OUR ADVENT CAROL FOR 2015
In the Fullness of God’s Time Words and Music by Ken Medema Commissioned by FBC Music Ministry In the fullness of God’s Time Christ appeared, O Love Sublime, Jesus, gift of God, Sign of love and living Word. CHORUS Sing, Sing alleluia, Sing alleluia, Jesus, gift of God, Sign of love and living Word. Savior, Guardian, Teacher, Friend, Broken hearts you came to mend, Jesus, gift of God, Sign of love and living Word. Friend of sinners one and all, Once again we hear your call, Jesus, gift of God, Sign of love and living Word.
YOU MIGHT LIKE TO KNOW… • The Advent Carol for our church this year is “In the Fullness of God’s Time,” with words and music by Ken Medema. • In the same way Joseph adopted Jesus as his Son, we are called to care for the orphans of the world. First Baptist is actively supporting the care of waiting children through the OneLess Ministry. The mission of OneLess is to have One less child waiting for a family. One less family waiting for a child. One less broken heart in the world. Please stop by the Childhood Ministries office to pick up an interactive Advent Calendar that you and your family can use to pray for the waiting children of our community and to help support the OneLess Ministry at First Baptist. • Our church has a World Mission Offering Goal of $150,000 this year. You can give to the Lottie Moon Christmas offering or the Global Missions offering. • Names of children from the Sarah Tate Reading Room who are still involved in our church can be found on our Angel Tree. You are invited to take a name and help provide Christmas joy. • We are grateful for the many lives that will be touched through our efforts with Operation Christmas Child this year. The past few weeks have been busy and you have been generous! The boxes are in transport now for Christmas…Thank you FBCHSV! • The Living Christmas Tree (LCT) features over 200 singers and instrumentalists and runs from December 17-20. Tickets are free and are available from First Baptist members, or by calling the LCT Ticket Office (256-428-9422), or online at www.fbchsv.org/lct. • The LCT is a church-wide project. You can assist with anything from construction, decoration, tickets, parking, greeting, and spotting. Use the LCT Invitation Cards, a handy tool for inviting others to attend. The cards contain complete information about the Tree and how to obtain the free tickets. Take advantage of the many opportunities to help touch our city with the Christmas message. Visit fbchsv.org/lcthelpers for more information.
Welcome to the season of Advent! First Baptist Church has a rich heritage of using these days before Christmas to prepare our minds and hearts for the celebration of the birth of Christ. These days form a special time for us to prepare for the coming of Christ. Our theme during Advent will be “In the Fullness of Time” built under our overall year-long theme of Kairos. We will reflect upon Hope (November 29- December 5), Peace (December 6- 12), Joy (December 1319, and Love (December 20- 25) through the lens of our Advent theme. As we explore these themes, we hope that these holy days of preparation will be meaningful for you. All the writers of the 2015 Advent Devotional Guide have preached, taught, or led us at FBCHSV in some way during our interim this past year. This great group of folks includes four of our former pastors as well as our amazing ministerial staff. I’m especially grateful to all of them. I’m also thankful to Becky Caneer who graciously agreed to format what you are reading today into something beautiful. Thank you Becky! You will find brief bios of each writer at the end of the guide. Our musical guest during the 2015 Living Christmas Tree will be Ken Medema. We commissioned Ken to compose an Advent Carol which he entitled “In the Fullness of God’s Time.” You will see the words to this carol on the next page and hear it during our Advent worship and at this year’s Living Christmas Tree. My prayer is that you will let these moments of devotion each day draw you closer to Christ whose birth we celebrate.
Jud Reasons, Executive Pastor
Sunday, November 29 Timothy L. Owings
Stubborn Hope
“But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son.” Galatians 4:4
Today, this first day in the season of Advent, finds our lives leaning in the direction of Christmas. Yes, counting today we have 27 days to make the journey, but something inside us longs for Christmas now. Ours is a longing that finds focus in Advent but one nonetheless that is a tenured resident every day we live. This longing for Christmas a what I call a stubborn hope that often limps around inside us. We see our feet in Christmas traces, our hearts hungering for its wonder, and everything within us believing the story just might be true. Paul, writing to the Galatians, inked a line that is riveted into our faith’s foundation: “In the fullness of time, God sent forth His son.” What in the world was He thinking? This “fullness of time” is a fascinating metaphor carved from the Greek word kairos. Kairos is what we might call a moment or a season infused with deep meaning. Such a season could last a few minutes or capture us during a wedding or hold us when we cradle a baby in our arms. It’s common for us to say, “It was time to get married,” or, “It’s time we started thinking about retirement.” These and many more are kairos moments pregnant with meaning that simply cannot be reduced to ticks on the clock. The season in which Jesus was born was hardly one ripe with joy for God’s people. The Roman standard cast its shadow over a wide swath of the ancient world. All roads led to Rome and all lives bowed before Rome’s power. But those who followed Jesus, crucified and risen, believed His coming was right on time. His risen life had transformed their present and changed their future. Little did they know this “kairotic, ‘fullness of time’” moment would be loose on planet earth for over 2,000 years! Could it be that this stubborn hope that longs for Christmas is always alive in us? Might “the fullness of time” be God’s gift in our time, within our lives, brimming with a living hope, contagious joy, lasting peace, and a love that never lets us go? I believe this stubborn hope is God’s gift alive and well in our time, 2015, Huntsville, Alabama, First Baptist Church, and in every relationship into which we invite the One who is the hope of the world to live His life through us. As our lives start the journey to Christmas, believe with me that this stubborn hope, made flesh in Jesus Christ, is God’s Christmas gift to us all. Truth be told, “the fullness of time” is this time, God’s time for us, to live into the story that continues to change the world one believer at a time.
Ralph Langley
Monday, November 30
From Your Pastor’s Heart “Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD; O Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy. If you, O LORD, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness; therefore you are feared. I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope. My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning. O Israel, put your hope in the LORD, for with the LORD is unfailing love and with him is full redemption. He himself will redeem Israel from all their sins.” Psalm 130
The ADVENT Season is upon us! Alleluia! Let us welcome December as a door of God. God’s presence with us in Jesus the Christ. Advent means “coming.” God’s coming to earth to us. To wear my flesh. To tabernacle among us. To dwell in my house. And in my heart. To forgive me of my sins. To heal me of my diseases. To lift me to new levels of service and ministry. That’s ADVENT. Even to open my eyes. Especially to a world of needy souls. And needy minds. And Needy stomachs. To put a world on my heart. To make His ADVENT so real - so personal as to ask for my pocketbook. At least a significant part thereof. Which brings GIVING/above GETTING. And OTHERS above SELF. And CHRIST above all. An ADVENT that even demands a love incarnate. If His INCARNATION meant He was to wear my flesh, His incarnating would hopefully lead on to my wearing His Spirit! His love-life incarnate in me! That’s how this Advent-business should come out in/through my Decembers and beyond. December is my birthday month! But far more importantly: It is His birth that makes ADVENT/and the ADVENTurous new-life He came to birth in us! Has He made His Advent into your heart like that? Alleluia, Indeed. -Written by Dr. Ralph Langley as printed in the Messenger on December 5, 1985.
Julius Scruggs
Tuesday, December 1
AuthenticJoy and Hope
“Here is my servant, whom I uphold, My Chosen One in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on Him and He will bring justice to the nations. He will not shout or cry out, or raise His voice in the streets. A bruised reed He will not break, and a smoldering wick He will not snuff out. In faithfulness He will bring forth justice; He will not falter or be discouraged till He establishes justice on earth. In His law the islands will put their hope.” Isaiah 42:1-2
I love the advent season. It’s a time when we are more loving and kind toward family members and others. I am not always fully sure why this season brings on so much joy and happiness, hope and fulfillment. From a Christian perspective, it’s a time of hope and joy, fulfillment and satisfaction primarily because we celebrate the coming of Jesus to the world--the one who brought authentic joy and hope to God’s world. The scripture passage for this meditation is Isaiah 42:1-4. These verses are set against the backdrop of the Gentile nations who were gripped by the worship of idol gods who could not help them by bringing them authentic joy and hope. In fact the last verse in chapter 41 emphatically declares this point: “Indeed they are all worthless (idol gods); their works are nothing; their molded images are wind and confusion” (Isaiah 41:29). Now the prophet juxtaposes the worthless idols with the Servant of God who is able to do everything that these impotent idols cannot do. He says in the opening verse of chapter 42: “Behold my Servant whom I uphold, My chosen one in whom My soul delights. I have put My spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles (nations).” Here, the prophet reveals the mission of the servant. Who is this servant? Some scholars believe that the prophet is speaking of Israel as God’s chosen servant to bring light to the Gentile world, perhaps so. But from a New Testament perspective, the prophet has reference to Jesus as God’s Servant. In fact, in Matthew, chapter 12:18-21, Jesus embraces this passage as being fulfilled in Him. Indeed He is the embodiment and fulfillment of Isaiah 42:1-4. Notice the servant’s character. He is God’s servant, upheld by God. He is uniquely chosen by God. He possesses the Spirit of God (vs.1). He is unselfish and altruistic. He will not promote himself with loud and elegant speeches, nor by leading loud and gaudy parades (vs.2). Rather, he is kind and gentle. He reaches out to serve the hurting, helpless, hopeless, lost and least (vs.3). Suppose during this season and throughout the year, we would embody these characteristics of Jesus! Would not our families, our communities, our schools, our churches and our world be better?
Wednesday, December 2
Billy Orton
Rest in Hope David said about him: “ ‘I saw the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will live in hope, because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay. You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence.’” Acts 2:25-28
But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son… Our choice of Galations 4:4 as the theme for our Advent and Christmas Season was a very natural one. Our church is focusing upon GOD’S TIME, referring often to one of the ancient Greek words for time, KAIROS. The Greeks had two words for time, one of them “chronos,” which obviously led to our word chronological, and the other, “kairos.” One of the phrases I ran across recently that attempts to define Kairos states that it is a moment of indeterminate duration, a moment in which everything happens. I love that phrase! While we love to measure something “chronologically,” and be sure of its quantitative value, we find in kairos the nature of something that is permanent (everlasting) and something that can be measured qualitatively. Jesus came that we might find life and have it abundantly. His life and Spirit are indeed everlasting, changing us permanently and forever. Thanks be to God for his indescribable Christmas Gift! The scripture for today is Acts 2: 25-28. The Apostle is actually quoting from one of the Psalms as he addresses the early Church: 25 David said about him: “I saw the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. 26 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest in hope, 27 because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, you will not let your holy one see decay. 28 You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence.” The words quoted in Acts are from Psalm 16:-8-11 and provide for us a sense of God’s KAIROS as we apply the passage to our lives on this December day. The Lord is “ALWAYS before us” and we are not “abandoned to the realm of the dead.” My prayer for God’s People at 600 Governors Drive is we will indeed be “filled with joy in His presence.”
Guy Sayles
Thursday, December 3
Hope is a gift fromGod Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. Romans 5:1-5
To live with meaning in the present, we need some assurance about the future. “Now” requires a sense of later. “Today” is dark unless we are able to see it in the light of tomorrow. We need a far horizon, a beckoning shore, distant hills yet to climb, and a road that stretches out in front of us. A sense of the future gives energy to get up in the morning, to endure in the face of adversity, to teach our children, to invest in institutions like schools, hospitals, museums, and churches that will outlast us. Hope is a gift from God. It comes to life in us because, as Paul said in Romans 5: “God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us” and because we have “peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” God’s love assures us that we aren’t alone when things are hard, and peace with God means that we don’t have to worry that God is somehow against us when we struggle. God is with us and for us. Hope comes to life in us the way Jesus was born in Bethlehem: as a surprising and saving gift of God. In life’s darkest hours, we can count on God to burst in with bright hope, like a brilliant star in the inky-black sky. We have hope, because we can expect God to do the unexpected.
Jamie Mackey
Friday, December 4
Hope beyond my anticipation For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, “”Abba,” Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs--heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed.20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Romans 8:15-22
The Rocky Mountain National Park was the destination for our fall break this year. Both Cade and Story love the mountains, animals and Aspen trees. But, Cade is my hiker. In planning particular hikes for the different days, Cade voiced early on that he wanted to go to Lake Haiyaha. This particular point is 2.1 miles from the trailhead at Bear Lake at an elevation of 10,220 feet. A hiking journal said we would have to climb across a boulder field to see the lake. Early Thursday morning we set out on our ambitious journey. The day was beautiful with the sun rising in the east and sparkling off of the snow atop Longs Peak. As we neared Haiyaha, I could tell both of our anticipations were high. We got to the area, climbed across the boulder field, and came around one last massive boulder to see…a dried-up pool. My immediate thought was, “Is this it? Is this Lake Haiyaha? Big disappointment!” Thankfully, a couple of hikers were just behind us and said we were not there yet. We had to climb over more rocks. After doing so, we found the lake. Read Romans 8:15-22 Creation hopes for a future day where the glory of God is revealed to us. We groan to know the life only God can give. We think activities and events will bring the fulfillment we hope for only to be left disappointed like the dried-up pool. During Advent we go to Hanging of the Green, give 10-20 Operation Christmas Child boxes, serve others, and attend the Living Christmas Tree, hoping we’ve done the things that guarantee a good Christmas experience. While all point us to the Christ Child, it is our going further, beyond events in seeking God’s very presence, that gives the potential of knowing the kind of relationship God wants with us – the relationship where we call out, “Abba! Father!” and are children of God! Also, Lake Haiyaha’s beauty was beyond my anticipation.
Saturday, December 5
Megan Turner
Know the Hope For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your “love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.” Ephesians 1:15-23
In Ephesians 1:15-23, Paul prays that everyone may know the Hope to which God has called them. “Hope” is an often-misunderstood word. For some, hope is uncertainty. For others, hope is mistaken for wishful thinking. At other times, hope is confused with having a glass-half-full mentality. However Paul has a Hope that is optimistic. This Hope is tied with resurrection. Hope that is found in Jesus Christ. Christ is calling us to have a Hope that we cannot always see with our own vision. Hope is not always comforting or comfortable. Hope asks us to open ourselves to what we do not know, to imagine what is beyond our imagining, and bearing what seems unbearable. It calls us to keep breathing and going when lives dear to us have left, and to turn toward one another when we might prefer to go our own way and take the easy way out. Hope draws our eyes and hearts toward a more abundant future, but it also pushes us into the time that is now, where Christ waits for us. When the glass appears to be half-empty, the Hope that Christ offers, fills our glass to the point in which it overpours with Christ’s undeniable hope. What do you need for hope to exist in your life? Who helps you hope when it is hard to find hope? How does Christ’s resurrection give you hope for today, tomorrow, and forever?
Sunday, December 6
Dennis Wiles
Prince of Peace 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, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this. Isaiah 9:6-7
Certainly time is an interesting phenomenon. We are infatuated by it. We mark it. We measure it. We try to save time. We hate to waste it. We would like to put it in a bottle. We bemoan its passing. We often comment on its relentless cadence. But one thing is for certain – we all spend it and we are all affected by it. God’s view of time is very different than ours. He has the advantage of eternity. As the Scripture declares, a thousand years can seem like a day to God (Psalm 90:4; 2 Peter 3:8). Wow. He is certainly different than us! Meaning is connected to our view of time. Think about it. When I am waiting for a website to load, two minutes seems like two hours. When I am chasing my precious granddaughter Adah around our house, two hours pass like two minutes. God lives in time and beyond it. He answers us in time from beyond time. He intervenes in real time with eternal answers from an eternal perspective. As time progressed in the history of Israel, God promised a time of intervention would come. In real time. One day . . . a child would be born. At a certain time. His days on earth would be filled with meaning. He would establish a new kingdom marked by everything right. And, His authority? It would be timeless. An eternal reign would be established in real time by a real Savior sent by an eternal God. This Advent Season, let’s pause to ponder the richness of this story. It is rooted in eternity and yet, realized in time. May its truth bring you . . . peace.
Monday, December 7
Jeremy Wilkerson
Peace that calms And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.” Luke 2:8-14
When I was a little boy, my friends and I would often wrestle. Don’t all little boys and their friends like to wrestle? My friends and I always had a code word for when we had reached our limit of pain, or needed to tap out for a few minutes. That code word was “UNCLE”. Whenever you heard, or said, the word “UNCLE” it was understood that all wrestling, combat, or chasing would cease. There would be a peace, if you will, between all parties involved. Dictionary.com defines PEACE in several ways. One of these definitions reads, “an agreement or treaty between warring or antagonistic nations, groups, etc., to end hostilities and abstain from further fighting or antagonism.” In our passage today, we see some shepherds being visited by some extraordinary guests - a host of angels. These angels visit the shepherds to proclaim the birth of Jesus Christ, the Messiah. Now, surely Christ was born in a tumultuous time in history. The land of Israel had been overrun by the Roman Empire, which ruled with a mighty power. The Jewish people were waiting for a ruler - a Messiah, a conqueror - who would come and bring about a political Peace; a peace between nations and rulers. But, when the angels proclaimed the birth of the Messiah, they were announcing a different kind of ruler. You see, this wasn’t a ruler who was coming, riding on a horse and bearing a sword. This was a servant who came into our world, humbly and quietly saying “Uncle.” As you continue your Advent journey today, be reminded that Christ brings a peace that calms the hostilities in our lives, in our hearts, and in our minds.
Tuesday, December 8
Dan Champion
Shalom But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. John 14:26-27
Old as creation yet more contemporary than tomorrow. Originated in the mind of God. Expressed in words of Old Testament prophets and poets. Birth announcement of a new-born infant. Theme of the New Testament. Official greeting of the Jewish people - Shalom. Occurs in all New Testament books, 88 times in all. Included in the famous Sermon on the Mount. Needed, desired, and available to all people. Offered as final will of a man about to die. What is it? Listen to the man. “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you; not as the world gives, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” The world desires it but lightly speaks the word, without doing anything to produce it. Christ, on the other hand, gives it as a free inheritance that comes to any person as the direct result of faith in Christ. “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” A combination of hope, trust, and quiet in the mind and soul is brought about by a reconciliation with God. When we have peace with God we can enjoy the peace of God, which no experience in life can ever take from us. God has left us an inheritance of peace which we are to accept in “the fullness of time,” the time God has appointed for something to happen. Today is the appointed time for you to accept your inheritance. Shalom.
Mark Seanor
Wednesday December 9
The Ripple Effect
one small change can have an enormous impact So don’t criticize each other anymore. Try instead to live in such a way that you will never make your brother stumble by letting him see you doing something he thinks is wrong. As for myself, I am perfectly sure on the authority of the Lord Jesus that there is nothing really wrong with eating meat that has been offered to idols. But if someone believes it is wrong, then he shouldn’t do it because for him it is wrong. And if your brother is bothered by what you eat, you are not acting in love if you go ahead and eat it. Don’t let your eating ruin someone for whom Christ died. Don’t do anything that will cause criticism against yourself even though you know that what you do is right. For, after all, the important thing for us as Christians is not what we eat or drink but stirring up goodness and peace and joy from the Holy Spirit. If you let Christ be Lord in these affairs, God will be glad; and so will others. Romans 14:13-18
As a kid I loved going to a pond or lake and look for rocks. Not just any rocks but those flat, round rocks that you use to skip across the water. I loved watching the rock skip across the pond and then following the ripples out until they were no more. Like a rock dropped in water which creates a rippling affect… one word, one action can hold the power to change lives forever, for better or for worse. It amazes me how one small change can have an enormous impact. A quick Google search will generate numerous quotes regarding the ripple effects of kindness, change, and attitude. Mother Teresa voiced one of these better-known statements in which she said, “I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.” Our Advent theme is “In the Fullness of Time” and our focus this week is on peace. As we approach the Christmas season with all the hustle, bustle, and stress that the season brings, let our prayers be to the Lord of Peace. Ask God for peace of mind as well as a mind of peace, granting us with that “Peace that passes all understanding through Jesus Christ our Savior.” (Phil. 4:7) Remember the Ripple Effect… “As a Christian, you may be the only Bible a non-Christian ever reads.”
Thursday, December 10
Fisher Humphreys
Peace with God But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made both groups into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us. Ephesians 2:13-14
The “you” whom Paul addresses are Gentiles. Paul never lost his sense of wonder that Gentiles could be God’s people in the same full way the Jews had always been. Devout Jews like Paul had good reasons for staying separate from Gentiles: • Jews worshiped the one, true, living God; Gentiles worshiped numerous false idols. • Jews possessed moral standards of the highest order, as in the Ten Commandments; Gentile moral standards were deplorably low. • Jews had God’s promises and therefore had hope for the future; Gentiles were without God and therefore without hope. For centuries Jews had to stay separate from Gentiles in order to keep their religion and morals pure. Paul realized that the time when that was necessary was now past. By his self-sacrifice Jesus had broken down the wall that had divided the two groups. The Gentiles who had been far away from God were being drawn close to God—and therefore to the Jews. The old hostilities between them were set aside. They were living together in peace. Peace with God makes it possible for Jews and Gentiles to live peaceably with each other. If God doesn’t reject us, why should we reject each other?
Friday, December 11
Leigh Halverson
Peace will be with you “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me – put into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.” Philippians 4:6-9
“I have lived a great life. It is time for TAPS. My tour of duty has ended.” Those were the words my grandfather had written as the ending of his own obituary. As my grandfather reached the end of his earthly life I found myself reminding my grandmother of this very message; not to be anxious, to talk to God, to cry out to God for his peace and protection. She still needs regular reminders, we all do, but day in and day out God’s hand is present. There’s peace even in the midst of mourning and for that I am incredibly grateful. It is such a blessing to serve and follow a God who welcomes us to call out to him in times of distress and who promises us a peace that surpasses all understanding. God is with us and that is never more present than in the gift of His Son, Jesus Christ. This Christmas season, I hope you’ll take a moment to think about the areas in your life where you are facing change and transition. Talk to God about those things. Praise God for the way He will answer your prayer. Trust God to provide you peace as you focus your mind on what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, or praiseworthy.
Bill Wilson
Saturday, December 12
The Peace of Christ Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Colossian 3:15-17
Do you have a life verse? That’s a Bible verse that you have adopted as your guiding thought, credo, or primary agenda. You need one, and if you don’t have one, let me offer mine. It’s Colossians 3:17. I adopted this verse in high school and have probably quoted it to myself at least once-a-day every single day since. My infatuation with this verse began when I was working at a retail establishment and found myself surrounded by unhappy people who thought and acted very differently than I did. I was miserable and about to quit when I came across this verse. It pierced my heart and I have never quite recovered. Everything in life, all of my “whatevers”, belongs to God and should be done “as unto the Lord”. That was a shocking revelation to me. Working at a Baskin Robbins was holy ground. Who knew?! Gradually, by doing that job as if Jesus Christ was my supervisor, a radical transformation overtook me and many of those I worked with. Over the years, I’ve come to understand that my internal peace is not controlled or determined by my surroundings or the people in my life. My peace is a direct result of my ability to offer EVERYTHING in my life as a gift to God. Our peace begins within us, not outside us. The sooner we recognize that, the sooner we will experience it.
Sunday, December 13 Travis Collins
Unpredictable but impeccable Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the Gentiles, by the way of the sea, along the Jordan. The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned. You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy; they rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest, as men rejoice when dividing the plunder. For as in the day of Midian’s defeat, you have shattered the yoke that burdens them, the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor. Every warrior’s boot used in battle and every garment rolled in blood will be destined for burning, will be fuel for the fire. Isaiah 9:1-5
I was sitting in the Woman’s Missionary Union a year ago, when in a casual conversation a lady named Joyce Dinkins said one of the most profound things I’d heard in a while: “God’s timing is unpredictable, but it is impeccable.” God’s timetable is different from ours. He doesn’t seem to be in as much of a hurry as we do. God seems not to be in a hurry. Kosuke Koyama, the Japanese Christian theologian, called Him the “three-mile-an-hour-God.” The people of Israel had been waiting. In fact, the people of Israel spent much of their history waiting. Waiting in Egypt as they did the hard slave labor. Waiting and crying and praying for deliverance. Waiting for an entire generation after their deliverance from Egypt to enter the Land of Promise. Wandering nomads in the wilderness East of Jordan, waiting to cross the river into the land God had promised them. Waiting as exiles in Babylon for the opportunity to return to Jerusalem. Now waiting for the Messiah. Waiting. Hoping. Crying. Praying. Luke 3:15 says, “The people were waiting expectantly...” Luke 2:25 speaks of Simeon who was among those longing for the Messiah. “He was waiting for the consolation of Israel,” wrote Luke. Christmas is a reminder of the value of waiting. And, of the perfection of God’s timing. Craig Larson wrote, “God encourages me in almost unqualified terms to pray and believe but He reserves to Himself the date of fulfillment.”
Monday, December 14 Sherry Upshaw Christy
The Joy of Your Salvation has come! Keep me safe, O God, for in you I take refuge. I said to the LORD, “You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing.” As for the saints who are in the land, they are the glorious ones in whom is all my delight. The sorrows of those will increase who run after other gods. I will not pour out their libations of blood or take up their names on my lips. LORD, you have assigned me my portion and my cup; you have made my lot secure. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance. I will praise the LORD, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me. I have set the LORD always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay. You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand. Psalm 16
Our Advent theme this year, “In the fullness of time,” reminds us of God’s lovingly-crafted, centuries-long redemptive plan to bring salvation to humanity. In our darkness however, we could not comprehend the purpose of these events as they unfolded, even though prophets tried to explain them. Rather, when He fully revealed His “path of life” for us through Jesus’s birth, it was a surprise … an astounding, fantastic surprise to everyone. Consider Zechariah, soon to be the father of John the Baptist -- who would proclaim Jesus as the Messiah. He was so surprised at the news of John’s birth that he questioned the mighty angel Gabriel – and lost his voice as a consequence. Who could have been more surprised than Mary when Gabriel announced to her that, miraculously, she would become the mother of Jesus? Though terrified at first, she broke forth with a joyful song we still sing today. Even little pre-born John leapt for joy when his mother Elizabeth met Mary. For the shepherds – bright lights at night… a heavenly choir – it’s as if God had opened heaven’s door and shouted, “SURPRISE! The Joy of your Salvation has come!” In his book, “Surprised by Joy,” C. S. Lewis describes his surprise regarding the unexpected encounter and marriage to his wife Joy. I know a little of this type of “surprising joy.” During last year’s Advent season I unexpectedly met a man who was singing on the Living Christmas Tree for the first time. In the following months God surprised us with joy – the joy of a new life together in a marriage we have just recently begun. During this Advent season are you ready for God to open the door to your soul and joyfully shout, “SURPRISE”? Be prepared for His incredible Joy to fill your life in unexpected ways.
Tuesday, December 15 Pat McFadden
Joy - theLord has come I will exalt you, O LORD, for you lifted me out of the depths and did not let my enemies gloat over me. O LORD my God, I called to you for help and you healed me. O LORD, you brought me up from the grave; you spared me from going down into the pit. Sing to the LORD, you saints of his; praise his holy name. For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning. When I felt secure, I said, “I will never be shaken.” O LORD, when you favored me, you made my mountain stand firm; but when you hid your face, I was dismayed. To you, O LORD, I called; to the Lord I cried for mercy: “What gain is there in my destruction, in my going down into the pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it proclaim your faithfulness? Hear, O LORD, and be merciful to me; O LORD, be my help.” You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing to you and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give you thanks forever. Psalm 30
The beloved song says, “By and by, when the morning comes, when the saints of God are gathered home …” We sing of “when the morning comes.” David, the psalmist, would probably sing that song because in Psalm 30 he wrote a poem of praise and thanksgiving to God who had delivered him from the very gate of death (vs. 2, 3) or from some enemy in battle (v. 1). There are six contrasts in the psalm: anger to favor; a moment and a lifetime; evening to morning; weeping to joy (v. 5). Also there is mourning to dancing and sackcloth to joyful attire in verse 11. Each change came in the fullness of time. The most significant verse in this rich psalm is verse 5, “weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning” (KJV). It may be expressed in this way: “At nightfall Weeping comes as a guest to tarry; but in the morning Joy comes to stay.” During a difficult time in my life this verse literally leaped off the page. Indeed, tears are temporary but joy is sustaining. As the psalmist declared in verse 12, “O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever.” Advent is the celebration of that One who is the embodiment of all grace, all hope, and all joy. Jesus identifies with our human predicament and, in the fullness of His time, turns our weeping into JOY. Joy: The Lord has come!
Wednesday, December 16 Allen Walworth
AdventJoy How lovely is your dwelling place, O LORD Almighty! My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the LORD; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young-a place near your altar, O LORD Almighty, my King and my God. Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they are ever praising you. “Selah” Blessed are those whose strength is in you, who have set their hearts on pilgrimage. As they pass through the Valley of Baca, they make it a place of springs; the autumn rains also cover it with pools. They go from strength to strength, till each appears before God in Zion. Hear my prayer, O LORD God Almighty; listen to me, O God of Jacob. “Selah” Look upon our shield, O God; look with favor on your anointed one. Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked. For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless. O LORD Almighty, blessed is the man who trusts in you. Psalm 84
Here we are, two-thirds of the way through Advent, and only eight shopping days left until Christmas. We are in the middle of the week that calls us to discover JOY, but all we can think about is EXHAUSTION. So here is the question; how do we find “joy” in the midst of all of this hustle and bustle, the unending “to do lists” and the maddening crowds at the malls? How do we keep Christmas preparation from crushing the joy out of Christmas? The Psalm for today can help us. It is a hymn oozing with unbridled joy, written for weary pilgrims nearing the end of a long and tiring journey to Jerusalem; bidding them to lift their hearts in cheer as they enter the sanctuary of the Lord. Advent joy is found in the journey itself—the pilgrimage of learning to wait, to watch, to lean forward in hope—and joy is found at the end of the journey—the holy hush and wonder of kneeling in worship before the Christ who came all the way to us, so that we may come to Him. Even the season’s irritations lose their power when we focus on what is beautiful and holy about this season. Imagine how tempting it would have been for these weary worshippers in Jerusalem to view birds flying around the Temple as an unwanted distraction. But not this happy Psalmist. Instead, the Psalm celebrates even the squawking and flapping sparrows that interrupt the sacred liturgy at the Temple. Got some “sparrows” flapping and squawking and messing up your perfect Christmas plans this year? Oh God of perfect Advent JOY, help us to see you, and to celebrate you, even in the imperfect mess all around us. Amen.
Thursday, December 17 Debbie Bell
With cries of Joy! The kingdom of heaven is like treasure that was hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again. He was very happy. So he went and sold everything he had. And he bought that field. Matthew 13:44
We are not certain what this man was doing in someone else’s field. Maybe he was a hired helper for the man who owned the field, or maybe he was just passing through. Whatever the reason, he found an amazing treasure and he was full of joy over the discovery. He went home and sold everything he owned; his house, his furniture, his jewelry, his sheep and his goats. Then he took all the money and he bought that field. Clearly, the treasure in that field was worth more than everything else that the man owned. The kingdom of heaven or the kingdom of God is wherever the will of God is done. It is knowing the Father, the King. It is listening to His voice. It is having His peace, joy, love and hope. It is the best life possible. On our own, this kingdom is not available to us, but Jesus came to make it available to everyone who trusts in Him. When we discover that we can enter God’s Kingdom, we have a choice to make, just as the man in the field did. We can see the treasure and we can just go back to our old way of life. Or, we can see God’s kingdom, full of peace, love, forgiveness, freedom and joy, and want that more than anything else. We do not have to go out and sell everything we own, but we should be willing to. We should not love anything or anyone more than we love God. If you belong to the Kingdom, you have the greatest treasure! If you belong to the Kingdom, you shout to the Lord with cries of JOY!
Friday, December 18 Mike Pearce
Great Joy to meet the Christ-Child And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.” Luke 2:8-14
Who would you invite to behold the most significant birth in all history? So who was invited to the birth of God’s son? Surprisingly, the list consisted only of a few smelly, ceremonially unclean shepherds who were unaware of the birth of the Savior of the World until they received a miraculous visit from God’s angels. How does this make any sense to us today? Consider some ideas of God’s perfect reasoning and timing. 1. Even though Jesus was born God incarnate, He needed to be fully human in order to identify completely with humanity. Weren’t shepherds some of the most humble representatives of all mankind? 2. Shepherds were the perfect group to express great Joy in the miraculous event they witnessed. Daily, their lives consisted of caring for some of the most dependent animals on Earth. Contrast that experience with a heavenly host inviting them to behold the long-awaited moment of God’s redemptive plan to establish His Kingdom on Earth. 3. We view this event as God moving in the “fullness of time.” Consider the prophesies and circumstances that God brought about to this very point in history for the completion in the birth of Jesus. 4. The role of the shepherds was a foreshadowing of how Jesus would live his life – the shepherd of God’s people. 5. Sheep were paramount to the worship of Jehovah. The people knew an unblemished male lamb was important to the sacrificial system of worship of God and why. Jesus was the fulfillment of the Passover’s symbolism as the definitive and ultimate sacrifice to provide salvation to the world. In this Advent season, celebrate the significant role of the humble shepherds who came to the manger in great Joy to meet the Christ-Child.
Saturday, December 19 Jimmy Gentry
Rejoice now! Then Herod secretly called for the magi and found out from them the time when the star had first appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search carefully for the child. When you’ve found him, report to me so that I too may go and honor him.” When they heard the king, they went; and look, the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stood over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were filled with joy. Matthew 2:7-10
In the fullness of time, the magi arrive after Jesus’ birth. Upon reaching Jerusalem the stargazers from the East encounter Herod, the Judean king. He’s the equivalent of Ebenezer Scrooge and Mr. Grinch combined, except much crueler. Herod plots to determine where the child is by telling the magi to return after they discover his residence in Bethlehem so he, too, can go and worship the Child. It’s a lie as the story unfolds in the rest of Matthew 2. After hearing Herod, they continue their less than 10-mile trek on the dusty road to Bethlehem. The star guides them and upon arriving joy fills them. They had experienced joy previously. Now, however, their joy is complete. It’s all in the timing. Hopefully during Advent you’ve been filled with joy because of the stars you’ve seen. The smile of a child and the wonder in her eyes; the yuletide décor in our homes and churches; the drama, music, and pageantry provided by choirs, worship bands, and orchestras – not only do we see these, we also hear them! – are some examples of stars that bring joy. During these remaining six days of Advent look for the many stars that will fill you with joy. Don’t let the Herods of this world rob you of joy. In the fullness of time, a week from yesterday, celebrate a birth that will fill you and the world with joy – the Joy of Heaven to Earth come down! But wait. Now is the time. So rejoice now!
Sunday, December 20 David Hull
We can all Love He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8
The first sermon that I ever preached as your pastor was based on this great text from Micah 6:8. “. . . and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” It was October 27, 2002 and my first Sunday was the first Sunday of the stewardship emphasis for that year. As always, our Stewardship Committee had done a wonderful job of selecting a theme based on a Scripture passage. I did not have to wonder what my first sermon would be. It was given to me. The passage was a great one for stewardship – but what do these words have to do with Christmas? Perhaps we find our answer in the Advent theme of Love which is our focus today. Love is more than some romantic sentiment or nice words. Love is lived out in action. So God showed His love for us by sending His Son to be born as a baby in Bethlehem. God did not just tell us about love – but in the “fullness of time” God showed us love by the birth of Jesus. Christmas reminds us that love involves action. God showed us how to act. Now, God requires our actions. Let’s do more than just talk about love. In the “fullness of (our) time,” we all can love by doing justice, loving kindness, and walking humbly with our God.
Monday, December 21 Larry McCutcheon
by our love If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13
The great American philosophers known as the Black-Eyed Peas (it’s a band, trust me) once asked, “Where is the love?” Sometimes (surprisingly) I think this might actually be one of the most profound questions we have to answer in our lives. If we truly believe that God is love, then asking ‘where is the love’ is also asking ‘where do I see God?’ It’s not hard to find the opposite of love. 1 Corinthians 13 gives us a list of what the opposite of love looks like. It’s envious, boatsful, arrogant, rude, selfish, irritable, resentful, and not trustworthy. Spend 5 minutes on the Internet and you’ll come to know that the opposite of love is easy to find. But what does love look like and where can we find it? 1 Corinthians 13 gives a beautifully poetic description of love. Where you see those things, you are seeing the God who is love. Our view of love, though, isn’t quite all it can be. That is, until we look to Jesus. 13:10 says,“...but when the complete comes, the partial will come to an end” The complete has come, and will come again. The full picture of love was born “in the fullness of time” as a baby, in a manger. Immanuel, God with us, showed us what love looks like and calls us to reflect that love to the world simply, boldly, and with great courage. May the world know us, and Jesus, by our love.
Tuesday, December 22 John Holloway
God sent Love One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:28-31
In the fullness of time God sent LOVE into the world (John 3:16). Our response toward that LOVE must be expressed in action and devotion. It embraces relationships and commitment. It is sacrificial and constant. As expressed at Calvary, that LOVE is demanding and unparalleled. Because God first loved us then we are to love others with a love as close to that kind of love as possible (1 John 4:19). God sending LOVE at just the right time declares intentionality. God knew when the timing was right and He sent the greatest LOVE He had into the world for you and for me. God knew when the timing was right and that LOVE died on Calvary and on the third day erupted from the tomb as our RISEN SAVIOR in victorious intentionality… that is God’s amazing Christmas gift of LOVE. This kind of LOVE defies definition. A LOVE based on a deliberate choice of the One who loves rather than the worthiness of the one who is loved. Love, like glue, has the potential to create a connection… a bond… a seal only when it is released from its container. In order for LOVE to work it must be applied. This Christmas, tell those you hold dear that you love them. It is worth the risk. In all my years of living, I have not met a single person who regretted saying, “I love you” too often.
Wednesday, December 23 Joy Moore
You are loved But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8
There are times in our lives when we feel unworthy, useless, unneeded, exhausted, and too burdened to carry on. Times when just getting out of bed and facing the world takes all of our energy. Times when our lives are so “busy” that we don’t know what to do next! God understands! He speaks our love language, whichever language it happens to be! Whether gifts, quality time, presence, selfless service, words of affirmation or physical touch; He will find the way to speak to us through our language of love. He knows and understands that each of us want to be loved, appreciated and accepted just as we are. He has given us gifts to offer to the world even though we don’t all have the same means. Gifts of kindness, of support, of a listening ear, an understanding heart, of presence, a willingness to work and to share knowledge. How have you shown others His love today? Use your love language to share God’s love with others. You will find that this simple act of love will make you feel better too! It is important for us to recognize that our words, actions, acts of service, facial expressions and body language all reflect to the world our knowledge that Christ died for us before we were even sinners. By simply trusting Him, we can give of ourselves with love in our hearts and He will give us grace and the abilities needed to say and model to those we meet, with certainty, YOU ARE LOVED.
Thursday, December 24 Brad Creed
Love overjoyed When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route. Matthew 2:10-12
Matthew 2:10 - 12 - When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.. On coming to the house, they saw the Child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route. In Matthew’s account of the birth of Jesus, mysterious visitors from the East called Magi pay homage to the Christ child. Who were these Wise Men searching for the king of the Jews by following a star? These seekers are commended for following the light they possessed which led them to the Messiah. Outsiders to the ways of Israel, they became heralds of a new kingdom ruled by a different kind of king. Upon finding Jesus, they were overjoyed. They bowed down and worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with exquisite gifts. God is at work in the experiences and circumstances of life to lead us to Christ. God will not use what we don’t understand to reach us. God starts with what is familiar and then takes us to a greater understanding of His will and ways - if we are open, seeking, and attentive. Just as God captured the imagination of the Magi through a star to lead them to the Messiah, God works through our desire for truth to lead us to Christ. It is God’s gracious initiative. Seekers who find Christ, like the Magi, worship Him. They ascribe worth and are caught up in the glory of God revealed in this Child. They lovingly give their resources however meager or majestic. True worship infuses us with generosity and melts the cold spirit of greed and indifference. When we worship, we become more resourceful for the Kingdom of God.
Friday, December 25 Jud Reasons
Thanks to God for the love In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while[a] Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to their own town to register. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. Luke 2:1-7
Have you visited your birthplace recently? A couple of weeks ago, I found myself in the town where I was born and enjoyed driving by the house where mom and dad tried their very best to raise a Christian young man. I also found myself sitting in the Sanctuary where I professed Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, and saw my faith form and grow. I remember the many Christmas Eve Services in that Sanctuary just like we experienced at FBCHSV last night. Among all the memories, the most important thing about my recent visit were the stories shared which rekindled deep relationships and love. Many of these stories were well over thirty years ago. In time, they have shaped me greatly in my faith. Though I may have questioned a path, an event, a relationship that my life intersected years ago, I now find myself understanding more fully how God’s hand guided me. On this day when the greatest gift was shared with us all, I give thanks for the relationship that I have with Jesus Christ. I don’t have to travel to Bethlehem to visit Jesus or to my birthplace of Nashville for that relationship to remain strong. I give thanks to God for the love that has been expressed through Jesus Christ our Lord on this day called Christmas.
Merry Christmas!
Author Biographies Tim Owings- Tim was Pastor of FBC Augusta, GA from 1990- 2003 and is now a Financial Advisor with Morgan Stanley. Tim will be preaching each Sunday during Advent at FBCHSV. Ralph Langley- Ralph was Pastor of FBCHSV from 1979- 1990 before becoming Pastor Emeritus. Julius Scruggs- Julius has been the Pastor of First Missionary Baptist Church on Blue Spring Road since 1977. Most recently, we enjoyed hearing Julius at our combined service with FMBC October 11. Billy Orton- Billy is Minister of Music and Worship and has been on staff since 1998. Guy Sayles- Guy retired as Pastor of FBC Asheville, NC in January of this year. He is a consultant with The Center for Healthy Churches and currently the Interim Preacher at Fifth Avenue Baptist Church, Huntington, WV. Jamie Mackey- Jamie is Minister to Students and has been on staff since 2007. Megan Turner- Megan is Ministry Resident to Students and has been on staff since 2014. Dennis Wiles- Dennis was Pastor of FBCHSV from 1995-2001 before going to FBC Arlington, TX as Pastor. Jeremy Wilkerson- Jeremy is Minister of Contemporary Worship and has been on staff since 2009. Dan Champion- Before retirement, Dan taught at Carson Newman College in Jefferson City, TN. For the first twelve months of our interim, Dan led our Wednesday Night Bible Study in Fellowship Hall. Mark Seanor- Mark is Minister to Experience Adults and has been on staff since 1992. Fisher Humphreys- Before retirement, Fisher was a professor at Samford University in Birmingham, AL. In addition to preaching once during out current interim, Fisher shared preaching responsibilities during our 2001/2002 interim. Leigh Halverson- Leigh is Minister to Children and has been on staff since 2014. Bill Wilson- Through The Center for Healthy Churches which he founded and now directs, Bill has been our Process Coach with our Strategic Vision process as well as our Pastor Search process.
Author Biographies Travis Collins- Travis was Interim Preacher at FBCHSV for the first fourteen months of our interim. Travis is the Virginia Regional Coordinator for Fresh Expressions as well as a consultant with The Center for Healthy Churches. In October, Travis became the Interim Preacher at Gayton Baptist Church in Henrico, VA. Sherry Upshaw Christy- Sherry is Associate Minister of Music and Organist and has been on staff since 2012. Pat McFadden- Pat retired in 2014 from FBC Fort Payne, AL after 27 years of ministry as their pastor. Allen Walworth- Allen was Pastor of FBCHSV 1988-1994 before going to Park Cities Baptist Church in Dallas, TX as Pastor. Allen is now a consultant with Generis helping churches and institutions in the area of financial stewardship. Debbie Bell- Debbie is Church Business Administrator and has been on staff since 1991. Mike Pearce- Mike is Minister to Missions and has been on staff since 1987. Jimmy Gentry- Most recently, Jimmy was Pastor of Tablernacle Baptist Church in Carrollton, GA. Jimmy has just been called as Pastor of Garden Lakes Baptist Church in Rome, GA. David Hull- David was Pastor of FBCHSV 2002-2014. He is now a consultant with The Center for Healthy Churches and teaches Leadership and Pastoral Preaching courses as Adjunct Professor at McAfee School of Theology in Atlanta, GA. He is Interim Pastor at FBC St. Petersburg, Fl. Larry McCutcheon- Larry is Ministry Resident to Young and Median Adults and has been on staff since 2014. John Holloway- John was Student Minister at FBCHSV 1984-1987. Most recently, John served as a Strategist with the Florida Baptist Convention. Joy Moore- Joy is Minister to Preschool and has been on staff since 1985. Brad Creed- This past summer, Brad became President of Campbell University in Buies Creek, NC. In addition to preaching during our current interim, Brad shared preaching responsibilities during our 2001/2002 interim. Jud Reasons- Jud is Executive Pastor and has been on staff since 2006.
Sunday Morning Advent Message Series “In the Fullness of Time” Guest Preacher, Tim Owings Advent 1: November 29 Sermon: When God is Late – Jeremiah 33:14-16, Matthew 24:36-44 Advent 2: December 6 (Hanging of the Green Combined Worship) Sermon: The Sense of a Beginning – Mark 1:1-3 Advent 3: December 13 Sermon: What Shall We Do? – Isaiah 12:2-6, Luke 3:7-14 Advent 4: December 20 Sermon: God With Us – Isaiah 7:10-14; Matthew 1:18-24
Sunday Evening Opportunities November 29
Missions Mosaic
Chapel, 5:00 p.m.
December 6
Church-wide LCT Preparation and Decoration Night
Sanctuary, Afternoon & Evening
December 13
Student Night at Christmas
Chapel, 5:00 p.m.
December 20
Living Christmas Tree
Sanctuary, 3:00 p.m. & 5:00 p.m.
December 27
No Evening Activities
Wednesday Night Prayer and Study 5:45 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall December 2
Missions Offering Emphasis led by our WMU
December 9
Downtown Rescue Mission Ministries led by Keith Overholt, Executive Director
December 16
(4:45 p.m.- 5:45 p.m.) LCT Church-wide Dinner & Prayer for LCT
December 23 and 30
No Activities
Christmas Eve Candlelight Communion Service Sanctuary, 5:00 p.m. Featured Musical Artist- Jane Holloway Scriptural Meditations from our Ministers
The entire church family comes together for one service on this Holy Night. We will observe the Lord’s Supper and light the candles which remind us that the Light of the World has come into our hearts this Christmas season.