Tag: faith
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Jesus The Christ (Dec. 25, 2024)
Well, by the grace of God we have arrived at yet another Christmas Day! No doubt there are many homes with debris strewn about rooms and perhaps some already broken toys. Some of you may open your gifts on Christmas Eve and afforded yourselves a morning to sleep in a bit, or have things already…
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Shepherds (Dec. 17th, 2024)
Scripture: Luke 2:8, 15-20 Shepherds Sheep and pastures and kindly, simple shepherds standing vigil over the flock makes a wonderful image in our mind. As television and advertising repeatedly demonstrate, however, image is not everything. The reality of shepherds is that they were not a kindly, clean and gentle lot. They were looked down upon…
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Nazareth (Dec. 9, 2024)
Scripture: Luke 2:2, Matthew 2:23 Nazareth Every country and region has charming, small towns. Nazareth was not one of them. Nazareth was small but apparently there was nothing about Nazareth reputed to be charming. Somehow little Nazareth had developed a national reputation as being a small, backward spot people were sorry there was…
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The Angel Gabriel (Dec. 8, 2024)
SCRIPTURE: Luke 1:26-28 GABRIEL Gabriel is one of only two angels mentioned by name in the scripture (the other is Michael). The name means literally, “God is my hero” and the angel’s job was to take the hero’s messages wherever he was told to do so. Gabriel appears to be one of the…
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Gospel of John (Dec 7, 2024)
SCRIPTURE: John 1:1-14 GOSPEL OF JOHN John is not the black sheep of the Gospels. John is the technicolor, tie-dyed, neurodivergent sheep who saw deeper meaning in everything. John didn’t color outside the lines, he just saw the lines as a metaphor for something deeper. I do John an injustice if I imply…
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Gospel of Luke (Dec. 6, 2024)
Scripture: Luke 3:23-38 Gospel of Luke Luke is certainly the better known of the Christmas stories. Unlike Matthew, Luke is a gospel for the non-Jews. Unlike Mark, Luke pauses to frame Jesus’s ministry in a geographical and historical situation. Matthew and Luke are both carefully introduced, properly presented and include a genealogy. Whereas Matthew traces…
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Zachariah- December 2
Scripture: Luke 1:18-20. Preparing in our house, usually takes some muscle. When we were leaving for a trip, there is something one could kindly describe as a “flurry of activity.” Remember, preparing for a wedding? If there isn’t some sweat, confusion, and shouts through the house, then we probably aren’t “preparing.” That may be necessary…
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Advent Devotions Preface
The word “advent” means “a coming from outside, a sudden breaking into.” It is the word we’ve been given for the weeks preceding Christmas. We aren’t sure when it first started but Advent is referenced as early as the 4th century. Traditionally, Advent was a season of penitence and preparation similar to Lent. Today we…
Wilmot First Presbyterian Church 