There are so many unanswered and unanswerable questions about the Magi's visit to Jesus. Who were they? Where did they come from? What kind of star led them there?

There are so many unknown and unknowable questions about our lives today? Why did God allow 2020 to unfold the way it did? What does 2021 have in store for us? How much longer will we have to deal with COVID?

In both cases, God doesn't give us answers - not because they're unimportant questions, but because he wants to focus our attention on his ultimate Answer, Jesus.

As we begin a new sermon series Getting to Know Jesus, listen to this week's introduction for 2 important lessons you can learn from the Magi.

What does your house look like the day after Christmas? Is it as festive with a pile of dirty dishes waiting their turn for the dishwasher, or a bag or two of crinkled wrapping paper waiting to be taken to the trash bin?

Once Christmas is over, it is easy to lose the Christmas spirit. Thankfully for Christians, the Christmas spirit doesn't live in the smell of freshly baked cookies, festively decorated houses or brightly wrapped presents. The joy of Christmas lives in the message of Jesus, which is our gift to open every day of the year.

Listen to this week's sermon to hear how Simeon and Anna kept the joy of Christmas alive in their hearts, and how you can too.

Have you ever looked at a Christmas present and, if not out loud, then at least in your mind, said, "That's it? That's all?" Sadly that happens at Christmas sometimes.

Does that ever happen when you think about Jesus? For the almighty Son of God, he didn't look like much when he was born. For our infinitely good and loving Saviour, he sure seemed absent in 2020.

After reading John 1 today, it's our prayer that instead of asking, "That's it?" you'll exclaim, "That's it! That's my Saviour! That's the answer to my prayers!"

May God bless you this Christmas and always with the greatest gift he has ever give you - your Saviour Jesus.

Preached at St. Peter on Dec. 20, 2020

In a recent Gallup poll it was revealed that in every statistical category there was a demonstrable decline in excellent mental health... with one exception. In fact, this one demographic of people even saw an increase in excellent mental health in the year 2020. Can you guess which demographic that was?

People who worship weekly.

At the conclusion to Paul's first letter to the Thessalonians he reminds them of that God wants them to be joyful, thankful, and faithful, and that the way God gets them there is by giving them his Spirit through the preaching of his Word.

If you want to be joyful, thankful, and faithful, try the same thing. Be diligent in devotion, willing to worship, and discerning in what you digest in this world.

Fill yourself with God's Word and know a joy that cannot be crushed by any circumstance in life - not even if Christmas gets cancelled.

You know the worst part of video conferencing? Seeing your own face.

How can you ever look away? You start to notice all the weird ticks and mannerisms you have. You become hyper aware of your hygiene and style. It's so easy to become obsessed with achieving the proper lighting and finding the best backdrop.

God's law can have that effect too, but it's not meant to inspire this endless search for the best lighting, but to help us understand our need for a Saviour. That's what John the Baptist's job was - to preach repentance, so that we can rejoice in Jesus' forgiveness.

Listen to this week's sermon to have a mirror pointed at your own heart and see how much you need Jesus.

If you could send a text message to everyone in your province, what would it say?

How about, "Watch!"?

That's what Jesus says he wants everyone to do: Watch. Keep watch. Be on guard. Be alert.

The question is, "For what, and why?" That's really the Advent question. What should we be watching for? Sale prices to go down? Travel restrictions to be lifted?

No, we should be watching for Jesus to return. Listen to this week's sermon to see how and why.

What happens when you don't much feel like clapping or shouting for joy?

Music has the power to alter your mood, just like we see in Psalm 47. If you sing through these words, you'll be reminded how awesome God is because he is (1) sovereign, and (2) your Saviour. When you combine God's power and love in song, you'd be amazed how quickly your tune can change.

Listen to this week's sermon for more on why the Lord Most High is so awesome.

What do you think heaven is going to be like? Will there be pizza there? Will your pets be there?

Ultimately, we don't know. But what we do know is that in heaven you won't face any of the things that bring you to tears here, because Jesus is your shield. In heaven, God will shine his favor on you forever, because Jesus is your sun.

How should you prepare to meet your Maker?

Should you draw up a will? Maybe put post-it notes on all the things you want to leave to your children?

Moses gives us 3 great tips in Psalm 90. Have your post-it notes handy and listen to this week's sermon for Last Judgment Sunday - November 8, 2020.