Christmas Carol Messages: "Come Thou Long Expected Jesus" Many leaders have founded religions based on claims they received a message from God. So how do we know the message of Jesus Christ is the only valid and anointed way to God? What about the messages of...
A Heart for Hospitality: Bless or Impress? The articles and blog posts are already flooding magazines and websites. And if I see one more magazine spread on how to host the perfect Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner party, I may scream. The seasonal articles and...
Advent: Prince of Peace Four weeks of Advent – four names of the Christ-child from the prophet Isaiah. “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,...
Advent: The Everlasting Father Father. A title that may evoke joy or sadness, blame or gratitude, depending on your personal experience. One thing it does not evoke is indifference. Four weeks of Advent—four names of the Christ-child from the prophet Isaiah....
Advent: Mighty God Soft, adorable bundles of joy. Who doesn’t love sweet little babies? Vulnerable, helpless, and defenseless. They bring out the best in us, don’t they? Our instinct is to cuddle and protect them. To keep them safe and give them everything they...
Advent: Wonderful Counselor Christmas is my absolute favorite time of year. Since most of my friends know this, they either feed my passion or tease me about it. Either way, I relish the four weeks of Advent as a time of joyful expectation as I count down the...
The People of Christmas: Those Who Worship We see them in most nativity scenes: three men off to the side, dressed in opulent robes. They seem out of place in the tableau, rich men bearing luxurious gifts, coming to worship a baby belonging to poor parents. We...
The People of Christmas: The Antagonistic How could you believe in a God who allows bad things to happen to good people? Believing in God is fine for you, but I don’t need a crutch. Keep prayer out of schools. ...
The People of Christmas: The Trusting I trust gravity will keep my feet anchored to the floor when I get out of bed. I trust the light will turn on when I flip the electric switch. I trust the sun will rise tomorrow morning. There is a slight chance that one or...
All You Need is Christmas Love In 1967, the Beatles had a hit with their song, “All You Need is Love.” That song became a theme for the 60s and 70s. Love is all the world needed to solve its problems, or so the song claimed. About that time another refrain...
A Christmas Carol Message: “Hark the Herald Angels Sing” We don’t often incorporate the word herald in our...
A Christmas Carol Message: “Silent Night” The quintessential Christmas carol, “Silent Night,” has an...
Christmas Carol: “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” When I think of Christmas carols, I think of joy. Celebration....