Hope...

December 1st, 2023

Welcome to the first day of December! I had a conversation with someone earlier today, and it struck me how, during this season, time seems to slip away, and suddenly Christmas is upon us.

The calendar is now brimming with Christmas programs, festive parties, and various celebratory events. Our church life is bustling with advent activities and excitement. In our household, with five children and a lively dog, the holiday season translates to a multitude of stockings to fill and gifts to exchange. Of course, there are plenty of opportunities to serve those God brings into our path.

And if this season of the year is not enough, our two youngest boys are each trying out a new sport. Isaiah is wrestling and Ian has started to learn Taekwondo.

They have wanted to try out these sports for a long time and…tis the season. 😊

Ian is attending POW Martial arts…and it has been awesome. Leigh-Ann took him to his first session and could tell from the beginning he was in his element. He loves every part of the classes and as soon as its over, can’t wait to attend again.

Isaiah has joined Greater Heights Wrestling and is also loving it. Since his first practice, he has been locked in and soaking it all up like a sponge.

These sports do more than fill up a calendar, they represent the beginning of a journey. And like any journey there will be highs and lows.

While growing in martial arts and wrestling, the boys will have some great moments…that we will likely catch on camera and post on social media. They will also experience some low points…anything from a loss to an injury could make for a pretty rough day. We will probably keep that to ourselves.

The same is true in life!

There will be times when it seems like life is going pretty smoothly….and then in an instant, it could feel hopeless.

How can you and I retain hope during the low points?

This Sunday, we begin our new Advent sermon series in the Psalms entitled, Embracing Eternity. We will study Psalm 73 where we will learn that God’s goodness offers hope.

During life’s complexities, our steadfast hope is revealed through Jesus—the humble manger-born Savior who fully embraced humanity, confronted death and lives forevermore.

As we celebrate His incarnation, we are encouraged to hang on lightly to this world and tightly to the next. In addition to the sermon, we will celebrate Advent with readings and candles in our freshly decorated auditorium.

I hope to see you at 8:00, 9:15 (Full KidCity available), or 10:45 am (Full KidCity available), or you can watch the Livestream on YouTube (Like and Subscribe) or Facebook at 9:15 am. Additionally, we are also publishing our sermons on Spotify.

Have a great weekend and stay warm,

Troy