Christmas time is for giving. Why? Because we have been given something. We’ve been given forgiveness through God’s Son who came into the world on Christmas. Now it’s our turn to give. And forgive. Christmas is forgiving.

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Where have you been before? What is your background and experiences? These questions serve in evaluating candidates for leadership. They help us form our opinions, and the stronger the background and experiences, the better. What
we celebrate at Christmastime is the one whose background and experience answer all our questions and give us security and peace. The one we worship and adore is begotten of the Father from eternity. He is worthy of all praise and glory, just as Mary sang in her song. And he comes to be our shepherd. To stomp on the ancient serpent and old evil foe, and to watch with care and concern over all his flock.

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When your leader is strong, you are strong. When your leader is weak, fear and despair overtake his followers, because there will always be enemies and adversity. Fear and despair creeps into our lives because of the adversity and unknowns we face, but God calls you to rejoice, shout aloud, and sing, because your leader
is a mighty warrior. Jesus came as an infant, lowly, and humble, yes, but he was a warrior with the might to overcome our greatest enemies – sin, death, hell, and Satan, who desires these for us. Since God has so delighted in us to send such a mighty warrior, we have nothing to fear. Instead, rejoice, shout, cheer, and sing for joy.

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The anticipation of a new leader comes with new expectations for those who follow. Are we prepared in our own hearts to welcome the one for whom we prepare? God’s expectations stand for all time – they don’t change. Which means, we must change. All change is hard. This change is impossible – for us. Thank God
his grace and mercy never change. He sends the refiner – the one who applies the heat so that the silver is purified. Our God calls us to return to him in repentance,
acknowledging our sin and letting it be burned away, and God returns to us to restore, to refine, and purify through the miracle of justification and faith in Christ. The Holy Spirit will continue to refine and purify us as God’s holy children – purified silver in the hands of a master silversmith.

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Lineage matters. Family trees tell us of the values and strengths. We might look at family members of the past to gain an understanding of a person in the present, and especially their pedigree when it comes to leadership. What if the family tree leaves much to be desired. What if there is weakness and immorality and brokenness there. This was the case with the family tree of the royal line of David and the ruling family of God’s people. A tree that seemed to begin so strong, became filled with weak, diseased, and broken branches. Yet, God promised to raise up a righteous branch in that tree. One who would serve his people well, and this righteous branch is also your righteous Savior.

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As Thanksgiving approaches, we’re reminded of abundance and sharing, but what happens when the needs around us feel bigger than what we have to give? In this episode, we explore Jesus’ command to his disciples, “You give them something to eat,” as they faced a hungry crowd with just five loaves and two fish. It seemed impossible—yet Jesus turned their scarcity into abundance. This Thanksgiving, we’ll reflect on how Jesus equips us to share his blessings, turning our “not enough” into more than enough to fill the physical and spiritual needs of those around us. Join us to discover how gratitude, generosity, and trust in the Giver of all good things transform the way we give this season.

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Have you ever experienced that uncomfortable feeling that others are watching you, trying to find something to criticize? We don’t want others judging us. It is bad enough listening to the voice inside our own head, whispering that we aren’t worthy. How do we overcome the fear of judgment? It begins by realizing that there is only one person whose opinion ultimately matters—the Judge. Everyone is
going to live forever in one of two very different places. Where you spend eternity
depends on a judgment that Jesus will render. This week we see why his judgment need not trigger any sort of anxiety. Judgment day is something we can joyfully anticipate. We can live free from the fear of judgment.

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Perhaps you have heard the axiom, “Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die.” In other words, while you still can, use what you have in order to enjoy life to the fullest. If this life is all there is, St. Paul agrees that would be a good philosophy. Paul wrote, “If the dead are not raised, ‘Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die’” (1 Corinthians 15:32). However, note the “if.” Paul was saying that the epicurean approach to life makes sense only if this life is all we have. But it isn’t. Jesus will raise us from the dead and take us to live in his home, a place of perfect comfort and beauty. Knowing that, we are set free from the need to live a self-indulgent life now. Instead, we can be generous people, using the wealth that God has given us to serve both him and others. We can live a life of startling generosity.

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