Faith,
The page has turned! The last of the turkey has been consumed. There’s one last piece of pie in the fridge with your name on it, and all of America is three pounds heavier. Thanksgiving is over! We now begin our journey to the manger.
What are you longing for this Christmas? What’s on your Christmas list? Undoubtedly, we’d like some tangibles—a new sweater, a new power tool, a new bike! But deep down, we most long for those intangibles—hope, peace, joy, and love. Those intangibles are the themes of every Advent. For over 1500 years, the Church has been celebrating these themes in Advent, pointing the world back to the source of their deepest longings—Jesus Christ.
This Sunday, we will explore the theme of Hope. What do you hope for this Christmas? Hope’s a powerful thing! I think your hope for tomorrow will affect what you do today. Finding the right home for our hope dramatically affects our decisions. A misplaced hope can lead to devastating consequences. In Christianity, our hope has a name, and we will celebrate His coming this Sunday!
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13
In Christ alone,
Pastor Brad
***Sermon notes are simplified this week. They can be downloaded here.
Here are some deeper-dive videos relevant to Sunday’s message of hope!
Matthew 1:1-17 | Genealogy (2:56)
The Celebration of Hope | Luke 2:36–38 | Our Daily Bread (2:08)
Hope I The Bible Project (4:33)