(Matthew 5:1-16 & Genesis 1:2-4) Giving the performance of a lifetime can be challenging when you feel sick. Even then, though, there are ways to be prepared. You can find the blessing of a lifetime when you choose to be a disciple, no matter the circumstance (performance of a lifetime 1/4).

(Luke 1:26-38 & 46-48) Two women are told they will give birth to a special child and rejoicing pours out of them in song. That same kind of singing can help us today, too, and might be a very part of the plan God has for our lives (Heaven and Earth 4/4).

(John 1:6-8 & 19-28 & Psalm 26:1-3) We can be in the dark and feel like everything is fine, but John the Baptist points to a different way of being - transparency (Heaven and Earth 3/4).

(Mark 1:1-8 & Malachi 3:1) When we prepare for Advent, we are doing more than just getting ready for a figurative arrival of Jesus as a baby. John the Baptist reminds us it involves repentance, which seems fine! But wrapped in his call is the biggest surprise of all (Heaven and Earth 2/4).

(Mark 13:24-37 & Isaiah 64:6, 8) The church year begins with Advent and we start it with a vision of the apocalypse! It seems a strange place to begin, but maybe it makes more sense that meets the eye, especially for those who are not expecting Christmas to be very merry this year (Heaven and Earth 1/4).

(John 11:38-53 & 1 Kings 17:21-22) Death can make us feel uneasy, and when its a loved one, it can wreck our world. Though grieving is natural, Jesus reveals a very different path, one that may seem completely impossible (Miracles of Jesus 4/4).

(John 6:1-15 & Exodus 16:14-15) Sometimes we feel like we've given all we can give. Sometimes we need a break from it all. When Jesus and his disciples hit that point, that's when a miracle changing nature around them happened. God wants to do the same for you (Miracles of Jesus 3/4).

(Mark 5:1-20 & Isaiah 35:5-6) Demon possession might seem to many people like a thing of the past, or a misunderstanding of mental illness, but maybe its not all we think it is. Jesus deals with the Gerasene Demoniac who has a legion of demons in him to teach us about something even more important than demon possession (Miracles of Jesus 2/4).

(Mark 8:14-26 & 2 Kings 5:13-14) When a man is partial healed of blindness by Jesus it can raise all kinds of questions for us? Are miracles real? Did Jesus really do that? Is this even possible? Consider the possibilities as we explore the miracles of Jesus (Miracles of Jesus 1/4).

(Matthew 6:25-34 & Micah 7:18-19) We usually agree that forgiving is good, but what about forgetting? Should we really forget about the things that happen to us in the past, or is that an unrealistic expectation? Find out what Jesus would say about a drug that makes you forget (Forgive and Forget 3/3).