The God of Miracles
“For nothing is impossible with God (Luke 1:37).” We serve a miraculous God. From time to time he will suspend his own laws of nature to help his children. Why, you ask? C.S. Lewis says it best: “Miracles are a retelling in small letters of the very same story which is written across the whole […]
The Gift of the Magi
“…and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their […]
God on Trial
“Take Me to court; let us argue our case together. State your case, so that you may be vindicated.” (Isaiah 43:26, HCSB) Why doesn’t God do something?! Have you ever asked that question? Following our last two sermons…If I really do matter to God and he really does care…then why doesn’t he do something about […]
A Weary World Rejoices
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28, NIV84) Have you ever seen Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs chart? It is a visual representation of what Abraham Maslow described as “human motivation.” It describes the things in life that drive us. At the bottom are the […]
Responding to Christmas
“When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about (Luke 2:15, NIV).” The shepherds give us a great example to follow when we hear God’s word. They responded immediately. We […]
Where’s the Real King?
“After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.” (Matthew 2:1-2, NIV) Try to imagine, for […]
God with Us
“The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”—which means, “God with us.” (Matthew 1:23, NIV) The two pivotal facts of Jesus’ incarnation are found right here: Jesus is God and Jesus is human. He is Immanuel, God with us. Why is this important? Consider […]
The Cradle, Cross, and Crown
One of the reasons we love Christmas is because of tradition. There’s an old saying that tradition is a clock that tells you what time it was. And for many of us, that time was our childhood…or when the kids were little…or before a loved one passed away. So it stands to reason that many […]
I Believe…
“…I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24, NIV) Do you sometimes feel like this is your life verse? Me, too! The last few weeks at New Life we’ve been talking about reasons to believe in Christmas. First and foremost is the fact that God loves you. The idea that “God so loved […]
I Believe in the Goodness of God
“But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.“ (Luke 2:10, NIV) Sunday I shared that I believe in Christmas because I believe in the love of God. Another reason I believe: I believe in the goodness of God. […]
Believe
“The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God.“ (Mark 1:1, NIV) That’s how Mark begins his Gospel. No genealogy, no manger, no shepherds or wise men. Where Matthew and Luke build up to that conclusion – that Jesus is the Son of God – Mark puts it out there in the […]
Recognize Him!
“He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him.“ (John 1:10, NLT) My wife shared this the other day and I thought it was worth hearing again. It is easy for us to get distracted by the chores and the busyness of the season, to-do lists, shopping, and even the […]
