A blog designed to develop missional leaders
By Brannon Hancock The season of Advent—a word that means arrival—is the season of waiting. “We can hardly stand the wait! / Please Christmas, don’t be late.” Most of you can hear the song in your head immediately, can’t you? Those squeaky, aggravating chipmunk voices singing the Christmas song we all love to hate. The... Continue Reading →
By Hiram Vega Prophets, priests, kings and peasants – they all waited for the signs of the coming Messiah. Their constant question was, “When will the Messiah come?” He was to be the Anointed One of God who would end the disgrace of the people of God. Four hundred years had passed since the Prophet Malachi,... Continue Reading →
In the previous post, we heard from Pastor Rich Villodas as he taught us about how Advent is a season for “Wait Training.” In part two of his article, originally published at Missio Alliance, we now look at four practical ways we can learn to bear fruit in our spiritual lives as we wait during... Continue Reading →
By Rich Villodas (originally published on Missio Alliance) There’s nothing that unites us in the experience of being human quite like waiting. No matter our age, our education, our accomplishments, or time spent following Jesus, we will have to wait. This is why the Advent season is necessary for the shaping of our lives. Each... Continue Reading →
The following excerpt is from “Advent is a Season of Longing,” written by Carolyn Arends and published in Christianity Today. People are rarely neutral about the approach of Christmastime. Some of us reside at a North Pole of intense anticipation and excitement, while others of us hole up at a South Pole of irritation and... Continue Reading →
By Hiram Vega Of all the names of Jesus, one rarely mentioned is the Rising Sun, or the New Dawn. The name evokes the image of the soft red light that comes before the sun. It is the prelude to a new day. In Chapter 1 of his gospel, Dr. Luke tells us that God... Continue Reading →
By Josue Villatoro The emphasis during Advent season is on waiting. We are expectant; we are preparing to celebrate Christmas. I like that dynamic. However, Christmas is not an ordinary party: it is not about Santa Claus, the gifts, or even the family. It is good that there are gathered families, gifts under the tree,... Continue Reading →
By Charles W. Christian I once heard a Catholic priest tell a joke about a scene in Heaven. Jesus walks up to a Protestant and a Catholic and says to them, “I am glad to see you two getting along so well.” Then Jesus turns to the Protestant and says, “I would like to introduce... Continue Reading →
By Scott Armstrong Jesus Comes Home with a Sobering Message Christmas is a time when many of us return home. We laugh with relatives and gorge ourselves on excellent food. Grandmas grab our cheeks and tell us we’ve grown sooooo big, which is awkward when you’re 8, but try when you are 40! Luke 4... Continue Reading →
Yesterday (December 14), the Worthless Servants podcast published a new episode touching on an appropriately Christmas topic: the Incarnation. When we speak of the Incarnation, we are referring to God becoming man. This is the essence of Advent and of Christmas; these are the moments in the Christian calendar when we celebrate that God sent... Continue Reading →
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