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Luke 3:1-6
In the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor Tiberius, when Pontius Pilate
was governor of Judea, and Herod was ruler of Galilee, and his brother
Philip ruler of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias ruler of
Abilene, 2 during the high-priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of
God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. 3 He went into all the
region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the
forgiveness of sins, 4 as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet
Isaiah, ‘The voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
“Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight.
5 Every valley shall be filled,
and every mountain and hill shall be made low,
and the crooked shall be made straight,
and the rough ways made smooth;
6 and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.”’
Over the past weeks, we've explored what living in God's light truly requires, and now, as we approach Lent, a season traditionally marked by fasting, this passage from Isaiah challenges us to examine our own spiritual practices closely. Do they draw us closer to God and push us toward justice and mercy, or do they make us only look religious on the outside? God cares less about what we give up and more about what we replace it with—acts of justice, compassion for the hurting, and breaking chains of oppression. Join us as we discover that true worship transforms not just our hearts but our actions toward everyone around us.
Do you ever feel that, despite your efforts, it feels like you have accomplished nothing? Isaiah shares his struggle with "laboring in vain," feeling like his work brought no results among God's scattered people. But here comes the beautiful turning point—God expands the mission beyond what Isaiah ever imagined, declaring that restoring just one group seemed too small a task for the light He planned to shine. Through Isaiah's story, we discover how God transforms our disappointments into something far greater than we ever dreamed possible. See you Sunday!
Last week, we discovered how God called His people to shine as a beacon of light for all nations, guided by the promised Light of Christ. In this week's sermon, "A Light to the Nations," we will dig deeper and define what it means to carry that light as God's servants in our daily lives. The prophet Isaiah challenges us to examine our lives: Do we follow the one true God who calls us to shine His light everywhere, or have we allowed other things to take His place in our hearts?
God's original promise to Abraham didn't stop with one group of people—it always reached toward every nation and every person. Join us as we discover how the New Covenant in Jesus Christ empowers us to become the light-bearers God created us to be.
Bridging the season between Advent and Lent, our upcoming sermon series. “From Law & Prophets to Light” explores the prophetic promises fulfilled in Jesus Christ, who came as the Light of the World to complete all that the Law and Prophets foretold. Through the words of Isaiah, the Psalms of David, and the covenant story of Moses, we discover how God's people have always been called to be beacons of light—first as a remnant returning from exile, and now as modern Christians carrying Christ's light into the world. Join us from January 4th through February 15th as we trace God's faithfulness from the old covenant through the new covenant established in Christ.