a doll or a board game!” However, every year, I would unwrap a gi...  Read More

Worship and GiftsMitchell HolmesThe news of Jesus’ birth caused emotions all across the land. For some, the birth of this child meant hope. For others, it meant fear and political unrest. Both are represented in today’s passage of Scripture. Please read Matthew 2:1-12.King Herod, upon hearing about the birth of Jesus, King of the Jews, was troubled. Herod was paranoid and desperate to keep his sea...  Read More

True WorshipJosh Thayer“When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.” Matthew 2:10-...  Read More

Daniel's Influence?John Stone“And after they came into the house, they saw the Child with His mother Mary; and they fell down and worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” Matthew 2:11 (NASB)When we read the story of the birth of Christ and the part played by the wise men, or magi as they are sometimes called, it can be easy to ov...  Read More

Our Response to God IncarnatePatrick BicknellHave you ever been star-struck before? There was one time in my life when I was particularly star-struck meeting a famous person. I was in the 9th grade traveling with my friend’s family to Florida for a cruise vacation that we were going on. Our plane landed at the airport around two in the morning and, as you would expect, I was exhausted. As we were ...  Read More

Giving God Our TimeCaleb Garrison“And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.” Matthew 2:11Christmas can be one of the busiest times of the year. We have countless Christmas parties, mile-long lists of gifts we need to shop for, school performances th...  Read More

Love LanguagesDr. Randy T. Johnson“When they [the wise men] saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.” Matthew 2:10-11In 1988, Gary Smalley and John Trent published The Language of Love. Since ...  Read More

Simeon WaitsJohn RiggSince the very beginning of my walk with Jesus, I have sensed that Jesus would return before I would die. Maybe it is just wishful thinking on my part, but I have always felt this way in my heart. There have been times that I have shared this with others and they said that they too have felt the same; that there was something telling them that the second coming of Christ would...  Read More

Seeds of ObediencePastor David WilsonPineapples can be grown by the average person in their home, but you will be committed to persevering to the end; and by persevering I mean wait anywhere between 18 to 24 months to pick and eat a pineapple the size of a softball.In Luke 2:22-35, we are given the account of a man named Simeon who was promised to see the Messiah. He would not see death until afte...  Read More

Anticipation of Things to ComeJames MannChristmas is such an exciting holiday to watch everyone with their different traditions. Many people have some sort of tradition that begins before Christmas day, and it is done to build anticipation for the big day. Some people do advent calendars while others make massive paper loops that count down the days and they rip off a loop every day. All these thi...  Read More

Exemplary Living for GodSydney KimballBear with me as I ask you a rather morbid question. I do promise you, however, that by the end of this, you will see my point in bringing up such a topic. My question to you is this, “What do you want people to say about you at your memorial service, or, better yet, how do you want to be remembered?” Now, many of us, when asked this question, will respond with...  Read More

FaithfulnessJill OsmonHaving a deep, abiding faithfulness to God and His Word is what we should pursue. All over the Bible, we see examples of faithfulness but one story is hidden, like a little gem that I think we miss when we think about the story of Jesus’ birth. Luke specifically highlights two people, Simeon and Anna, and if you do not really pay attention, you can miss the specialness of the...  Read More

A Couple SentencesDebbie Gabbara“Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher.” Luke 2:36Scripture only gives us three verses, Luke 2:36-38, to learn about Anna, but there is a lot packed into this short passage of God’s Word. God tells us who she was, who her father was, and even the tribe they came from. Then in the next couple of sentences, God gives us a glimpse into Anna’s entire life...  Read More

It is PersonalCaleb Jones“And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, ‘Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this ...  Read More

Humble BeginningsKeaton WashburnWhen I think of the angels coming to the shepherds, I think of it as a story. To most people, this event is just that though, a story. However, a story, by definition, is an account, true or imaginary, told for entertainment. Jesus coming as a baby, born of a virgin, is much more than a story. It is a historical event that begins the life of the most important perso...  Read More

Christmas Eve at a Truck StopPeter MasonWhat many of us love so much about Christmas is what causes us to miss it; the sentimentality and myth that surround it. The “story” of Christmas oftentimes is just that: a story. One that lives in a part of our childhood is A Charlie Brown Christmas. It is the story that Linus recites in his tender soft voice with his light blue blanket. The magic and nosta...  Read More

Why the ShepherdsLarry GabbaraIn 2017, my wife and I were privileged to travel to Israel with the church staff. It was amazing as we traveled along the road to see shepherds tending their sheep. Our tour guide said they were Bedouins, nomad shepherds, that are continually moving to look for greener pastures for their flock. All through the Bible, we see stories of shepherds. We read of how they pr...  Read More

The Roughnecks?Pastor Noble BairdPersonally, I have always loved how the Lord chose to include and prioritize the shepherds in the birth of Christ. As we go over the Christmas story (the birth of Christ), it is always amazing how intentional the Lord is with whom He reveals and proclaims the birth of His Son, Jesus. In Luke 2:8-20, we have the account of the proclamation to the Shepherds of the gl...  Read More

The UnexpectedDr. Randy T. Johnson“When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.’” Luke 2:15Do you remember hearing or seeing something that was unexpected? It caught you off guard. You might have said, “I did not see that coming.” If you were texting, you m...  Read More