Wednesday – December 4, 2024
"The days are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will fulfill the good promise I made to the people of Israel and Judah. In those days and at that time I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David’s line; he will do what is just and right in the land. In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety. This is the name by which it will be called: The Lord Our Righteous Savior.’ (Jeremiah 33:14-16, NIV)
First Sunday of Advent -December 1, 2024
The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned... For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:2, 6-7, NIV)
Renewed by the Spirit
At various times in our lives, many followers of Christ can identify with those bells. We express our faith through our words and actions, yet internally we may feel a lack of the divine power that once resided within us. In the coming weeks, I'll be posting a sermon series on my BLOG entitled “A Brand New You! This sermon is the first in this series.
Discipleship or Followership
Jesus had followers and disciples. What is the difference? Well, followers of Jesus are curious about Jesus. They may even attend church. Jesus’ followers, like many today, stopped following Him when things got tough. The disciples, while certainly not perfect, hung in there. This devotional addresses the difference between a disciple and a follower.
THE STRUGGLE OF SELF-DENIAL
“Then he said to them all, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.” Luke 9:23 NRSV Self-denial is a spiritual discipline that is hard to practice but is necessary for our growth in Christ.