Ever feel like life is just a series of ups and downs, good times and tough times, and you're constantly trying to keep your head above water? Maybe letting go of control is the key to everything.
This Christmas, let’s reframe the familiar phrase, “Jesus is the reason for the season.” While it’s true that Jesus is the central figure of Christmas, there’s a deeper layer we often miss. What if we told you you are the reason for the season?
Have you ever felt like your life was too messy for God? Remember God works in the mess, and the mess is why God sent the Messiah. The mess of Christmas reveals the depth of God’s love for us. Discover how the glory of Christmas shines brightest in the mess we try to hide.
Zechariah’s story is a reminder that God hears our prayers and is at work in ways that are beyond what we can often imagine, even if it exceeds our life on earth.
Mary responded in faith to the angelic messages given to her. She responded thoughtfully, gradually, in amazement and wonder, and willing to surrender.
It’s easy to be critical of the Church and focus on what’s wrong with her (and rightly so at times), but let’s look at what Jesus had to say about His Church.
Jesus found in the 5th chapter of the Gospel of Mark and these moments were Jesus met 3 very different and very needy people who, once they meet Jesus, are all given what they can only be described as New Life.
Mark shows us that Jesus’ intension was singular, whether a person was a Jew or a Gentile: to bring freedom to those who are under oppression. Jesus is someone who desires to see everyone living freely and peacefully with dignity and purpose and he will take on the forces of hell to see that this gets done.
Who needs Christmas?, is so important. And though we’ve come at the question from a different angle each week, we’ve basically returned to the same answer – we all need Christmas. People needed it then and still need it today.