Ways to Worship with Family & Friends   Read the Bible’s Christmas Story aloud. Old Testament prophecies: Isaiah 9:2, 6-7; Micah 5:2-5a. New Testament fulfillments: Luke 1:26-35, 46-50; 2:1-20.   Discuss. What’s the best Christmas gift you’ve ever received? What about that gift made it so special? What are some of the free gifts humanity received through the coming of Jesus Christ into our world? What are some ways a good Christmas gift points to the ultimate gift of salvation in Jesus? What are some of your favorite Christmas traditions? What about those traditions can help you enjoy Jesus as...

Text: Genesis 3:15 | Listen to Message The Serpent Crusher Just 3 chapters into the biblical narrative, humanity had already abused its God-given freedom by listening to the lie of the serpent (Satan) and rebelling against the Creator’s one command. Adam and Eve had declared their independence from God…with disastrous consequences. All of creation fell under the Curse. Life from here on would be painful, shameful, and futile – and everything would lead to death and separation from God, the Giver of life. But right in the midst of the Curse, God said this to the serpent: “I will put enmity...

Text: Luke 7:11-35 | Listen to Message When Experience And Expectations Don’t Match “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another? That is, “Jesus, are you the promised Messiah – the one foretold by the prophets – or should we be looking for someone else altogether?” It’s a fair question. But these are strange words – even startling words – when you consider the source! Not long before, John the Baptist had pointed his own disciples to Jesus and cried, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” John’s own...

Text: Luke 7:1-10 | Listen to Message Two Approaches To God There are basically just two approaches to God – and both are demonstrated in a short story that’s told for us in Luke chapter 7. An unnamed Roman centurion has a treasured servant who’s sick to the point of death. The soldier has heard of Jesus and believes he can heal his friend, so he sends a delegation of Jewish elders to appeal to him to come and help. These good, orthodox Jews represent approach #1: #1: The Merit Approach: This approach sounds like this: “God, you’ve got to do...