Category: Advent 2017

Christmas Luke 2:1-14 “And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the in.” Luke 2:7 “And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude

Peace (A special two-part devotional) Matthew 1:18-25 “God is with us.” Matthew 1:23b NRSV This passage in Mathew gives us just about all we know of Joseph, the father of Jesus. It is interesting how little we know about Joseph. That is true in part

Joy Isaiah 35:1-10 “A highway shall be there, and it shall be called the holy way.” Isaiah 35:8 In my first local church appointment, I was the Associate Youth Pastor at Trinity Pomona UMC. As I began my ministry at Trinity, we had a fairly

Joy James 5:7-10 “Be patient, therefore, beloved, until the coming of the Lord.” James 5:7 You may remember that my December 12th devotional referred to the old joke of an impatient person who prays, “Dear Lord, give me patience . . . right now! Amen.”

Joy Matthew 11:2-11 “See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.” Matthew11:10 This single phase is so powerful — first found in the Old Testament book of Malachi 3:1 and 4:5 referring to the sending of God’s

Joy John 1:6-8, 19-28 “Among you stands one whom you do not know.” John 1:26b Do you remember the classic scene in the original movie “Jurassic Park” when the children are in the stopped jeep? It is dark, the rain is coming down outside, and

Joy 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24 “Rejoice always. Pray continually. Give thanks in every situation…” I Thessalonians 5:16-18a Has anyone ever asked you, “What final words do you want to leave with those you love when you are gone?” It is a challenging question. I have shared

Joy Psalm 126 “Let those who plant with tears, reap the harvest with joyful shouts.” Psalm 126:5 There is an undeniable ebb and flow that is the nature of life. Every year moves us through the seasons of winter, spring, summer, and fall. There are

Joy Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-10  “. . . my heart is joyful because of my God, . . .” Isaiah 61:10 Joy is a good word. Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary defines Joy as “the emotion evoked by wellbeing.” It is interesting to me that people don’t

Love Isaiah 11:6c “. . . and a little child will lead them.” Isaiah 11:6c When my eldest son, Jason, was just four years old, I was on the patio going over some materials for a teacher training prior to the Advent season. It just