Marysville Nazarene

As the cry of a newborn baby breaks through the silence, light also breaks through the darkness. The glory of God has returned announcing the child’s birth to shepherds. This unlikely audience rushes to find this gift for all and then responds in the only way that was, and still is, appropriate. This Christmas Eve we will be reminded of the significance of how Jesus came, why he was needed, and compelled to do as the shepherds did and spread the word of all we have been told about this child!

Our fears, battles, struggles, and failures take away the peace that Jesus brings. But WE are the reason for the season--Jesus came for you and me! We are no longer Ichabod (departed glory). Tonight we celebrate the glory of the Lord that shines around us. As children of the King, we do not have to fear, for God is WITH us.

It's possible that our familiarity with the Christmas story hinders our ability to see the absurdity of it--and it's within that absurdity that we find a nugget of Good News! An angel of the Lord appeared to the shepherds and said, "Fear not! I bring you good news that will cause great joy for ALL people." And who did the angel deliver this message to? Those that would easily qualify as the least likely to have God's favor on them. The insignificant. And yet, the absurdity of the Christmas story--that the lowest of the low were the first to know about the Christ child--reveals the character of God. He steps into our insignificance...and redeems it.   Video/Song Clip Credit: Tyler Childers https://youtu.be/Lt4Vl4pKDsQ?si=YybQaKI8-AJgwL8l

Obsessing about what people think about us is the quickest way to forget what God thinks about us. But obsessing about what God thinks about us is the quickest way to forget what people think about us. If we're not ready to be criticized for our obedience to God, then we're not ready to be used by Him. There's no telling what God might do through just one simple act of obedience!

God's purpose for us is often different from our plans, and what we might call a confusing or disturbing interruption could be God's divine invitation! Thankfully, we don't have to understand God's plan to trust that he has a purpose. Obedience is our responsibility--the outcome is God's.

Throughout the Word of God, we see the story of redemption that finds fulfillment in Jesus Christ. God's plans are beyond our comprehension, for He works in ways that the world doesn't expect or understand... yet He understands us on a very deep, very personal level. In the broad scope of God's eternal story, we need to look beyond the Christmas season to find our ultimate hope. He is the Prince of Peace. 

We tend to think of "blessing" in tangible, measurable ways, but God thinks much deeper. Blessings speak to our relationship with God through Jesus, and are intended to pull us into relationship where we realize how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ... that we may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Therefore, thankFULLness is not a time to relax and "loosen our belts"--we are filled for a reason! And blessed people bless people.  

If we define stewardship by giving, then we significantly misunderstand the heart of God. Fullness is not found in the things of this world, but as Paul communicates in Ephesians, the fullness of God is found when we immerse ourselves in the love of Christ. God doesn't need what's in our wallet. He desires what's in our heart. As a holy offering to God, our attitude reflects how we embrace the role of stewardship, and we bring our tithe and offerings to Him in worship.

Gratitude and thankfulness is best measured through stewardship--the management of God's property, finances, or affairs. There are multiple layers to our conversation regarding stewardship, one of which is ownership. When it comes to being thankFULL, our horizontal measures (property lines, deeds, titles, bank accounts, etc.) will always leave us reaching for MORE but ultimately grasping LESS. 

New Life Sunday is a celebration of membership and baptism, as we come together for a time of worship as the family of God.

As a people, we have a natural tendency to share news that we find intriguing. News that resonates with us. That moves us. And the good news of the Gospel is "For God so loved..." -- are you ready and willing to share it?

Following Jesus into uncomfortable fields--a conversation with Cynthia Lee.

Special guest Dwayne Mills, Executive Director of Appalachia Reach Out (ARO) shares a message for Faith Promise.

When we truly embrace God's grace, it does something within us. And that grace that's within us has to come out! If it doesn't, then it's not grace. This creates a little tension between our actions and our words, because what's in us is always what comes out. Are you prepared to acknowledge what you know and let the Holy Spirit fill in the blanks? 

In continuing our previous conversation about "Dirty Work," the analogy remains: We are not the sower. We're not even the seed. We... are the dirt. But don't automatically assume that you're good soil. A Kingdom harvest must be predicated by people "in the Spirit!" So prepare to get uncomfortable. As Dr. Jerry Porter once said, "Our passion to be Christlike--and to make Christlike disciples who mkae Christlike disciples--is not a program or a curriculum, it is a way of life. It is an intentionaly, relational, mutually empowering, lifelong Jesus pilgrimage."

It took a moment of wrestling with God for Jacob to discover God as his own, for his faith to become real. Because it's not about what God does FOR us, or THROUGH us, but what God does IN us. It's not WHO we are, but WHOSE we are. God wants to be known, and He wants us to love Him. That is where true blessing is found.

We often carry baggage as a consequence of our own actions, but sometimes we have baggage thanks to the actions of others. The gap between the best of what we want for ourselves and our everyday reality creates a burden we're not meant to carry. When we look for things or for people to fulfill our lives, we're bound to wake up next to Leah--in desperate need of a savior.   If you're still searching for something, remember that our journeys all lead to the same place: Redemption. Grace. The Lion of Judah, the Child of Promise from the line of Leah. So keep loosening that grip on your baggage and lift up your hands in praise. 

Each of us faces moments where we are confronted with who we are apart from God--our sin, our pretending, our masquerade--and we're forced to be honest with who we are (and/or what we've become) and make a decision. Grace is offered to us all, but the choice to receive it comes with the realization that we're not deceiving God...just ourselves.

Through the life of Jacob we see the difference between religion and relationship. In his dream, Jacob didn't climb a "stairway to heaven" to get to God, God descended the ladder to get to him--to us. Whereas the goal of religion is heaven, there's a significant shift in our lives when our goal becomes relationship through Jesus, by His grace. 

Our words have the power to build up or to tear down. Every word that has been spoken to us and that we speak to others puts into motion actions that impact our lives--whether that's words of praise and affirmation or those that are discouraging and condemning. The need for blessing is found in each of us. We were created for relationship with God and to live in his favor. We need what we don't deserve--grace!