Joy (1 Peter 1)
Joy. Status, security, and stuff. The more of these we possess, we’re told, the happier or more joyful we will be. And yet a little whisper inside our soul, which can at times rise to the level of a roar, suggests otherwise. During this season we are reminded that true joy is not found ultimately in possessions, popularity, or position... but as 1 Peter shows us this week it is found in a person.
Hope (Isaiah 9)
Hope. In a world that is increasingly full of brokenness, violence, pain, and injustice, hope can sometimes be hard to find. The Christmas season is a timely reminder that despite the surrounding darkness there is light... hope does exist. Those three words can change the hardest of hearts and breathe life into the weariest of souls. And as we see in Isaiah 9 this week, Jesus brings us the hope our hearts so desperately look for.
Rest (Matthew 11)
Rest. Real rest can oftentimes sound like a pipedream. Whether it’s chaos at work or chaos in the home – rest can seem like the furthest thing from reality. Which is why at Christmas we are reminded clearly that Jesus came to give us eternal rest. This week we see how in Matthew 11 Jesus’ coming brought the promise that true rest from all our striving isn’t just a pipedream but a glorious promise.
Free (Isaiah 61)
Free. We sense it's true... at times we can feel the weight of it bearing down on us. We are imprisoned – held captive by what others think of us or a need to prove ourselves. Our hearts yearn to be free. At Christmas, we are reminded that it was God’s will to send His only Son in order to die so that we may be free. As we look at Isaiah 61 this week we will see how it is for freedom that Christ set us free.