To be strong and courageous, Joshua needed to trust and obey God and lead the people by remembering God’s promises and acting together on His commands. In this sermon, we look at Joshua 1 and the lessons for us today.

Title: Jesus, the King of PeacePassage: Isaiah 11:1-10Summary: Over the course of the pandemic, we have seen news of violence, outcries, and distress. Along with wanting the pandemic to be over, all of us are longing for peace on earth. The prophet Isaiah reminds us this Christmas that only in Jesus Christ can true and lasting peace be found. During this Christmas season, let us celebrate Christ’s coming in Bethlehem, anticipate his coming again in glory, and finally, open our hearts for his coming through the Spirit in our daily lives.

Every time we watch the news, we see another thing to worry about.  Whether it's related to the pandemic, societal upheavals, fragile economics, health, weather, safety, or even personal matters, the list of things to be fearful of keeps getting bigger and bigger.  We need some good news for this fearful world.  Fear has been a part of life ever since man walked the face of this earth.  Yet fear is part of being human.  While the circumstances may change from time to time and person to person, the experience of fear itself is nothing new.  

Christmas is God’s good news to mankind, past, present and future.  Even in the time before Jesus was born, people were looking forward to this promised Messiah.  This Advent season, we are studying some prophecies from Isaiah - to see how God was leading His people to look ahead, beyond their messed up situations.  Today, we will look at God’s two promises to people who were in a very desperate situation.

Advent is a season of waiting and hoping, a time to prepare our hearts to celebrate the birth of Christ Jesus and also for us to get in touch with our own yearning for Christ, for healing, justice, peace, and salvation.  From Isaiah 9:1-7, we want to learn how Christmas brings us a living hope even in challenging and dark times.

At long last, Paul sailed for Rome, in accordance with his own deep desire and the Lord's promise. Unlike his previous missionary journeys, this time he went as a prisoner. Along the way, the ship encountered a dangerous storm that threatened the ship and the lives of its 276 passengers. Nevertheless, the Lord spared the lives of all who were onboard in a way that gives a picture of the gospel itself. The Lord's blessing also spread to the island to Malta where the ship wrecked. He not only brought Paul to the promised destination of Rome but also was faithful on the journey such that blessings were shared with the ship's passengers and those living on Malta.

This week we continue in the book of Acts and take a look in chapters 24-26 at Paul's defense before the governors Felix and Festus and before King Agrippa. Despite facing difficult circumstances, Paul takes pains to have a clear conscience toward both God and man. We see this in both the things that he does and the things that he doesn't do. We can learn from Paul's example and consider whether we are living life with a clear conscience. We are also encouraged to align our conscience with God's Word, so we are not led astray by a seared or insensitive conscience.

During these past 2 years, we have been living in a time of anxiety and fear. So, being courageous is easier said than done. Paul courageously faced many challenges and difficulties in Jerusalem. Let’s learn together how we can live courageously for Christ from Paul’s encounters in Jerusalem.

When we think of sharing our faith, we think about sharing the plan of salvation.  But sharing our faith is much broader than that.  It includes the manner in which we share our story and including our personal encounters with Jesus.  Let's learn from Paul's example in Acts 21:15-22:29

This week we continue in our series in the book of Acts and cover Acts 20:1 - 21:15. In this passage, we see how Paul is driven by his purpose of living for Christ and making Him known to all people. He's willing to follow God's leading, speak God's truth, and even die to self for the sake of the gospel. Even though Paul sets a very high bar for us, we learn from his example and live a purpose driven life.

The Acts of the Apostles continue in Ephesus where we see examples of different people all having a common issue - a spiritual blind spot. As we explore this text together, let us also reflect upon how today's context might determine our own blind spots. May the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit help us to address our personal blind spots and thereby grow toward Christlikeness.