Sermons

Have you ever wished you could experience God? Maybe you were facing a difficult decision and you desperately desired an answer from the all-knowing. Perhaps you had experienced a great tragedy and you longed for the loving embrace of the one who is love. Or maybe, you simply felt in your spirit that something was missing and you thought that God’s nearness could fill the void. For those of you who have ever wished to see, feel, or hear from God, but have been left wanting, this series is for you. This year we commemorate the week traditionally called Epiphany by examining the biblical concept of seeking an appearance or manifestation of God. What we will see is that God’s presence is best found when waiting for him.

Every year during the Christmas season the message from pastors and churches is the same: Make this Christmas about Jesus. But, no matter how cute the cliche – think “Jesus is the reason for the season” or “Keep Christ in Christmas” – doing so proves difficult or unimportant to almost everyone. Between the cooking, decorating, shopping, and family gatherings, little time or energy is left for Jesus. Besides, what does it even mean to make Christmas about a baby that lived almost 2,000 years ago? In the story of the magi (also known as “three kings” or “wise men”) we discover the true value of Christmas and find compelling reasons and tangible ways we can absolutely make this Christmas about Jesus.