Category: Advent 2016

Wednesday, December 14 (Suggested Reading: Read Luke 2:8; Isaiah 61:1; 1 Timothy 1:15) It is the subject of many tranquil Christmas scenes- the sheep grazing innocently on the hillsides, while the shepherds, draped in flowing robes and regal staffs look on with tender watchfulness. Ask most kids what they want to be in the Christmas pageant,…

Tuesday, December 13 (Suggested Reading Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18-23) From Discovering God’s Daily Agenda by Henry and Richard Blackaby Today’s reading is an excerpt by a piece from Henry and Richard Blackaby. For me, this passage is a reminder of the depth of love that God has for me, that He desires to be a part of…

Monday, December 12 (Suggested reading: Habakkuk 3:17-19; Revelation 21:1-4) The Christmas season is not always merry. Ironically, the festivities, decorations, parties and celebrations often remind us of the what-if’s of life, the disappointments, the short-comings, the reality that life doesn’t always have a happy “Hallmark” ending.

Sunday, December 11 (Suggested reading: Isaiah 6:1-7) William is the 9-year old son of my friend Ashley. William is in 4th grade, and has already made quite a name for himself among his classmates. He is polite, well-spoken, and just an all-around good kid. One morning Ashley had exciting news about William. The First Lady…

Saturday, December 10 (Suggested Reading  Matthew 2:13-15; Hebrews 6:17-20; Deuteronomy 6:10-12) As of December 2015, the total number of refugees in the world was over 65.3 million- that is one out of every 113 people on Earth. And, it is estimated that 24 people are displaced around the world every minute. Over half of these…

Friday, December 9 (Suggested Reading:  I Timothy 6:8-19) The average American household has over $130,000 worth of debt. This includes mortgages, auto loans, and student loans. Of that $130,000, over $15,500 is credit card debt.  At the same time, about 60% of Americans have less than $1,000 in their savings accounts, and about 20% don’t…

Thursday, December 8 (Suggested Reading: Psalm 34; I Peter 2:1-3) The Dorito Effect is a book by Mark Schatzker that presents a pretty strong theory that the health crises in the United States of obesity, heart disease, and diabetes are related to the addition of chemical, and even natural, flavorings to the foods we consume. Over…

Wednesday, December 7 (Suggested Reading: Romans 5:1-5) Because Jesus came, we have hope. Without a holy, loving, righteous God who was willing to be born as a man so long ago, who was so determined to have us that He willingly and personally paid the penalty for us… without Jesus, we would have no hope.

Tuesday, December 6 (Suggested Reading: Isaiah 9:2-7) All that God was yesterday, He still is today, and will be forevermore. In a world where changes seem to be rapid-fire, making us feel insecure and unstable, His constancy sustains and strengthens us.

Monday, December 5 (Suggested reading: Deuteronomy 30:9; Zephaniah 3:14-17) It’s hard to picture the nativity scene without a lullaby being sung. In fact, most of our Christmas carols were written as lullabies for baby Jesus.  Lullabies have been proven to have a soothing and restorative effect on infants and to strengthen the emotional bonds between the…