Archives of Advent 2020

The Best Gift John 1:1–18 By Greg and Christina Owen Christmas is finally here! This day will most certainly involve gifts. The gift a child opens that he has been longing for; the gift of family time with those you love; the gift of rest from the normal work pattern. Surely gifts will abound. But […]

The Hands that Hold All Things Colossians 1:15-20 by Daniel Barkley You would be hard pressed to find a more beautiful passage in all of God’s Word. This moving letter from Paul echoes all the way back to the Psalms, beckoning our wandering hearts into the theater of God’s glory… to have a seat and […]

Only Jesus Galatians 4:4-7 By Lacey Komis Galatians 4 starts out reminding the church at Galatia of their identity and inheritance. The church was in the middle of a conflict. Some had started to listen and believe the false teachers that salvation is law plus grace. The people needed to be reminded of their good […]

Blind Faith Romans 16: 25-27 By Lee Nourse The apostle Paul wrote the book of Romans with the intention of uniting Jews and Gentiles alike, to the Word of God. The prophetic writings in the Old Testament and the personal accounts of the apostles reveal God’s plan of saving grace towards all peoples in all […]

God Builds a House 2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16 By Josh Komis King David, a man after God’s own heart, wanted to build a house for God. His desire was noble. The nation of Israel rested from successful military campaigns and David was restless. In the many years since Israel made a covenant with God at […]

The Announcement of the Birth of Jesus to Mary Luke 1:26-38 By Jeff Olds Today’s passage tells of the announcement to Mary that she would be the mother of Jesus. This visit from the angel Gabriel is referred to as the annunciation – the announcement of the incarnation by the angel Gabriel to Mary. In […]

Best Supporting Actor John 1:6-8, 19-28 By Peter and Courtney Thompson It’s all too easy for me to fall into the trap of believing I’m the main character in my story. After all, I literally view the world through my eyes. Maybe you struggle with that, too. We live in a time where self-promotion is […]

Rejoice! 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24 By Justin Carmona Paul closes his letter to the Thessalonian church with final exhortations to live for Jesus. He begins with the call to rejoice and he ends with a reminder that Jesus is faithful. We are able to rejoice because we know that the one who calls us will do […]

Living in Response to God’s Abundance Psalm 126 By Donna McKinney During this week of Advent when we light the shepherds’ candle, we focus on joy — the shepherds’ joy in finding the baby Jesus. Perhaps for some… perhaps for you… joy feels like that hard-to-find, elusive thing, just beyond your grasp, especially this year. The isolation […]

Rejoicing in Hope Luke 1:46-55 By Lauren Barkley In the previous verses, the angel Gabriel told Mary the good news that she would be the mother of our king Jesus – that she would be a key player in God’s plan to save his people from their sins. She then visited her relative Elizabeth who […]