Advent begins not with noise, but with silence — and with a long season where Zechariah is held, emptied, and invited into surrender so that blessing can take root. In this overlooked ‘footnote’ story, we see the holy work of God restoring identity from the inside out. Before Zechariah can speak blessing, Zechariah must receive blessing. Before blessing can flow, control must loosen. Before calling can be named, surrender must make space.

This sermon explores how blessing is not flattery or sentiment, but identity repair — God calling forth what is already true about us, summoning into the open what has always lived in the heart of God. Advent is the season where God restores our identity so we can recognize Jesus when Jesus draws near in surprising and ordinary places.

We name the real and human reasons blessing is hard to receive: our fear of vulnerability, our attachment to control, the old stories that told us we weren’t enough, or were too much. And into those places, Advent comes gently — creating room for honesty, softness, and readiness.

This message invites us to take one step closer to receiving blessing that restores dignity, worth, belonging, courage, and clarity. As we prepare for our December 28 Blessing Service, we open our hearts to the God who restores identity, prepares the way, and calls us into who we truly are.

When the angel of the Lord appeared to them, the shepherds were startled and afraid. Fear is often our first response when the divine breaks into our ordinary lives. But the angel’s first message was one of hope, ‘Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people:”

What began with fear quickly turned into joy as the shepherds hurried to see the newborn Savior. They didn’t hesitate; they went in faith, found Jesus and then became messengers of that same good news of great joy! 

Their story reminds us that God often meets us in moments of fear and transforms our anxiety into joy. When we respond with trust, we discover the true reason for celebration - God with us.

During this Advent Season may we move from fear to joy, embrace the Good News and share it with the world.

This Sunday in our Advent Footnotes series, we step into the story of the Wise Men—not for the gifts they brought, but for the wisdom they showed after encountering Jesus.

Scripture tells us that as they prepared to return home, God warned them not to go back to King Herod as he had told them.  Herod sounded devout on the surface, even eager to worship. But beneath the polished words were motives that opposed what God was doing.

The Wise Men listened. They discerned. And they quietly chose another way.

Their story invites us into the spiritual practice of seeing beyond the shine—because some things that appear good or spiritual on the surface don’t carry the character of Christ beneath. Discernment isn’t about suspicion; it’s about wisdom. It’s the Spirit teaching us to notice what’s true, what’s healthy, and what aligns with God’s heart.

This week we’ll reflect on what it means to be wise enough to walk away—to test what we hear, to trust the Spirit’s guidance, and to welcome the gentle mercy of God that helps our hearts keep learning, tuning, and becoming.

Join us as we prepare our hearts for worship and for a season shaped not by the world’s shine, but by God’s truth.

While the innkeeper is often dramatized in nativity plays, he is not explicitly named in Scripture. His presence is only implied in Luke 2:7, where it says, “There was no room for them in the inn.” Over time, two primary interpretations have emerged around this figure.
The first sees the innkeeper as the one who turned Mary and Joseph away, symbolizing the rejection and denial that Jesus would later face throughout His ministry. This view highlights the world’s unpreparedness or even indifference to the arrival of its Savior. This response also emphasizes the humble circumstances of Christ’s birth and illustrates how God often works through the ordinary and overlooked.
But the second interpretation offers a more compassionate perspective and one that we fall into. Here, the innkeeper is not seen as heartless or unkind but rather as someone responding to an overwhelming situation with limited options. Though far from ideal, offering space in a stable could be viewed as a small act of kindness in the midst of chaos.
Regardless of which view we lean toward, both invite us to reflect on a deeper question: Is there room in your heart and life for Jesus? 

Our Advent series is called "Christmas Footnotes [1]" where we’re listening for the voices in the Christmas story that often go unheard.

Today’s passage takes us to one of the hardest moments of that story. When Herod learns that a new king has been born, fear turns to violence, and the cries of Bethlehem’s children fill the night.

It’s not an easy text to hear, but it’s an honest one. It reminds us that Jesus was born into a world marked by both wonder and deep sorrow. And it tells us that God did not stay distant from that pain. God entered it. God still does.

Let’s listen to this difficult, holy story from Matthew’s Gospel.

This weekend, we celebrate our Confirmation students and remember our own baptismal promises. In a world that grabs quick verses for quick answers, Paul reminds us that the Word is already near—on our lips and in our hearts. Faith isn’t about certainty; it’s about trust. Confession isn’t performance; it’s participation. Salvation isn’t escape; it’s healing. The same grace that began your story is still writing it—every time you trust, speak love, and live as one who belongs to God.

Most of us have two wallets. One for groceries, gas, and Amazon orders… and another—the “church wallet”—that sometimes stays home on Sunday. 😄This week’s message, Give to the Max, isn’t about guilt or giving charts—it’s about trust.
 Paul reminds us that cheerful giving isn’t about how much we give, but the spirit in which we give it. When we give to control the outcome, we’re not really trusting God—we’re managing God.  But when we give freely, without strings attached, we make space for God’s grace to move through us. Because when our hands open, so do our hearts. And that’s when joy begins to grow—the kind of joy that transforms faith from something we hold onto into something that holds onto us. In God’s hands, generosity becomes more than a habit—it becomes a way of life, a living witness to how faith changes us from the inside out.

Whether we realize it or not, every decision we make is an investment. How we spend our time, energy, money, and relationships reflects our priorities as well as our faith.

In a world that constantly urges us to spend, consume, and live for the moment, God's Word calls us to something deeper: God calls us not just to spend our lives, but to invest them strategically, prayerfully, and eternally.

When we invest in our church, we’re not just supporting an organization, we’re fueling a living mission. We’re investing in people and living with purpose. We’re not just attending, we’re partnering with God in the work of His Kingdom and making eternal investments that bear fruit today.

The Bible is a gift from God we have at our disposal every day! Join us as we explore the benefits of digging into scripture.