Christ Central Church

Nahum 1:1 – 15 NLT

This message concerning Nineveh came as a vision to Nahum, who lived in Elkosh.

2 The Lord is a jealous God,

filled with vengeance and rage.

He takes revenge on all who oppose him

and continues to rage against his enemies!

3 The Lord is slow to get angry, but his power is great,

and he never lets the guilty go unpunished.

He displays his power in the whirlwind and the storm.

The billowing clouds are the dust beneath his feet.

4 At his command the oceans dry up,

and the rivers disappear.

The lush pastures of Bashan and Carmel fade,

and the green forests of Lebanon wither.

5 In his presence the mountains quake,

and the hills melt away;

the earth trembles,

and its people are destroyed.

6 Who can stand before his fierce anger?

Who can survive his burning fury?

His rage blazes forth like fire,

and the mountains crumble to dust in his presence.

7 The Lord is good,

a strong refuge when trouble comes.

He is close to those who trust in him.

8 But he will sweep away his enemies

in an overwhelming flood.

He will pursue his foes

into the darkness of night.

9 Why are you scheming against the Lord?

He will destroy you with one blow;

he won’t need to strike twice!

10 His enemies, tangled like thornbushes

and staggering like drunks,

will be burned up like dry stubble in a field.

11 Who is this wicked counselor of yours

who plots evil against the Lord?

12 This is what the Lord says:

“Though the Assyrians have many allies,

they will be destroyed and disappear.

O my people, I have punished you before,

but I will not punish you again.

13 Now I will break the yoke of bondage from your neck

and tear off the chains of Assyrian oppression.”

14 And this is what the Lord says concerning the Assyrians in Nineveh:

“You will have no more children to carry on your name.

I will destroy all the idols in the temples of your gods.

I am preparing a grave for you

because you are despicable!”

15 Look! A messenger is coming over the mountains with good news!

He is bringing a message of peace.

Celebrate your festivals, O people of Judah,

and fulfill all your vows,

for your wicked enemies will never invade your land again.

They will be completely destroyed!

Micah 6:1 – 8; 7:18 – 20 NLT

6 Listen to what the Lord is saying:

“Stand up and state your case against me.

Let the mountains and hills be called to witness your complaints.

2 And now, O mountains,

listen to the Lord’s complaint!

He has a case against his people.

He will bring charges against Israel.

3 “O my people, what have I done to you?

What have I done to make you tired of me?

Answer me!

4 For I brought you out of Egypt

and redeemed you from slavery.

I sent Moses, Aaron, and Miriam to help you.

5 Don’t you remember, my people,

how King Balak of Moab tried to have you cursed

and how Balaam son of Beor blessed you instead?

And remember your journey from Acacia Grove to Gilgal,

when I, the Lord, did everything I could

to teach you about my faithfulness.”

6 What can we bring to the Lord?

Should we bring him burnt offerings?

Should we bow before God Most High

with offerings of yearling calves?

7 Should we offer him thousands of rams

and ten thousand rivers of olive oil?

Should we sacrifice our firstborn children

to pay for our sins?

8 No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good,

and this is what he requires of you:

to do what is right, to love mercy,

and to walk humbly with your God.

Chapter 7

18 Where is another God like you,

who pardons the guilt of the remnant,

overlooking the sins of his special people?

You will not stay angry with your people forever,

because you delight in showing unfailing love.

19 Once again you will have compassion on us.

You will trample our sins under your feet

and throw them into the depths of the ocean!

20 You will show us your faithfulness and unfailing love

as you promised to our ancestors Abraham and Jacob long ago.

Matthew 11:1 – 19 (ESV)

Micah 3:1 – 12 (NLT)

I said, “Listen, you leaders of Israel!

You are supposed to know right from wrong,

2 but you are the very ones

who hate good and love evil.

You skin my people alive

and tear the flesh from their bones.

3 Yes, you eat my people’s flesh,

strip off their skin,

and break their bones.

You chop them up

like meat for the cooking pot.

4 Then you beg the Lord for help in times of trouble!

Do you really expect him to answer?

After all the evil you have done,

he won’t even look at you!”

5 This is what the Lord says:

“You false prophets are leading my people astray!

You promise peace for those who give you food,

but you declare war on those who refuse to feed you.

6 Now the night will close around you,

cutting off all your visions.

Darkness will cover you,

putting an end to your predictions.

The sun will set for you prophets,

and your day will come to an end.

7 Then you seers will be put to shame,

and you fortune-tellers will be disgraced.

And you will cover your faces

because there is no answer from God.”

8 But as for me, I am filled with power—

with the Spirit of the Lord.

I am filled with justice and strength

to boldly declare Israel’s sin and rebellion.

9 Listen to me, you leaders of Israel!

You hate justice and twist all that is right.

10 You are building Jerusalem

on a foundation of murder and corruption.

11 You rulers make decisions based on bribes;

you priests teach God’s laws only for a price;

you prophets won’t prophesy unless you are paid.

Yet all of you claim to depend on the Lord.

“No harm can come to us,” you say,

“for the Lord is here among us.”

12 Because of you, Mount Zion will be plowed like an open field;

Jerusalem will be reduced to ruins!

A thicket will grow on the heights

where the Temple now stands.

Micah 1:1 – 16 NLT

Genesis 50:20 NLT

Matthew 1:18 – 25 NLT

Philippians 2:1 – 11 ESV

So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Luke 2:8 – 20 ESV

8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in the highest,

and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. 17 And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

Luke 1:26 – 33, 46 – 55 NLT