Matthew

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.”’

Immediately after Jesus' baptism, when God declared "This is my beloved Son," the Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness to face forty days of temptation and testing. Survival in the wilderness brings loneliness, hopelessness, and desperation, forcing us to choose what we'll depend on when everything else fails. Join us as we examine not only how Jesus resisted temptation through Scripture and trust in God, but also what our responsibility looks like when we witness others merely surviving their own wilderness seasons.

The Wise Men were foreign dignitaries who traveled from distant nations to worship a baby born in the humblest of places. Their journey reminds us that God's love isn't just for one group of people—it's for ALL the world, no matter where you come from. The Wise Men brought royal gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, recognizing that this child was both a king and so much more. Join us as we explore how God's love crosses every border and calls people from every nation to witness His glory!

This Sunday, we'll look at Joseph's story. When Joseph learned Mary was pregnant, he had every reason to feel anxious and upset, but God met him right in the middle of his confusion with a message that changed everything. Think about a time when someone walked into a difficult situation in your life, and you felt peace wash over you—that's the kind of peace God gave Joseph. That's the kind of peace God wants us to both receive and share with the world. This Advent season, be agents of peace for others who are struggling with grief, war, or need someone to bring calm into their chaos. See you Sunday!

At the end of Matthew's Gospel, Jesus gives his disciples a clear mission: go and spread the good news of his life, death, and resurrection to everyone. That mission was a call to action that should change how we live day to day. As disciples, we're not called to simply fill church pews, but to actively work toward transforming the world into God's Kingdom. Our job is to create and tend to Kingdom Moments in our daily lives, trusting God to work through us even when we fall short. See you Sunday for the final message in our stewardship series, "More than a Church, a family".

Our traditions give shape and structure to our faith. But if those traditions don’t match what Jesus taught, it can lead us away from what really matters. In Matthew 15:1 - 9, Jesus challenges the religious leaders for holding onto traditions that hurt people instead of helping them know God. This Sunday, we’ll look at how our framework—our traditions—should support a faith that’s built on knowing and following Christ. See you there!

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