Written by Pastor Mark D. Williams Week 3-Joy The Shepherd’s Candle Today, we light the third Advent candle, the candle of Joy. This candle is also known as the “Shepherd’s Candle” and is meant to remind us of the joy that the world experienced at the birth of Jesus, as well as the joy that …
Written by Pastor Mark D. Williams Saturday, December 10th The account of Jesus being born in Bethlehem is told succinctly in just a few verses in Luke chapter 2, but the story leaves the reader with more questions than answers. Why would God choose to come to come when the mother he chose to give …
Written by Pastor Mark D. Williams Friday, December 9th Read Luke 2:9-15 Picture this: while Mary is crying out in pain giving birth to the baby Jesus, the angels are crowding around to get a front row seat to this world-changing event. The scriptures are clear that angels have a limited knowledge of the plans …
Written by Pastor Mark D. Williams Thursday, December 8th Read Luke 2:6-7 “Honey, it’s time!” These words have brought both fear and joy all at once for fathers since Adam and Eve and the birth of Cain and Abel. Joseph must have bolted upright from his bed of hay. The scripture provides no details of …
Written by Pastor Mark D. Williams Wednesday, December 7th Read Luke 2:7 Finally, after days of exhausting travel, Bethlehem appears on the horizon. Mary and Joseph pick up the pace as they hurry on towards their final destination. After cold nights under the stars, they would find a warm fire and soft bed for Mary …
Written by Pastor Mark D. Williams Tuesday, December 6th Read Matthew 1:21-23 No mention is made of their conversation along the way in their journey to Bethlehem, but it isn’t hard to imagine Mary and Joseph passing the time talking about their shared experiences and what the future held for them and their family to …
Written by Pastor Mark D. Williams Monday, December 5th Read Luke 2:4-5 Despite Mary being nine months pregnant with Jesus, Joseph answered the call for the census and travelled with Mary from Nazareth to Bethlehem. The Gospel writer Luke relays this information in just a few short verses…So Joseph also went up from the town …
Written by Pastor Mark D. Williams Week 2-Love The Bethlehem Candle Today, we light the second Advent candle, the candle of Love. This candle is also known as the “Bethlehem Candle” as it reminds us of the experience of Mary and Joseph in the “little town of Bethlehem”. In most traditions, the candle is purple …
Written by Pastor Mark D. Williams Saturday, December 3rd Read Ephesians 1:4-6 As we come to an end of this first week of Advent, let’s look back on this first week and review the prophecies that were fulfilled with the birth of Jesus. 4 centuries before the birth of Jesus, Malachi told us that God …
Written by Pastor Mark D. Williams Friday, December 2nd Read Isaiah 9:6 The birth of Jesus is the single most important event in human history. History is divided into two time periods: before the birth of Christ and after the birth of Christ. While skeptics may argue whether or not Jesus was the son of …
