Treasured Truth

It was prophesied in the Old Testament that the Bread of life—Christ our Savior—would be born in Bethlehem, which means “the house of bread.” And Pastor Ford will explain that when we taste and see that the Lord—the Bread of Life—is good, then His goodness will make us fruitful. And once we become fruitful, we will give God praise.

In Isaiah 9:6, scripture says, “Unto us a child is born. Unto us a Son is given.” Today Pastor Ford will emphasize the importance of Christ’s birth and how wonderful it is that He came for and was revealed to us, to become our Savior.

Christmas is our time to celebrate Jesus, our Emmanuel—God with us. But it really doesn’t matter what the day is. The fact of the matter is, God came and dwelt among us and we beheld His glory. And so we should celebrate that truth and the hope of Christmas every day of the year!

As we begin this week before Christmas, we’ll discover how Jesus is the fulfillment of all that God had to say to His people prior to that wonderful night in Bethlehem, when Christ humbled Himself, put on flesh, and was laid in a manger to fulfill the prophecies about His birth.

Today, Pastor Ford calls us to rejoice in the provision that God made for us by sending His Son to redeem us. As we commemorate Christ’s birth, we cannot separate the wood of His cradle from the wood of His cross.

When we’re waiting for God to answer our prayers it may sometimes seem like an exercise in futility. It’s hard to continue to have the faith to believe that God will come through for us. But aren’t you glad that God still answers our prayers, even when we sometimes don’t have the faith to believe that He will?

Some people have turned to God only for what they can get out of Him, instead of realizing that He is looking for a true relationship with each one of us. And He wants us to love Him for Him and not just what He can give us.

Even when it seems that God isn’t answering our prayers, He is. However, He may just be saying, “Wait.” But here’s the question Pastor Ford wants us to consider today—will you still serve the Lord even when it seems like you won’t get what you want from Him? Will you still give Him what He wants from you—your love, devotion, and worship?

As we conclude our look at good and godly relationships, our study today will emphasize how crucial commitment is in a relationship, even before marriage. Pastor Ford will explain that allowing commitment to be part of the foundation of your relationship will bring important disclosure of things you need to know before you make the ultimate commitment in marriage.

As we continue our study in the book of Ruth, Pastor Ford points out that Ruth met Boaz in the everyday, normal routine of life. And through His providence, God had prepared her to meet this man who would be her future husband, and God prepared Boaz to meet her. We’ll see how important it is to wait on God’s direction and preparation when we are seeking good and godly relationships.