Pastor's Blog

December 2021

12/30/2021 9:07:47 PM

Amazing

When we understand God’s grace, we cannot help but be amazed. It is free! We receive eternal treasures! We live at peace with God! All these gifts come to us through Jesus Christ our Savior!

In the verses below, David was marveling at God’s grace. David was a shepherd who, by God’s grace, became a king!

We may not be kings, but we too know God’s grace in our lives. These words of David are fitting for all God’s people — his words of praise should be on our lips as well.

2 Samuel 7:18–22

18 Then King David went in, sat in the Lord’s presence, and said, “Who am I, Lord God, and what is my house that you have brought me this far? 19 What you have done so far was a little thing to you, Lord God, for you have also spoken about your servant’s house in the distant future. And this is a revelation for mankind, Lord God. 20 What more can David say to you? You know your servant, Lord God. 21 Because of your word and according to your will, you have revealed all these great things to your servant. 22 This is why you are great, Lord God. There is no one like you, and there is no God besides you, as all we have heard confirms.”  (NIV)

Pastor Tim Wempner

Pastor Joshua Zarling



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12/27/2021 7:45:37 PM

Here You Can Finally Find Peace

It's December - and everything's chaos.

Shoppers are running around, frantically crossing things off their lists. Stores are open longer, employees are working overtime, traffic is jammed, and coffee shops have mysteriously discovered over twenty five different flavors of peppermint to mix with your coffee. Looks like everybody's gunning for a little bit of that big green Christmas payday. And green is a good word for it. Between the tree sitting in your living room and the cash in the store registers, green really is the color of this span of time known as the "Christmas season."

It's December - and everything's dead.

Almost (if not all) the leaves are off the trees. The ground is a nice shade of frozen brown. There's no green to be found here. The temperature has dropped and nature has retreated, folding in on herself, freezing herself in the lifeless husk of a dream-sleep waiting for the first warm day of spring. Nothing but browns and greys. The death mask of winter hangs all around, and all nature suffers silently in its grip.

It's December - and peace and joy are nowhere to be found.

Unless you know where to look.

For at the manger in Bethlehem something else stirs. It makes itself heard. It murmurs with the groan of a thousand prophecies. It bubbles with the longings of Isaiah and David. It cries with the desire of Abraham and Sarah. Its breaths are small, its voice quiet. Its arms are short and chubby - as a baby's ought to be. It is the Christ Child, our Savior. The baby Jesus, our brother.

There is no chaos or death here.

There is only love. Pure love and pure joy. There is only the promise of God sitting ablaze in the full brightness of total fulfillment. There is only the unlimited, unstoppable love of God that has come straight down to earth for one single reason, and one reason alone: you.

Here, dear Christian, you can finally find peace. Whether you're alone or with family, whether you're in pain or in plenty, whether you're smiling at the TV or holding back tears in an empty apartment - remember, here is where you find peace. Here you find joy. Here your enemies cannot touch you. Here your worries are muzzled and your fears silenced. Here, at the manger in Bethlehem. Here, where your God embraces you.

It's December - and your Savior is born.

Pastor Joshua Zarling



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The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? ~ PSALM 27:1