Posts with the category “a-christmas-carol”

Living with a holy perspective Romans 8:18 Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later.2 Corinthians 4:16 That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. 17 For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! 18 So we ...  Read More

The end of all ends  Revelation 21:1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. 2 And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.3 I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with th...  Read More

The enemies' fate  Revelation 20:1 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven with the key to the bottomless pit and a heavy chain in his hand. 2 He seized the dragon—that old serpent, who is the devil, Satan—and bound him in chains for a thousand years. 3 The angel threw him into the bottomless pit, which he then shut and locked so Satan could not deceive the nations anymore…10 Then the devil, w...  Read More

The promised future of new beginnings  I Corinthians 15: 51 But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed! 52 It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed. 53 For our dying bodies mu...  Read More

INTRODUCTIONThe following is a guide to help facilitate discussion between you and the person you’re studying with or with your Connect Group. Feel free to add, subtract, or change questions to fit the conversation, and pray for the Spirit to lead in all things. OPEN QUESTIONSAmong all the holiday craziness, what are some ways that you seek to put Christ at the center of your Christmas celebration...  Read More

Phase I ends, Phase II begins  Matthew 28:5-6 5 Then the angel spoke to the women. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead, just as he said would happen. Come, see where his body was lyingJohn 20: 21 Again he said, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.” 22 Then he breathed on them and...  Read More

A purpose, a battle, and a sacrifice  A Purpose - Why did Jesus come into our world in the first place?Matthew 1: 20 As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. 21 And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he w...  Read More

The promise in the flesh  Luke 2: 1 At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. 2 (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for this census. 4 And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient hom...  Read More

The announcement made, no turning back now  Luke 1:26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, 27 to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. 28 Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!”29 Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to thin...  Read More

The rescue begins  Galatians 4: 4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. (ESV)Romans 5: 6 When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. 7 Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, thou...  Read More

Prophecies and promises  Isaiah 7:14 All right then, the Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’).Isaiah 9:2 The people who walk in darkness will see a great light. For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine…6 For a child is born to us, a son is given to...  Read More

Shadows of things to come Hebrews 10:1 The old system under the law of Moses was only a shadow, a dim preview of the good things to come, not the good things themselves. The sacrifices under that system were repeated again and again, year after year, but they were never able to provide perfect cleansing for those who came to worship.Deuteronomy 18: 17 “Then the Lord said to me, ‘What they have sai...  Read More

“What have you done?”  Genesis 3:8 When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man[a] and his wife heard the Lord God walking about in the garden. So they hid from the Lord God among the trees. 9 Then the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?”10 He replied, “I heard you walking in the garden, so I hid. I was afraid because I was naked.”11 “Who told you that you were naked?” the Lord God ...  Read More

Even though He knew the risk  Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. 3 Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light…26 Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish...  Read More

A Plan Before the Foundations of the World  Ephesians 1: 3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. 4 Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. 5 God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringin...  Read More

It’s that time of year again, a time of gathering together as families and friends and communities to celebrate Christmas.  To us, in our Crosswalk communities of faith, that means taking time to reflect on the incredible story of a God who loved us so much that He didn’t abandon us to suffer the consequences of our own choices; rather, He came down to rescue us and offer a better end to our story...  Read More