Looking Ahead

I’m not sure if it is progress or not? I don’t really know if this ability is a good thing or if it adds to anxiety in our lives, but we can track anything in our world. My family is signed up to this app that allows us to see each other’s location based on our phones. You can open the app and track the family member who is late to church, lunch or any other scheduled event. Many of us are tracking the Amazon delivery person, hoping that special gift arrives in time for Christmas. You can even track your pizza, from order to preparation to delivery… what a world!

It is no wonder that we have a hard time with Christmas. The very first Christmas came 400 years after the close of the Old Testament. This stretch of time became knows as “silent” because there were no prophets. And while the notion that God was silent, is probably overdone, there was this time of waiting for God to fulfill His promise. Jesus was on His Way, but that promise was made thousands, not hundreds of years before that first Christmas.

Maybe this Christmas we need to think less about Jesus being on His way, and be more concerned about how we can be on His way. In other words, we need to think more about how we can wait well for Jesus’ return. What are some ways we can be on Jesus’ way? How can we reflect Jesus well this Christmas?

Our preaching series, On His Way, this December will try to answer that question. We will study that first Christmas and learn from folks anticipating Jesus on His way, how we can follow Jesus well. Invite your friends and family to join you on Sunday mornings as we consider how we can live for Jesus this Christmas. Another way we can be on His way this Christmas is by giving back to what He is doing. Our Walk to the Manger offering will begin this Sunday, December 7. This year we will share that offering with REHope, Joy Meadows and our area Bible Colleges. Each of these ministries are sharing the love of Jesus in real and practical ways. Please be praying about how God might use you through our Walk to the Manger offering this year.

We are looking forward to Christmas Eve! These special services will include great Christmas music, an activity packet for the kids, candles and a message for God’s Word. This year our services will be at 3:00, 4:15 and 5:30 pm. Please choose a service you can attend and use the invitations from the chairs in the sanctuary to invite those close to you to worship with you this Christmas Eve!

I hope to see you Sunday!

Lance

And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them at the inn.

Luke 2:6-7