John 3:16 – Be Still…

Isaiah 9:2-7 – A Child is Born

Here’s the Advent reading you’ve been waiting for. If you love Handel’s Messiah as I do, then some of these words immediately transform into a melody in your head. You can sing along with the song, For Unto Us A Child Is Born, here, just follow the notes for your part!

The opening line has quite a message, too. “The people who walk in darkness will see a great light.” Who is Isaiah talking about? Plenty of people walk in darkness every day. Some things never change. Since Jesus is the light of the world, this simple sentence packs a lot of hope. We can only pray that those lost in darkness will not only see the light, but that the light will expose and cleanse their hearts. Continue reading “Isaiah 9:2-7 – A Child is Born”

1 Corinthians 13:1-13 – What is Love?

Read 1 Corinthians 13:1-13

Clearly, God desires that we love others. In our world today, the word love gets shuffled around a bit carelessly. We say we love chocolate or love to stay up late and sleep in. Love is so much more than that, especially the Biblical love God intends for his people to share with Him and others. These verses give us a glimpse of what love is and is not.

How great is it that we have such great advice about love in the Bible! It shouldn’t surprise us that much because God calls us to love him and love each other. Understanding what love is all about helps us succeed at being better lovers. We also know that God loves us unconditionally. John 3:16 says, “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” Continue reading “1 Corinthians 13:1-13 – What is Love?”

John 3:1-21 – How God Loves Us

Read John 3:1-21

Our next theme, “Salvation, Forgiveness, and New Life,” is off to a fantastic start with these verses from John’s gospel. We’ll be seeking a greater understanding of what these mean according to our faith. Just like Nicodemus, we seek truth, and he went right to the source, Jesus. Seeking Jesus would not have been a popular choice for someone in his position, so he had to hide in the darkness of night.

Can you imagine having an audience with Jesus himself! What questions would you ask him? As a religious leader, Nicodemus would have had some “deep” faith questions. I just love that he felt moved to approach Jesus with an openness to learn. We can glean a lot from his example. Continue reading “John 3:1-21 – How God Loves Us”

Romans 5:8 – What Love!

“But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.” (Romans 5:8)

Don’t you feel loved when you read that verse? Being loved by God is a luxury we often take for granted. It’s the most fantastic, yet hard to fathom love there is. Think how many people alive in our world don’t realize that God loves them, much less what that love feels like. We sometimes have a hard time believing ourselves.

Context: Paul talks about the benefits of having faith. When we know who is by our side cheering us on, it’s a lot easier to face the tough stuff that is going to give us character and endurance. When we trust God, we acknowledge our need for his rescue as lost sinners. We should also keep in mind that God loves us no matter how unlovely we might be. That goes for our neighbor, too! Continue reading “Romans 5:8 – What Love!”

Leviticus 27:1-34 – Giving Back to God

Read Leviticus 27:1-34

Knowing what is meant by “making a vow” will help us understand this passage a little more. As I understand it, in those days when you prayed to God you could make a vow and add on to your prayer by giving something of value to God as a special gift dedicated to him. This “vow” could be a person, animal, house, or land, in place of any monetary gift to be given. The priests were in charge of keeping track of the values.

The idea of a vow that comes to me is what a bride and groom exchange during a wedding ceremony. Much different, and yet still the same. The marriage vow is more of a pledge to be true and honor God and the other spouse in the union. Different in that it doesn’t involve a monetary value, but the same in that it is a dedication to God. The marriage union is then deemed to be bound by God. I wonder how many couples today understand the history of vows in God’s eyes. Continue reading “Leviticus 27:1-34 – Giving Back to God”