Parents agonize over the name to-give their son or daughter.-They consider their own family-history, or the meaning of the-name, even how people will-respond to the name.-Mary and Joseph did none of-those things.---... Call His name JESUS, for He will save-His people from their sins.---Declared by the Father, Jesus' name reaches-back into His family history, and its meaning-announces the most wonderful news- Jesus' name-also begs a question- How will you respond to it-

-The First Noel.- What does that even mean- Why do we sing that song- How does it have anything to do with Christmas- How is it related to a baby being born in a manger- Where is that in the bible- 2000 years ago something wonderful finally came to be. It was planned long before any of us can imagine. It was planned by God, even before He created the world- Even before He created you and me- On a dark, starlit night, angels and a heavenly host brought good news to shepherds watching over their flocks- joyful news of a birth- Noel-

None of us would leave the bliss of heaven to return to this earth. ones to return to us from heaven, knowing the joy of their experience in God's presence. Incredibly, God has done what we would not and could not do. -... They shall call His name Immanuel, which is translated, -God With Us.- Jesus' incarnation - incomprehensible as it is - reminds us that God is for us. His delight is not merely to reign over us, but to reign in us and with us for His glory and our eternal blessing.

Sermon from Men's Breakfast, December 14, 2019

Sometimes the holidays are tricky- not as bright, shiny and blinky as we hope they'll be. For some, the holiday season is lonely, frustrating and sad. Everything in us cries out for change- change in circumstances, change in relationships, change in us ... but nothing changes. For John and his disciples, seeing and following Jesus changed everything about their lives - even if their circumstances stayed the same. Seeing and following Jesus changes everything.

Are there branches on your family tree that make you feel shame or Do you regret having been such a If you answer -yes- to either question, you'll find great hope Yes, our Savior was born of heaven. Yet He was born into a family tree that includes the worst of sinners. Praise God our Savior is not embarrassed or ashamed to identify with us- do you suppose the Holy Spirit moved Matthew to record the family tree of Jesus- What, if anything surprises you about this genealogy-

The wonderful lights of Christmas herald the coming of a season. A -well-lit house shines joy and warmth in preparation for the coming of the King. John the Baptist was a bright lamp shining, and heralding the coming of Israel's King into His earthly ministry and pathway to the cross. Like John, God has equipped YOU to shine Jesus into darkness.

A sincere belief is no measure of-it being true or false.-The Jewish Sanhedrin was-sincere.-So, too, was Pontius Pilate.-Although last to reach their-conclusion, so too the crowds of-Jerusalem were sincere.-All were sincere in their measure of Jesus.-And all were sincerely wrong.-Sincerity is to truth like your car's accelerator-is to its direction. Going faster has nothing to do-with whether you'll end up in the right place--Yet around the world today, mankind seems-intent on accelerating in error when it comes to-Jesus.-It's no wonder we're so far off course.--Far more important than sincerity is right belief.-This weekend, we'll see in Scripture mankind's-final measure of Jesus before Calvary.-Then we'll see God's scandalous response.-I hope you'll join us this Sunday as we turn to-Mark 15 and consider, -Responding to Jesus--The Scandal of the Gospel.-

None of us plan to fail. But we don't often enough plan not to fail, either. I've got some personal experience with this. Perhaps you do, too- It's that latter tendency that led a headstrong disciple, Peter, to do the unthinkable and deny his Master -- three times. This Sunday, we'll consider Peter's denial of Christ, and retrace the footsteps that lead to spiritual stumbling. Then we'll see our Lord's gracious restoration of His humbled servants.

Who are you- What are you doing- Why are you here- A lot of us ask ourselves questions like that. Yet, when asked those same questions, John the Baptist answered straight up- -I'm not the Christ.- John's sole purpose was to manifest Christ Himself to a world in desperate need of life and light. A world in need of baptism into a whole new existence. John was an authoritative preacher who'd come in the spirit and power of Elijah - yet his life was completely immersed in the purposes of Another.