Hype or Hope?
How do we sift the meaning of Christmas from the celebration of the season? Some strive for simplicity by having fewer gifts or a smaller tree. Others make it a time of charity for the needy. But reducing the hype without discerning the hope of Christmas is no improvement. Dr. John reaches back to the Genesis beginning to remind us that in times of despair, God shines with redemptive hope.
READ MOREThe First Promise of Christmas
We assume that life breaks simply because that is our known experience. Our machines and devices, our health and relationships, our dreams and ambitions – all of these suffer loss, failure and misuse. But it hasn’t always been that way. In today’s message, Dr. John takes us to the very beginning, where life was pristine and perfect. But the temptation of the serpent became the entrance of sin for humanity. Our hope is this. At the very start of brokenness, God points us to a Redeemer. The first promise of Christmas comes when sin first enters our living. But brokenness doesn’t have the last word. Jesus does.
READ MORE