This is a beautiful meditation on Advent and the deep spiritual hunger that the season both reveals and addresses. It weaves together Isaiah's invitation and Jesus's fulfillment of it in a way that's both poetic and penetrating.

A few reflections on what strikes most powerfully here:

The cultural moment: The observation about how "our cultural rhythms reveal a deep unmet longing" is insightful. The holiday season does seem to be reaching for something transcendent—the lights against the darkness, the emphasis on generosity, peace, family, joy—but so often settling for a "fleeting taste" rather than the substantial reality. It's as if our culture remembers that something is supposed to satisfy but has forgotten what.

The escalating invitations: The message traces the progression from Isaiah's "Come, all you who are thirsty" to Jesus declaring "I am the bread of life" and offering living water. The prophecy becomes personal. The invitation becomes incarnate. What was promised to David's line is now offered to anyone who will come and drink.

The "bad bread" diagnosis: Pastor Popovits's quote is uncomfortably accurate. We do exhaust ourselves pursuing things that can never actually fill the God-shaped hunger within us—achievement, approval, control, comfort, distraction. And the tragedy is that we often know even while we're doing it that these things won't satisfy, yet we keep laboring for them anyway.

"We yield our souls to what we consume": This is such a crucial principle. Just as our bodies are literally built from what we eat, our souls are shaped by what we habitually take in—what we watch, read, listen to, meditate on. Advent becomes not just about anticipating Christmas but about examining our soul's diet.

The outward movement: Advent doesn't end with personal satisfaction but with witness (verses 4-5). Those who feast at this table become inviters to the feast. The splendor we're endowed with isn't for hoarding but for beckoning others home.

The urgency of verses 6-7 that the message ends with—"Seek the Lord while he may be found"—is the appropriate note. Advent reminds us that time is moving toward something, that there's both grace available now and accountability coming. The invitation is genuine and generous, but it requires a response.

This is a beautiful meditation on the true meaning of Christmas and the profound theological truth of the Incarnation. Let's reflect on the key themes that were woven together:

The Paradox of Home

Something essential was captured: we long for home during Christmas, yet that longing reveals we're searching for something deeper than a physical location. The safety, acceptance, and unconditional love we crave can only come from authentic relationships—and ultimately from the relationship we were created for.

Isaiah's Vision: From Stump to Flourishing

The Isaiah passage is striking in its movement from death to life. Jesse's line had been cut down—the Davidic kingdom reduced to a stump. Yet from that apparent end comes new life, a different kind of king who rules not through military might but through the Spirit, wisdom, and righteousness. His kingdom reverses the natural order: predators lie down with prey, children play safely with serpents. It's a vision of complete restoration, where "the knowledge of the LORD" fills everything like water covers the sea.

The God Who Leaves Home

Here's where this meditation becomes most powerful: God doesn't wait for us to find our way home. He leaves His home—John 1 shows the Word, who was with God and was God, becoming flesh and "dwelling" (literally "tabernacling") among us. Jesus enters our exile, our homelessness, our wandering.

Redeeming the Rush

The closing invitation is practical and pastoral. Rather than fighting against the longing or numbing it with busyness, Andrew suggests we let every pang of homesickness become a prayer, a redirection toward Christ who is our home.

This is the scandal and beauty of Christmas: God pursues the homeless by becoming homeless Himself, so that in Him we might finally come home.

This is a rich teaching about consecration and thanksgiving as acts of worship. The key themes include:

Honoring God and giving thanks are inseparable acts of worship. Consecration is not a one-time event, but an ongoing practice of setting apart every area of life for God.

1. The Foundation (Romans 12:1-2)We offer ourselves as "living sacrifices" in response to God's mercy. This is active participation—not passive receipt—of God's grace.

2. The Practice: "Pray and Do"

The prayer pattern suggested is powerful in its simplicity:

• "Jesus, You have my first 'Yes'"
• Bringing specific life areas under His authority (body, sexuality, finances, time, relationships)
• Acknowledging that even our failures are met with grace because "He said 'yes' to me first"

3. The Warning (Romans 1:19-25)

The passage traces spiritual decline: knowing God → failing to honor/thank Him → futile thinking → darkened hearts → idolatry. The teaching emphasizes that lack of gratitude is the first step toward idolatry.

The sermon concludes with tangible ways thanksgiving transforms us:

• Taking up our cross - embracing sacrifice and submission
• Pursuing reconciliation - letting gratitude move us toward others, not away
• Serving without recognition - giving thanks means serving where we're unseen

The account of the ten lepers powerfully illustrates that healing without thanksgiving is incomplete. Only one returned—the Samaritan outsider—demonstrating that true faith expresses itself in gratitude.

Main Theme: Actively consecrating every area of our lives to God as a response to His grace, with special emphasis on financial stewardship.

Understanding Consecration:

• Consecration means to "make holy" or "set apart" for God
• God first makes us holy through Jesus' life, death, and resurrection
• We then respond by actively offering ourselves as "living sacrifices" (Romans 12:1-2)
• It's our active response to God's gracious work of saving and redeeming us

The Practice: Pray and Do

PRAY - Bringing Life Under Jesus' Authority:The sermon emphasizes regularly praying consecration prayers over different areas of life, especially:

• Areas where we resist God's leadership
• Areas where we're vulnerable to enemy attacks
• Key prayer declarations:

The "First Yes" Concept:Before turning to culture, common sense, upbringing, or anxiety, Jesus gets our first "yes." When we fail (and we will), His grace meets us because He said "yes" to us first, freeing us to recommit.

DO - Financial Consecration:The sermon focuses heavily on money and wealth as a critical area of consecration:

• Biblical foundation: Tithing (10%) as returning to God what already belongs to Him
• Old Testament model: Leviticus 27 and Malachi 3 establish the tithe as "holy to the Lord"
• New Testament example: Macedonian churches gave generously beyond their ability from extreme poverty (2 Corinthians 8)
• The principle: They "gave themselves first of all to the Lord" before giving financially

Bottom Line:Sacrificial, generous financial giving is an obedient act of consecrated worship to the One who sacrificially gave Himself for us. Our first "yes" in finances means returning a generous percentage to God as true worship.

Core Message: The central declaration is: "Jesus, All I am and all I have and all there is … Belongs to You"

Two Main Components:

1. Release - Giving God control of everyone and everything, casting anxieties on Him (1 Peter 5:7)

2. Realignment - Giving Jesus the "first yes" - prioritizing His will before culture, common sense, or personal desires (Matthew 6:33)

Biblical Foundation: The teaching draws from several passages:

• Romans 12:1-2 on offering ourselves as living sacrifices

• 1 Chronicles 29:9-16 on David's recognition that everything belongs to God

• 2 Corinthians 8:1-5 on the Macedonian churches' generous giving

• Mark 12:41-44 on the widow's sacrificial offering

Grace Component: There's an acknowledgment that when we fail to give Jesus our "first yes," we're met with grace because "He said 'yes' to me first."

The overall emphasis is on responding to God's mercy and grace by actively consecrating our lives to Him - not as a legalistic requirement, but as a joyful response to His love.

"Consecrated Unto Thee: Set Apart for God's Purpose"

Main Scripture: Romans 12:1-2

INTRODUCTION: What is Consecration?

Definition: To make "holy," to "set apart" for God

• God makes us holy through Christ's life, death, and resurrection
• We respond to His grace by consecrating ourselves to Him
• Consecration includes: Cleansing, sacrifice, and (re-)dedication to God and His purposes

• People gathering teachers to suit their desires
• Turning from truth to myths
• A.W. Tozer: "The vague hope that God is too kind to punish has become a deadly opiate for millions"

• Grace teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness
• Our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit
• Theo Hobson's Three Marks of Moral Revolution:

• A chosen people, royal priesthood, holy nation
• God's special possession
• In our being and living, we are set apart for Him
• Called out of darkness into His wonderful light

Our Purpose: To declare His praises and live good lives before others

Key Quotes:

• A.W. Tozer: "Man's sin wastes what is most like God on earth—man's greatest tragedy and God's heaviest grief"
• Jon Tyson: "You were born in God's image for incredible Kingdom purposes. The greatest tragedy is wasting your life on lesser things"
• D.L. Moody: "The world has yet to see what God would do with a man fully consecrated to Him"

Call to Action:

• Cleansing
• Sacrifice
• (Re-)Dedication to Jesus and His purposes

1. What areas of my life need consecration today?
2. Where am I compromising theologically or morally?
3. Am I living as one set apart for God's purposes?
4. What "amazing things" is God waiting to do through my consecration?

I. WHY CONSECRATION MATTERS: Living in a Time of Compromise

• A. Theological Compromise (John 17:14-19; 2 Timothy 4:1-5)

• B. Moral Compromise (Titus 2:11-14; 1 Corinthians 6:18-20)

II. CONSECRATED TO A PERSON (1 Peter 2:9-12)

III. CONSECRATED FOR A PURPOSE (1 Peter 2:9, 11-12)

CHALLENGE: "Others May. You May Not!"

Joshua 3:5 - "Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you"Application Questions:

Sermon Summary: "Experience Jesus. Really." - Part 4

Main Theme: The necessity of continually choosing God every single day, not just once.

The Central Plea:Choosing God isn't a one-time decision but a daily, ongoing commitment. Like living in a story rather than a static painting, our faith requires constant, active choices to follow Jesus despite everything pulling us away like a riptide.

Biblical Foundation:The sermon weaves together multiple scripture passages showing God's invitation to dwell with Him—from Genesis 3:9 ("Where are you?") through Jesus' calls to "Come, follow me" and "Remain in me" (John 15). Each invitation contains both a plea and a promise.

The Core Conflict:We often want two contradictory things simultaneously—temporary relief and God's eternal blessing. The sermon uses Esau's story as a warning: he traded his birthright for a bowl of stew, choosing immediate gratification over lasting blessing.

The Resistance:Three forces actively work against our choice to abide in God: the devil, the world, and our sinful nature. They oppose us finding hope, peace, and joy in God's presence.

The Solution:Intentional daily rhythms of experiencing Jesus through Word and prayer help us "fix our eyes on Him" (Hebrews 12:1-3) and run our race well while throwing off sin that entangles us.

The Bottom Line:The safest place in the universe is to be deeply situated in Christ. The spiritual practices are "swimming lessons for mystics"—making life in God's presence become second nature through daily choosing.

Jesus: The Integrating Center of All Things

What rooms in your life have you locked? What broken places are you keeping hidden behind closed doors?

In this powerful episode, we explore the profound truth that Jesus doesn't just want to be part of our lives—He wants to be the integrating center that holds everything together. Drawing from John 20, we revisit that pivotal moment when Jesus appeared to His disciples in their locked room, bringing peace into their place of fear.

Discover why Jesus seeks entrance into the fragmented, broken areas of our hearts. We'll explore two compelling reasons: who He is as the Creator and sustainer of all things (Colossians 1:15-17), and why He came—to bind up the brokenhearted, proclaim freedom to captives, and exchange our ashes for beauty (Isaiah 61).

Through Scripture and practical application, you'll be encouraged to unlock those sealed places in your heart and welcome the One who stands at the door and knocks (Revelation 3:20). When we invite Jesus into our brokenness, we discover what the disciples experienced: overwhelming joy and the transforming light that no darkness can overcome.

Are you ready to open the door?

Finding Refuge, Strength and Wonder Through Everyday Encounters with God

In a world that feels increasingly chaotic and overwhelming, we all need refuge. This message explores how Jesus offers us true shelter through His presence, truth, and love. Drawing from Psalm 91, Psalm 62, and Jesus's powerful words in John 15 about remaining in the vine, we discover that our greatest need in this hour is to restore our union with Christ.

What does it mean to actively dwell in God's refuge? It's more than a theological concept—it's a living, breathing relationship that transforms us from the inside out. Learn practical ways to engage with God's refuge through the lost art of lingering: lingering in prayer, lingering over His Word, and lingering in His presence. Discover how simple prayers like "Jesus, I give you everyone and everything" and "Restore my union with You" can open the door to deeper encounters with God.

This sermon also introduces a month-long journey to experience Jesus more fully, including daily guided prayer, recommended reading, and community engagement. Plus, explore powerful identity declarations that remind us who we truly are in Christ—accepted, secure, and significant. As branches connected to the true vine, we're invited to bear fruit not through striving, but through remaining in His love. Find out how your heart and soul can be restored as you take refuge in Him.