According to Hebrews 4 we don't just need a nap, we need a complete soul rest. God offers that to us, and has built it into the rhythms of his created order. Yet often we reject his rest because of fear. Therefore Jesus gives us the hope of a new rest with him and his presence. We have the opportunity to accept that rest through our belief in the Gospel of Christ, and through our obedience to His word.

When we experience hardship it's easy for us to forget who God is. Therefore, Hebrews appeals to Moses and how it is important to remember what God has done in order to encourage us toward not having a hardened heart.

in Chapter 2 Hebrews moves from the exaltation of Jesus and his deity, onto the incarnation of his humanity. This is important that Jesus, fully God, also became fully human. This means he goes before us to be the model human and also is with us to identify with our suffering. As a result, Hebrews encourages us to keep our minds fixed on him, which enables us to live like we have been created in God's image.

It is much easier for us to drift toward the easier path. Hebrews knows this, and continues in chapter 1 making a clear case that Jesus is better than even the angelic beings. Therefore, when we get to Chapter 2, we see the author's encouragement to hold fast to the message of Jesus, so we do not drift away.

We are going through the book of Hebrews to help navigate us through the first part of the year. Hebrews is a difficult book due to all the unknowns and the extensive use of the Old Testament. However, the author is clear on one thing during times of hardship, holding fast to our faith in Jesus through keeping our eyes fixed on him.

The new year brings anticipation for something new, and that is what ultimately brought the Magi to Jesus thousands of years ago. Through our vision of the future, we get to invite God into that through our trust in him, knowing he wants to do something new in us as well.

God's glory comes down in the most extraordinary ways, to the most ordinary people. We see this in the Christmas story from Luke chapter 2 as the angels showed up to the shepherds to share the good news of Jesus being born. Once we encounter the glory of God, we are given a choice to interact with it, and if we do we receive joy and purpose.

The season of Advent reminds us of how God brings his glory to us in the ordinary and mundane. Through our trust in him we bring praise and glory back to him - even when it doesn’t make sense.

As we continue our series in advent we come to the story of Mary, the mother of Jesus. Following through the story of Mary in Luke 1, we see how God meets her in her feelings of insignificance and extends his favor. This is the basis for our calling as we wrestle with God which brings us to trust in him.