Category Archives: Folders
December 24: “Love is an Event” (1 John 4:7-11)
Why did Jesus come to earth? To demonstrate God’s love for humanity. God defines what love is through a decisive event: by sending his Son into our world as an atoning sacrifice. It cost God everything to demonstrate His love for us. We don’t earn God’s love by loving others. We love others because we […]
Continue readingDecember 17: “Joy to the World” (Isaiah 35)
To the hopeless Jews in exile, Isaiah gives a message of hope that would bring them joy. God will come to save them. The nations will be judged. The wasteland will be transformed into a verdant garden. God’s people will be reunited to God and God will renew the whole cosmos. Unending joy will overtake […]
Continue readingDecember 10: “Peace on Earth” (Luke 2:1-14)
Jesus came to bring peace on earth. But it’s not the kind that is backed up by military might. He came to bring “peace with God,” a restored relationship between humanity and God. Such peace (shalom) is given to God’s favored people. Who are they? They are the ones who believe in Jesus as the […]
Continue readingDecember 3: “Setting Our Hope on Jesus” (1 Peter 1:13-16)
In the season of Advent, Christians light four candles to symbolize Jesus’ coming as the light of the world. The four candles represent hope, peace, joy, and love. As the light of life, Jesus brought a living hope into our dark world. Christian hope is shaped by looking back to the first advent of Christ […]
Continue readingNovember 26: “The Reward for Pursuing Holiness” (Leviticus 26:1-12)
In Leviticus, we are commanded to be holy as God is holy. God gave us two gifts to make us holy: the tabernacle and the Torah (the law). The first part of Leviticus is concerned with the worship of God at the tabernacle. The second part is concerned with living a holy life according to […]
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