Luke 2:8-14

路加福音二章8-14節

Luke 2:25-32

路加福音 2 章 25-32節

For the first week of Advent, our theme is hope. Jeremiah 29:11 famously promises a "future and a hope". Often, we misinterpret that as a promise for us, rather than for the Israelites in exile. But the promise of a future for them points to a new relationship between God and his people, one only made possible through Christ's coming and his death and resurrection. In the promises of Jeremiah 29 we see the hope of Christmas, through which God fulfills his greatest problem that we will be his people and he will be our God.

待降期第一周，本週的主題是盼望。耶利米書 29:11 出名的應許「未來與盼望」。我們常將其誤解為對我們的應許，而不是對流亡的以色列人的應許。這個對他們未來的應許顯示上帝與祂的子民之間有一種新的關係，這種關係只有透過基督的到來以及祂的死亡和復活才成為可能。在耶利米書第 29 章的應許中，我們看到了聖誕節的盼望，透過聖誕節，神解決了祂最大的問題：我們將成為祂的子民，祂將成為我們的神。

This week, continuing last week's sermon, we see that a life of faith always produces acts that flow from that faith as in the life of Abraham.

本週，延續上週的信息，我們看見有信心的人生總會因著信心而產生行動，就如亞伯拉罕的一生。

This week, we will look at Galatians 3 in order to see the basis of our salvation is, and always will be, faith.

本週，我們透過查考加拉太書 3 章，看看我們的救恩基礎是，並且永遠是，信心。

In his opening remarks in Colossians, Paul repeatedly mentions knowledge. How he explains it, that knowledge is possible because we are delivered, redeemed, and forgiven in Christ. And it is through that knowledge - of God and his will - that we can walk in a manner worthy of God, bear fruit in good works, and persevere. And there are few better ways to know God than to be in prayer and the Word and to be at church.

保羅在歌羅西書的前言中多次提到知識。他是這樣解釋的：知識之所以成為可能，是因為我們在基督裡得到了釋放、救贖和寬恕。正是透過這種關於上帝和祂的旨意的知識，我們才能以配得上帝的方式行事，在善行上結出果實，並堅持下去。要認識神，禱告、讀神的話和去教會是較好的方法。

The Parable of the Good Samaritan is familiar to many of us but timeless in its applications to our lives. In this sermon we look at how Jesus uses the parable to illustrate the failure of empty religion, the goodness of the gospel, and the urgency of missions in our lives today.

好撒瑪利亞人的比喻對我們許多人來說都很熟悉，但它在我們生活中的應用卻是永恆的。 在本週講道中，我們來看看耶穌如何用這個比喻來說明空洞宗教的失敗、福音的良善以及我們今天生活中宣教的迫切性。

In Matthew 28:16-20 we’re shown that we serve a Great God who has given us His Great Commission with a Great Promise. We can be assured that He is with us always, even to the end of the age, when we’re using our lives to make His name known among all nations, tribes, tongues, and people.

馬太福音 28 章 16-20節告訴我們，這位我們服事的偉大的神，賜給我們大使命，及極大的應許。當我們在萬國、萬民和萬邦中宣揚祂的名，祂必與我們同在，直到這世代的終結。

At the end of his chronicle, Nehemiah recounts three sins that have crept into the community that he confronts and tries to fix by directly addressing the incentivizers. Yet through his account we increasingly see Nehemiah's concern about his legacy - whether the fixes will hold and whether his efforts will be remembered. He repeats a refrain that is a reminder to all of us: when we are called on to do difficult things, we can trust that God sees and remembers.

在尼希米最後的紀錄中，他再次提出有三種罪悄悄的潛入猶大百姓中，並且試圖直接質問這些提出利誘的人來解決問題。透過這些我們看見尼希米對於他將留下的事蹟有許多顧慮－他的方法是否能夠持續以及神是否會紀念他。他反覆提出的這個行動提醒我們：當神呼召我們完成艱難的事，我們要相信神都看見並且記念。

Nehemiah 12 is more than just singing and dancing. It's a celebration of a restored relationship between God and His people, a new marriage. How amazing and good our God is!

尼希米記第十二章的歡樂不只是因為歌唱。這裡的歡樂是慶祝神按著自己的應許恢復了祂的百姓，就像一個婚禮。神是何等的奇妙和良善！