Today's Passage: John 1:39-42 

He said to them, “Come and you will see.” So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour. One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ). He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John. You shall be called Cephas” (which means Peter).

Today's Prayer: Jesus, you are our Messiah. Our Christ.

The promised one that was spoken of from long ago.

You are our rescuer, the one that has promised to bring us out of darkness and into light.

You are the anointed one. The one set apart from the very beginning to be the one who delivers us to a new Home. Your Kingdom coming.

Jesus. Help us, this Advent season, to know without doubt, that you are the one that the prophets spoke of long ago. Help us to believe that there is no other way but following you.

The Messiah. The Christ.

Amen.

For more information about this Advent season, visit our Christmas at Fellowship page. There you can find more resources, as well as information about pursuing Christ and celebrating him this season with our church. 

Today's Passage: John 1:35-38 

The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold the Lamb of God!” The two disciples heard him say this and they followed Jesus. Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, “what are you seeking?” And they said to him, “Rabbi” (which means teacher) “where are you staying?”

Today's Prayer: You are the Lamb of God. We proclaim that you are holy and above all. There is no one like you. Thank you, Lord that you are the perfect teacher. Even the best among us cannot compare to you. You are gentle and kind. Our hope is in you. Teach us how to forgive just as you forgave us. Teach us to be generous. Just as you poured out yourself lavishly on us. Teach us to be humble. Just as you humbled yourself by being obedient to the point of death on the cross. Our hope is in you. We love you, Lord. Amen. 

Amen. 

For more information about this Advent season, visit our Christmas at Fellowship page. There you can find more resources, as well as information about pursuing Christ and celebrating him this season with our church. 

Today's Passage: John 1:1-5

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

Today's Prayer: God, we love you and praise you. We acknowledge that we here today are numbered among those who have beheld your glory and experienced your goodness. We are included among those Isaiah spoke of when he said "The people walking in darkness have seen a great light on those living in the land of deep darkness. A light has dawned." Our world is dark. Full of shadows, doubts and hidden places. Yet in your love you refused to leave us stumbling alone. Instead you gave us yourself your word, The Logos, Jesus stepping into our darkness to bring light, clarity and truth. Today we honor you as our Logos, the eternal word who speaks life into our weary souls. You are the light that never fades. The Word that never stops speaking. So, Jesus, we ask you today. Shine your light into the hidden corners of our hearts, exposing what needs to be revealed and calling us into the abundant life you promised. Speak your words of truth in life over the lingering doubts, the unanswered questions, and the fears that lurk in the shadows of our minds. Illuminate our paths and lead us into your presence, where light and life abound forever. Amen. 

Amen. 

For more information about this Advent season, visit our Christmas at Fellowship page. There you can find more resources, as well as information about pursuing Christ and celebrating him this season with our church. 

Today's Passage: Psalm 18:1-2

I love you, O LORD, my strength.

The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,

    my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge,

    my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised,

    and I am saved from my enemies.

Today's Prayer: Father, we love you.

You are our rock, Jehovah-Tsuri.

You are the one in whom we find refuge.

Our salvation, and our strength for today.

Remind us today of your faithfulness.

Remind us today that your ways are perfect.

In the dry and weary places of our lives,

Teach us to lean fully on you.

Teach us to make you our first move.

In the broken places and in places of contentment,

Reveal our need for the hope that only provide.

Keep us from trying to become our own deliverer – our own strength.

Lord, only you will satisfy.

Help us see you at work today, 

And help us walk in the confidence of your good and perfect ways.

For more information about this Advent season, visit our Christmas at Fellowship page. There you can find more resources, as well as information about pursuing Christ and celebrating him this season with our church. 

Today's Passage: Judges 6:22-24 

“Then Gideon perceived that he was the angel of the Lord. And Gideon said, “Alas, O Lord God! For now I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face.” But the Lord said to him, “Peace be to you. Do not fear; you shall not die.” Then Gideon built an altar there to the Lord and called it, The Lord Is Peace. To this day it still stands at Ophrah, which belongs to the Abiezrites.”

Today's Prayer: Lord Jesus, we love you. More often than we care to admit. More often than we want. We need to hear your words. Peace be to you. Do not fear. Lord. But you remind us that you are our peace. It is not our circumstances. It is not what is happening around us in the world. Though we do ask for peace, Lord, it is you yourself who is our peace. That we, like Gideon, would understand. Now, I have seen you face to face. I know who you are. And Lord, how much more in Jesus, our Prince of Peace, do we see you face to face? Because you are Emmanuel, God with us. Standing in front of us. Present in the Holy Spirit. The love of the father made manifest among us. Lord, may we be that peace to each other. May we pass the peace of Christ amongst our brothers and sisters, and all those we come into contact with. Lord, knowing always it is you that has brought us peace through your cross where you loved us enough to take away the penalties. The debts we owed, the way we had invited sin and turmoil into our lives. You made peace by the blood of your cross. Because you loved us. Lord, let that peace invade our identities today. May that tell us who we really are. 

Amen. 

For more information about this Advent season, visit our Christmas at Fellowship page. There you can find more resources, as well as information about pursuing Christ and celebrating him this season with our church. 

Today's Passage: Exodus 15:22-26

Then Moses made Israel set out from the Red Sea, and they went into the wilderness of Shur. They went three days in the wilderness and found no water. When they came to Marah, they could not drink the water of Marah because it was bitter; therefore it was named Marah. And the people grumbled against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?” And he cried to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a log, and he threw it into the water, and the water became sweet.

There the Lord made for them a statute and a rule, and there he tested them, saying, “If you will diligently listen to the voice of the Lord your God, and do that which is right in his eyes, and give ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, your healer.”

Today's Prayer: Lord, we love you. 

You are Jehovah-Rapha – the Lord Who Heals.

Your blood was shed and your body was broken that we may receive an everlasting healing.

A gift we can hardly comprehend.

Your Word so beautifully points to this truth from the first words to the last.

And we cling to this promise today.

We need your healing, and we need your hope today.

Reveal in our hearts today where we need your healing power to bring life to our bitterness.

Reveal in our minds where we need the truth of your Word to overcome our selfish thoughts.

Help us see you anew today,

In the simplest of moments,

And in the places of deep pain.

We praise your beautiful name.

Amen.

For more information about this Advent season, visit our Christmas at Fellowship page. There you can find more resources, as well as information about pursuing Christ and celebrating him this season with our church. 

Today's Passage: Psalm 24:7-10 

Lift up your heads, O gates!

    And be lifted up, O ancient doors,

    that the King of glory may come in.

Who is this King of glory?

    The LORD, strong and mighty,

    the LORD, mighty in battle!

Lift up your heads, O gates!

    And lift them up, O ancient doors,

    that the King of glory may come in.

Who is this King of glory?

    The LORD of hosts,

    he is the King of glory! 

Today's Prayer: Oh LORD of Hosts, Jehovah Sabaoth, you are the King of glory above all others, and the victory is already yours. 

We call upon you in awe and praise when we perceive just a small portion of your character. Sometimes that comes out of us in speechless wonder and sometimes in shouts of praise. You are the LORD of hosts, the one who is above all and in whom and through whom all are created. 

We call upon you in our distress when we perceive just a small portion of your character. Sometimes this comes out of us in speechless sobs of sorrow and sometimes in cries of agony. You know our inner hearts and the troubles that we are going through in this world. We want to rest assured that you are our refuge.

You are our God, and we are your people. We submit to you as the Lord of Hosts and ask that you would reveal more and more of yourself to us. Reveal to us, LORD, more of how you empower us to cooperate in your work here, more of how you protect us in all of our battles, and more of how you are our strong refuge. LORD, we ask that you knit us together here in this place that we call Fellowship Church into a people who passionately serve you by serving each other and the world for the praise of your glory! Yours is the Kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. Amen.

For more information about this Advent season, visit our Christmas at Fellowship page. There you can find more resources, as well as information about pursuing Christ and celebrating him this season with our church. 

Today's Passage: Psalm 23

 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

 He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.[

He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
    for his name's sake.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
    I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
    your rod and your staff,
    they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me
    in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
    my cup overflows.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
    all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
    forever.

Today's Prayer: Father, as we reflect on your first coming this Christmas and live in the liminal hope of your second coming, turn our hearts away from lesser things that are only wind and waves of distraction. Help us to worship you and you alone in spirit and in truth. Help us yield our lives to your ever loving care and shepherding. We are your sheep. We hear your voice. We are known by you and desire to follow you in the name of Jesus. Amen.

For more information about this Advent season, visit our Christmas at Fellowship page. There you can find more resources, as well as information about pursuing Christ and celebrating him this season with our church. 

Today's Passage: Psalm 27

The Lord is my light and my salvation;

    whom shall I fear?

The Lord is the stronghold of my life;

    of whom shall I be afraid?

When evildoers assail me

    to eat up my flesh,

my adversaries and foes,

    it is they who stumble and fall.

Though an army encamp against me,

    my heart shall not fear;

though war arise against me,

    yet I will be confident.

One thing have I asked of the Lord,

    that will I seek after:

that I may dwell in the house of the Lord

    all the days of my life,

to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord

    and to inquire in his temple.

For he will hide me in his shelter

    in the day of trouble;

he will conceal me under the cover of his tent;

    he will lift me high upon a rock.

And now my head shall be lifted up

    above my enemies all around me,

and I will offer in his tent

    sacrifices with shouts of joy;

I will sing and make melody to the Lord.

Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud;

    be gracious to me and answer me!

You have said, “Seek my face.”

My heart says to you,

    “Your face, Lord, do I seek.”

    Hide not your face from me.

Turn not your servant away in anger,

    O you who have been my help.

Cast me not off; forsake me not,

    O God of my salvation!

For my father and my mother have forsaken me,

    but the Lord will take me in.

Teach me your way, O Lord,

    and lead me on a level path

    because of my enemies.

Give me not up to the will of my adversaries;

    for false witnesses have risen against me,

    and they breathe out violence.

I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord

    in the land of the living!

Wait for the Lord;

    be strong, and let your heart take courage;

    wait for the Lord!

Today's Prayer: So, father, we wait for you. In our waiting we seek your face. Please, Lord, reduce of anything that hinders us from coming to you. Release of any doubts, shame or areas in our life that are steeped in darkness. Search our hearts and show us what we might need to be sacrificed to you. That we may do this with shouts of joy. 

Because we know that darkness will not overcome the light. Amen. 

For more information about this Advent season, visit our Christmas at Fellowship page. There you can find more resources, as well as information about pursuing Christ and celebrating him this season with our church. 

Today's Passage: Exodus 17:14-16

Then the LORD said to Moses, “Write this as a memorial in a book and recite it in the ears of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.” And Moses built an altar and called the name of it, The LORD Is My Banner, saying, “A hand upon the throne of the LORD! The LORD will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.

Today's Prayer: Oh LORD our Banner, Jehovah Nissi, we call upon you both in our distress and in our victory. We submit to your leadership and ask that you would reveal more and more of yourself to us. Reveal to us, LORD, how you have gifted us to cooperate in your work here. LORD, we ask that you knit us together into a people who passionately serve you by serving each other and the world for the praise of your glory! Yours is the Kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. Amen

For more information about this Advent season, visit our Christmas at Fellowship page. There you can find more resources, as well as information about pursuing Christ and celebrating him this season with our church.