First Free Methodist - FFMC

The Christmas story is perhaps the best-known story in all of the Bible. It has been re-enacted time and again by adults and children alike. We warm to the images of Jesus' birth and the wonder of that first Christmas. If we take a closer look, we might find that the story has more wonder than we ever realized. It is a story filled with ordinary people finding themselves in God's great plan of salvation. Maybe that makes it easier to find ourselves in this story.

The Christmas story is perhaps the best known story in all of the Bible. It has been re-enacted time and again by adults and children alike. We warm to the images of Jesus birth and the wonder of that first Christmas. If we take a closer look, we might find that the story has more wonder than we ever realized. It is a story filled with ordinary people finding themselves in God's great plan of salvation. Maybe that makes it easier to find ourselves in this story.

it is hard to imagine that the cosmos hangs in the balance with two Jewish women in the first century. Elizabeth and Mary have an important moment together when their unborn children meet for the first time. These two women find themselves in a moment when God will use each of them for extraordinary things, one of which, will be savior of the world.

Have you ever been caught between a rock and a hard place? The Bible is filled with stories of people who found themselves in exactly the same place. The story of Joseph, in Matthew's gospel, is a good example. He is faced with a daunting choice about his future. In the midst of that situation, an angel appears and offers him a new and glorious solution which had never crossed his mind.

Judging and being judgmental are two different things. One requires prudence and wisdom. The latter requires ingratitude and fear. Jesus offers us a new and wonderful way to balance these these in the Sermon on the Mount. how can we convey the sacrificial love of God while not losing ourselves in the process.

Words are important. Our promises are important. This week's episode explores how we can use our words, both written and verbal, to express our heart more clearly. When we do so, clarity and authenticity can happen in surprising ways!

Gratitude is usually a response to something done to or for us. We say, "Thank you!" when something happens which brings joy, satisfaction, or even wholeness. Sometimes we feel the sense to do more than just say, "Thank you." This week's episode explores some of the different forms thanksgiving can take.

"In everything, give thanks.", the Apostle Paul tells us. How hard this is to do. The daily pressures of life and constant distractions easily lead us away from thanksgiving. Re-centering our lives in gratitude each day can change the way we live and see the world.

Christians can give thanks to God for many reasons! Foundational to all of them is God's saving grace in Jesus Christ. That grace is a gift to us. Not only does it offer us salvation, it also offers to us a way of being made stronger even in the most challenging times.

We are taught from an early age to dream big and think big. Our culture continually reinforces that message to us. Bigger is better. Jesus helps us see the world and ourselves in a different way. When it comes to feeding 5,000 people, all Jesus needs is one boy who brings forth only what he has for food. Jesus does the rest.