Message from Joe Cotroneo on January 2, 2022

Message from Jim Burkett on December 26, 2021

"Now we know, and knowing is half the battle." I'm not sure if you recognize this line, but it was made famous by one of my favorite cartoons growing up, G.I. Joe. I bring this up because this is a very true statement as it relates to our celebration of Christmas. Last week we learned from Simeon that having an accurate view of Jesus helps to elevate our passions for Jesus. However, this week we are going to see that simply knowing who Jesus is still isn't enough. This week we are introduced to Anna, who shows us what happens when an accurate view of Jesus is met with an acute awareness of our need for Jesus. In other words, we will see what happens when accuracy meets reality. I hope you can join us as we continue to turn up our affections for Jesus this Christmas season at DOXA.

Does it ever feel like time seems to stand still when you’re waiting for a gift to arrive? I notice this when I order something online and the delivery date says it should be arriving anytime. I'll constantly check my email for updates looking for progress. This week we’re going to be looking at Simeon, a very obscure passage in the Christmas story that too often goes unread. But the way he celebrates the birth of Jesus actually shines light into how you and I can increase our passion for Christ this Christmas. I hope you will join us as we continue on in the second week of our Christmas series "Call His Name Jesus."

God wants us to truly celebrate Christmas. He wants our affections for Jesus to power-up during this season. But how do we do this? I'm not sure how it is for your family, but far too often the Christmas season can be pretty stressful. The normal rhythms of our lives get piled up with additional "festivities". Christmas shopping, Christmas parties, travel plans, meal prep, etc. All of which are good things, but the reality is these are just more things to do. Unintentionally these good things can subtly distract us from the real purpose of what this holiday is designed to be about. Namely celebrating Jesus. So, I encourage you to join us as we learn from four different people in the Bible that were able to increase their affections for Jesus during this Christmas season. This Sunday, we begin our series by celebrating Christmas like Mary.