As we continue to celebrate Christmas, we're looking at texts that reveal the mystery of the incarnation, of Jesus taking on human flesh to save us. This week we look at Hebrews 1:1-9, where we see that Jesus is the Greatest.

Merry Christmas! This Christmas we pondered the words of Luke 2, and we saw the power of God, who perfectly orchestrated everything so that his Son, the Savior of the World, would be born in Bethlehem, just as he promised. Because of him, we have light, and life, and hope.

This week we get to see the story behind Christmas from Joseph's perspective in Matthew 1:18-25. What we see is a messy situation with all kinds of loose ends and unanswered questions. But in the midst of the mess, the Messiah is born, and he's given a name that is packed with comfort for us as believers: Immanuel ("God with us"). Today in our sermon we dig into what that name means for us.

As we continue to prepare ourselves for Jesus' coming in this Advent season, we looked at Romans 15:4-13, where Paul tells us that as Christians we are filled up with joy and peace so that we overflow with hope.

Today marks the beginning of a new church year and the season of Advent. In our sermon lesson for today, Paul gives us some commands that he claims apply in every situation: rejoice, and do not be anxious. But how can he command us to do things that seem so impossible? Those commands are rooted in a statement right in the middle of this text: The Lord is Near. And because of that, his presence shapes our priorities, and his peace guards our hearts and minds.

This week we wrapped up our Cause & Effect series by looking at Luke 7, where we see the cause of our thanksgiving. We, like the woman in this story, are thankful because Jesus has taken away our sin. That is the greatest reason for thanksgiving, today and every day.

Doesn't it sometimes seem like everything in this world is out of control, and everyone is losing their minds? Jesus warns us that in these last days before his return, it might look like that. But what looks like unplanned chaos is actually all part of God's plan. It's a plan Jesus prepares us for, and it's a plan we can trust.

What do you do when you feel the weight of your guilt? Do you try to hide it? Do you try to explain it away? Do you try to make up for it? Micah encourages us in this lesson not to do any of those things, but instead to let God deal with our guilt for us. When he does, his grace will lead us to say with joy, "Who is like our God?"

Socrates once said that true wisdom is knowing how little you know. He was half right, according to Solomon. While Solomon also warns against being wise in your own eyes, he also adds that true wisdom is trusting in the Lord with all your heart.

This week we celebrated the Reformation as part of our service. The result of the Reformation was a renewed emphasis on the freedom we have in Christ. In John 8, we hear Jesus talk about that freedom. He tells us when we hold to his teaching, we know the truth, and the truth will set us free.