Psalm 102:1 A prayer of an afflicted person who has grown weak and pours out a lament (complaint) before the LORD. Hear my prayer, LORD; let my cry for help come to you. 2 Do not hide your face from me when I am in distress. Turn your ear to me; when I call, answer me quickly.

Lent is approaching. I’m going to start 1 Thessalonians next week through Easter. And during this ...

Lord, you can make us right – You are our advocate and defender – the One who says, these are Mine. Thank You that You love us and our sins are forgiven.

Last week was part one – since the first of the year we have been talking about the things that matter most – and we started looking at the practice of Sabbath rest – and people ask, Do Christians have to follow the Sabbath – and the real question ...

Bible Project video intro: 

We are looking at things that matter most – and one of those is practicing the Sabbath rest.

The Bible Project guys – Tim and John – Tim is the theologian, John does the design and such – they hash through the subject –

Oftentimes, when it comes to the Sabbath, people ask – do Christians have to practice the Sabbath? If you ask that question – it comes from not understanding what the Sabbath is! Let ...

Lord, thank You for what Suzanne and Patty shared with us this morning before we took communion and remembered Your death for us on the cross, that Your blood was shed and Your body broken, to demonstrate Your great love for us. We depend on that for everything. Thank You for giving us life.

Matthew 5:23 "Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something ...

1 Peter 4:8 Above all, maintain constant love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins. Be hospitable to one another without complaining.

It is love that makes it church.

I want to tell a story – it is about Tim and Alycia Blough… They don’t know I’m telling this story.

Many of you know they bought an old farmhouse – one of the guys came up to me – and asked – can ...

Lord, thank You for this morning and the opportunity to have our hearts focused on You. As we enter this year, we know we are loved and forgiven, having received grace and mercy. We kneel before You, knowing that we need You. Even as we may face trials and difficulties – we know that You will be present with us. You don’t promise that everything we want will come, but You do promise that through ...

Advent – Arrival or coming of Christ

Luke 2: 8 In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened.

We know the story – when the glory of the Lord appeared – it was the visible presence of God on earth ...

Thank You for forgiving our sin and taking our judgment on You and not on us. You love us – and we are your beloved children. It is all because of what You have done for us.

We are finishing Ruth – picking up where we left off last week:

Ruth 4: 12 Through the offspring the LORD gives you by this young woman, may your family be like that of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah ...

Ruth 4 is all about Advent – a precursor to a Christmas story

Ruth 4:1 No sooner had Boaz gone up to the gate and sat down there than the next-of-kin, of whom Boaz had spoken, came passing by. So Boaz said, "Come over, friend; sit down here."

This word, FRIEND – is not as kind of a word as it might sound. Like, hey, Mr. So-and-so – Hey you – come sit down here.

And he went ...

Ruth 2: 10 Then she fell on her face, bowing to the ground and said to him, "Why have I found favor in your sight that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?"

Ruth identifies herself as a foreigner – a complete outsider to the community. Using this term, Ruth was everything Israel was not – and she was to be avoided at all cost. I think she may have been making a ...