December 31, 2020 | Romans 15:12–13 DEVOTIONS This Month’s Issue In the midst of personal tragedy and the American Civil War, poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow penned the words to a familiar Christmas carol, “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day.” He wrote: “And in despair, I bowed my head ‘There is no peace on earth,’ […]
December 29, 2020 | Acts 1:1–11 DEVOTIONS This Month’s Issue “Every true Christian is a citizen of two worlds,” wrote Martin Luther King Jr., “the world of time and the world of eternity. We are, paradoxically, in the world and yet not of the world… As Christians, we must never surrender our supreme loyalty to […]
December 20, 2020 | Luke 1:67–79 DEVOTIONS This Month’s Issue The dedication of a baby is a special event. On that important day, the parents and infant dress for the occasion, standing in front of the congregation while the pastor officiates. Church practices may differ, but they have a similar intent—that these little ones will […]
December 13, 2020 | John 3:22–31 DEVOTIONS This Month’s Issue Your church may celebrate the season using a traditional Advent wreath embedded with five candles. The wreath is often made of evergreens, which symbolize eternal life. Four of the candles are arranged in a circle, one lit for each Sunday of Advent. The fifth in […]
December 6, 2020 | John 3:1-21 DEVOTIONS This Month’s Issue In China, some parents follow their freshman children to university. They’re allowed to camp nearby for a month in order to help them adjust to life away from home by, for example, cooking their meals or washing their laundry. Tianjin University offers “tents of love” […]
December 1, 2020 | Matthew 12:15-21 DEVOTIONS This Month’s Issue The weeks leading up to Christmas are called Advent. Why? Because Advent means “coming” or “arrival.” Christmas is the season in which we celebrate the arrival of the turning point in God’s plan of redemption— the coming of His Son, Jesus Christ. In today’s culture, […]