A message from the series “Carry the Light.” Carrying the light forward describes the connection between Isaiah and the Old Testament story in which Jesus is the fulfillment of the greatest promise ever made: a savior. The prophet of old, Isaiah, writes poignant descriptions of the divinely inspired message given to him. In these texts lie the promised hope of the Messiah who is to come. This Advent season, as we await the birth of Jesus Christ who changed the world, we will find the threads that are pulled through to the New Testament and embodied in the Christ-child who is born on that special evening, long ago, in the humble means in a manger in Bethlehem.
Archives: Messages
A message from the series “Carry the Light.” Carrying the light forward describes the connection between Isaiah and the Old Testament story in which Jesus is the fulfillment of the greatest promise ever made: a savior. The prophet of old, Isaiah, writes poignant descriptions of the divinely inspired message given to him. In these texts lie the promised hope of the Messiah who is to come. This Advent season, as we await the birth of Jesus Christ who changed the world, we will find the threads that are pulled through to the New Testament and embodied in the Christ-child who is born on that special evening, long ago, in the humble means in a manger in Bethlehem.
A message from the series “Carry the Light.” It can be so easy to turn the Angel’s greeting to Mary into a movie-star moment, right? This year, as we pair the Old Testament with the story of Jesus’ birth, what if we approached this story from the reality that it is? Mary receives an unexpected visitor with an unexpected message. The most impossible sounding thing is promised
to her! That she (a virgin) will bear a child, by the Holy Spirit. What kind of prayers do you think Mary prayed that night before bed? How did this message challenge or support her Jewish faith? The Jews of her day would have memorized this excerpt of Isaiah 61, as it was an ever-present hope of the Messiah’s reigning attributes and actions. Now, she receives the one message that will change the trajectory of the world. Her response? “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” How amazing is this! This week, we pause
to praise God for the faithfulness of Mary and the posture of willingness that she models for all of us in receiving God’s call upon our lives.
A message from the series “Carry the Light.” It can be so easy to turn the Angel’s greeting to Mary into a movie-star moment, right? This year, as we pair the Old Testament with the story of Jesus’ birth, what if we approached this story from the reality that it is? Mary receives an unexpected visitor with an unexpected message. The most impossible sounding thing is promised to her! That she (a virgin) will bear a child, by the Holy Spirit. What kind of prayers do you think Mary prayed that night before bed? How did this message challenge or support her Jewish faith? The Jews of her day would have memorized this excerpt of Isaiah 61, as it was an ever-present hope of the Messiah’s reigning attributes and actions. Now, she receives the one message that will change the trajectory of the world. Her response? “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” How amazing is this! This week, we pause to praise God for the faithfulness of Mary and the posture of willingness that she models for all of us in receiving God’s call upon our lives.
A message from the series “Carry the Light.” It can be so easy to turn the Angel’s greeting to Mary into a movie-star moment, right? This year, as we pair the Old Testament with the story of Jesus’ birth, what if we approached this story from the reality that it is? Mary receives an unexpected visitor with an unexpected message. The most impossible sounding thing is promised
to her! That she (a virgin) will bear a child, by the Holy Spirit. What kind of prayers do you think Mary prayed that night before bed? How did this message challenge or support her Jewish faith? The Jews of her day would have memorized this excerpt of Isaiah 61, as it was an ever-present hope of the Messiah’s reigning attributes and actions. Now, she receives the one message that will change the trajectory of the world. Her response? “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” How amazing is this! This week, we pause to praise God for the faithfulness of Mary and the posture of willingness that she models for all of us in receiving God’s call upon our lives.
A message from the series “Carry the Light.” Many of us think the story starts with Jesus- it doesn’t. The story begins with God and the people He’s called to follow Him. In the outworking of this, we meet a person in scripture who is essential to the narrative, John the Baptist. John fulfills Isaiah’s prophecy as a forerunner for the one who will pave the way ahead of the Messiah. He will call out to people and proclaim the good news of the kingdom that God is inaugurating. To understand Jesus’ role in this redemption story, it is essential to understand those around Jesus whom God provided as integral pieces of the narrative. Enter John the Baptist.
A message from the series “Carry the Light.” Do we understand where the story of Christmas begins? This season, we will rediscover the original story from which our favorite Christmas scriptures are inspired and fulfilled. The Jewish people revered the prophet Isaiah, who brought a message from the Lord most high, which promised hope in a savior. We have talked about why we need a savior: to redeem us and all of creation back to God, reunite us with Him, get rid of sin, and ultimately invite us to eternity with Him. Now that we know why we need a savior, let us take this Advent to contemplate how this story is embedded in one much larger than what the world has to offer us. Isaiah 9 clearly describes who this savior is to be, so let’s connect the dots to Isaiah and the familiar story we know and love of Christ’s birth.
A message from the series “Carry the Light.” Do we understand where the story of Christmas begins? This season, we will rediscover the original story from which our favorite Christmas scriptures are inspired and fulfilled. The Jewish people revered the prophet Isaiah, who brought a message from the Lord most high, which promised hope in a savior. We have talked about why we need a savior: to redeem us and all of creation back to God, reunite us with Him, get rid of sin, and ultimately invite us to eternity with Him. Now that we know why we need a savior, let us take this Advent to contemplate how this story is embedded in one much larger than what the world has to offer us. Isaiah 9 clearly describes who this savior is to be, so let’s connect the dots to Isaiah and the familiar story we know and love of Christ’s birth.
A message from the series “Carry the Light.” Do we understand where the story of Christmas begins? This season, we will rediscover the original story from which our favorite Christmas scriptures are inspired and fulfilled. The Jewish people revered the prophet Isaiah, who brought a message from the Lord most high, which promised hope in a savior. We have talked about why we need a savior: to redeem us and all of creation back to God, reunite us with Him, get rid of sin, and ultimately invite us to eternity with Him. Now that we know why we need a savior, let us take this Advent to contemplate how this story is embedded in one much larger than what the world has to offer us. Isaiah 9 clearly describes who this savior is to be, so let’s connect the dots to Isaiah and the familiar story we know and love of Christ’s birth.
A message from the series “Christ the King.” This Sunday we spend celebrating the sovereignty and glory of Jesus Christ — the one who has inaugurated the kingdom of God. To him God the Father has given all authority and righteousness, as the Lord of all. Jesus is both fully human and fully divine, and we hold this truth in understanding his identity. The scriptures are full of imagery which show us God’s unique glory, including the famous text of Revelation in which Jesus is the King of kings and Lord of lords. Let us celebrate the eternal reign of King Jesus!