December 14: Psalm 4

Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness!  You have given me relief when I was in distress.  Be gracious to me and hear my prayer!  O men, how long shall my honor be turned into shame? How long will you love vain words and seek after lies? Selah

But know that the Lord has set apart the godly for himself; the Lord hears when I call to him. Be angry, and do not sin; ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent. Selah 

Offer right sacrifices, and put your trust in the Lord. There are many who say, “Who will show us some good? Lift up the light of your face upon us, O Lord!” You have put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and wine abound. In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.

PSALM 4

“I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near: a star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel; it shall crush the forehead of Moab and break down all the sons of Sheth.”

NUMBERS 24:17

How many prayers of help have you uttered in the previous year? The past week? The past hour? Have you wondered if God sees? Or worse yet - maybe God does see, but perhaps He does not care? Advent is the answer. Not only does God see and know, but He cares deeply. Because He has given us a High Priest - the One who stands between God and man - who is able to sympathize with us in all our weakness. One who was tempted in every way, and yet without sin. For the follower of Jesus, we never have to fear the turning away of God toward us. Because Christ bore our sin on the cross - that which God cannot bear to look upon - the light of God’s face is continually upon us. Thanks be to God.

How can you set your face toward Him today? How might you rest with His loving gaze upon you?

December 12: Liturgy + Set List

• THE GLORIOUS IMPOSSIBLE

  Welcome to this third Sunday of Advent, the glorious impossible - that is really what the Church has been proclaiming for 2000 years - the glorious impossible reality that God saves sinners in and through Christ. So whether this is the first time that you have set foot in a church building, or you have been in Church longer than you can remember - this is the one story that we will continue to proclaim - the Glorious Impossible reality that is ours in Christ. We rehearse this story because we are slow to remember and quick to forget. Let’s respond to who God is and what He has done:

  Call To Worship: Psalm 145:10-13

• ANGELS WE HAVE HEARD ON HIGH

• ALL CREATURES OF OUR GOD AND KING

  Sermon: Matthew 2:1-12

  Is Jesus better? Is He enough? It is not lost on me that we have fellow citizens in Kentucky who this weekend are wrestling with some form of that question as a tornado has ripped through communities leaving death and destruction in its wake. And maybe you are not standing in the rubble of a home, but maybe you are standing in the rubble of a life and asking yourself - is Jesus better? Is Jesus enough? Brothers and sisters, let me tell you - Jesus is enough, and He is better than all things. Let’s treasure Him together, would you stand:

• MY JESUS I LOVE THEE

• O HOLY NIGHT (HEAR THE GOSPEL STORY)

  Advent Candle Lighting: Psalm 73;25-26

  BENEDICTION: Brothers and sisters, let us go as those carrying the Light of Christ into the darkness. Let our portion be Christ, and our every desire - in heaven and on earth - be for Him. In weakness, let Christ be the strength of our hearts forever.

December 7: Psalm 50:1-6

The Mighty One, God the Lord,  speaks and summons the earth  from the rising of the sun to its setting. Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God shines forth.  Our God comes; he does not keep silence; before him is a devouring fire,  around him a mighty tempest. He calls to the heavens above and to the earth, that he may judge his people: “Gather to me my faithful ones,  who made a covenant with me by sacrifice!” The heavens declare his righteousness,   for God himself is judge! Selah

PSALM 50:1-6

They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder.  But out of the most beautiful locations in the planet, out of the most captivating works of art, out of the most impressive creations and civilizations, out of all of the most attractive and alluring people, out of all the natural wonders of the world - God shines forth as more beautiful.  And the most beautiful One did not come as a devouring fire or a mighty tempest but as a baby.  Is there anything more beautiful than true humility?  Is there anything more appealing than the most beautiful One also being the most humble?  Is there anything more stunning than the One worthy of all honor, glory, and worship, choosing humility?

The Word became flesh and beauty shines forth.

We behold many beautiful things at Christmas - the decorations, the music, the food, the celebrations - but let every beautiful thing you behold be an arrow cutting through, pointing toward the most beautiful One.

How are you beholding the wonder and humility of Christ this season?

In what ways might you hold the beautiful tension of the Most Beautiful One also being the Most Humble in your celebration and remembrances this Christmas?

To download the full devotional, click here.

December 5: Liturgy + Set List

• O COME LET US ADORE HIM

  Call to Worship: Psalm 24 - Responsive Reading

  LEADER:

  The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein, for He has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers. Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in His holy place?

  ALL:
  He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up His soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully.
  He will receive blessing from the Lord and righteousness from the God of his salvation. Such is the generation of those who seek
  Him, who seek the face of the God of Jacob.

  LEADER:

  Lift up your heads, O gates! And be lifted up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory?

  ALL:
  The Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord, mighty in battle!

  LEADER:

  Lift up your heads, O gates! And lift them up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory?

  ALL:
  The Lord of hosts, He is the King of glory!

• JOY TO THE WORLD (UNSPEAKABLE JOY)

• LIVING HOPE

  Sermon: Matthew 1:18-25

  God has always desired to be near His people. We see this in the Old Testament, how He dwells among His people in the Tabernacle and the Temple. We see this when Christ becomes incarnate as a human and God dwells with us - Emmanuel. And we see this now through the Holy Spirit, God does not only dwell among His people, or with His people, He dwells in His people. Christ in You, the hope of glory. The is the beauty of the Gospel that sinful people can be near a Holy God because of God’s provision of Himself. Let’s respond together…

• GOD WITH US

• HARK THE HERALD ANGELS SING

  Advent Candle Lighting: Psalm 16:5-11

  BENEDICTION: Brothers and sisters, let us go as those carrying the Light of Christ into the darkness. Let us live as those for whom the lines have fallen in pleasant places, indeed we have a beautiful inheritance in the Lord. Let our hearts be glad, and our beings rejoice, secure in Christ - the One in whose presence there is fullness of joy, and pleasures forevermore.

December 5: Psalm 36

“Transgression speaks to the wicked  deep in his heart; there is no fear of God before his eyes. For he flatters himself in his own eyes that his iniquity cannot be found out and hated. The words of his mouth are trouble and deceit;  he has ceased to act wisely and do good. He plots trouble while on his bed; he sets himself in a way that is not good;  he does not reject evil. Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds.  Your righteousness is like the mountains of God;  your judgments are like the great deep; man and beast you save, O Lord. How precious is your steadfast love, O God! The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings. They feast on the abundance of your house,  and you give them drink from the river of your delights. For with you is the fountain of life; in your light do we see light.  Oh, continue your steadfast love to those who know you, and your righteousness to the upright of heart! Let not the foot of arrogance come upon me,  nor the hand of the wicked drive me away. There the evildoers lie fallen; they are thrust down, unable to rise.”

PSALM 36

The character of God remains unchanged. We can live without the fear of God, that makes Him no less worthy of our holy fear. We can live as liars and deceivers, that makes God no less True.

His steadfast love extends to the heavens and reaches down to a people in open rebellion, indifference, and apathy. His faithfulness extends to the clouds and toward a faithless people - for He cannot deny Himself.

The refuge of our souls moved toward us when we did not even know we were without shelter. The Light of the World came to the world - and it is in this Light that we see light.

When the cares of my heart are many, Your consolations cheer my soul. Let the light of Christ cheer your soul this Advent season. Let His steadfast love anchor you. Let His faithfulness hold you fast. Feast on Christ this Christmas.

Where are the places you have sought shelter this holiday season? From the noise without and within?

Where has the light of Christ led you to see Him more clearly?

To download the full devotional, click here.

November 30: Exodus 3:1-6

“Now Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he led his flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.  And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed.  And Moses said, “I will turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.”  When the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.”  Then he said, “Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.”  And he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.”

EXODUS 3:1-6

“Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, a darkness to be felt.”  So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and there was pitch darkness in all the land of Egypt three days.  They did not see one another, nor did anyone rise from his place for three days, but all the people of Israel had light where they lived.”

EXODUS 10:21-23

“And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night.”

EXODUS 13:21

God always comes looking for us in the dark.

He knows exactly where we are, but He invites us unto Himself.

Foolishly we think that in hiding we will never be found. In hiding in the darkness so thick that it is felt, that there is no light that can illuminate. We echo the Psalmist, ’Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night.’ (Ps 139:11).

But our God is Emmanuel,

God with us,

God among us,

God for us,

God moving close to us.

He illuminates the darkness with Himself - the Light of the World. And He leads us out of darkness into His marvelous light.

During Advent, we remember Christ’s first coming, and we look ahead to His second coming. But how is He coming to you today? How is He inviting you unto Himself? Inviting you to come out of hiding and darkness, and into His light?

To download the full devotional, click here.

November 28: Liturgy + Set List

• THE KING IS COMING PRELUDE/COME THOU LONG EXPECTED JESUS

  Call to Worship: Psalm 130:5-8

This is the first Sunday of Advent. Advent means coming or arrival. We are people who live between two Advents. And in this season we remember the first coming of Christ - His first Advent as a baby. When He took on our flesh as a baby, lived a perfect life, died a death that we deserved, and was raised to life again. And we look forward with longing and expectation to the day of His second Advent - when He will return as King to rule and reign, to wipe every tear and set all things right. So as we sing songs expressing the longing and expectation for Christ first Advent this season, I want you to hold in your mind at the same time His second Advent. Let’s remember His coming, and look ahead to His return.

• KING OF KINGS

• O COME, O COME EMMANUEL

  Sermon: Matthew 1:1-17

  If you’re here this morning as a follower of Jesus, the genealogy we read in Matthew is not just a list of names - it is actually your genealogy. Because you have been adopted, grafted into the family of Jesus. Not because of your goodness, or righteousness, but because of the goodness of God. And this family of God is a family that is always, always, always moving toward fullness of joy and pleasures forevermore at the right hand of God. So, family of God, let’s respond join the family song:

• RAISE UP THE CROWN (ALL HAIL THE POWER)

• O COME ALL YE FAITHFUL

• Lighting the Advent Candle: Galatians 4:4-7

  Benediction:

  Brothers and sisters, let us go as those carrying the Light of Christ into the darkness. Living as those who have been redeemed from the law, no longer slaves, but as adopted as children, heirs of God in Christ.

November 28: Genesis 1:1-5

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.

Genesis 1:1-5

In the beginning, God.

The One without beginning.

The One who is before all things, and in whom all things hold together.

Before beginnings, before time, before creation, He was there. Lacking nothing, and needing nothing. But the beginningless One begins time by creating out of the formless void, out of the darkness, out of the great deep. He speaks light into existence. His voice is always generative, always creating, always life-giving. His voice pierces the darkness with the light and life of illumination. His voice separates the chaos and brings order. When He speaks, it is so - and it is good.

Maybe the last two years have felt like those days before the beginning for you - formless, void, dark, and deep. This Advent we remember once again, God is not overwhelmed by the darkness of the uncreated. We remember that God is so sovereign, so good, there is nothing that is outside of His ability to redeem, to restore, to bring order where there has been chaos, to bring light and life where there has been darkness and death.

In the creation narrative, only two chapters later we see our first parents make a decision to bring chaos where God has brought order. Adam and Eve bring death where God has brought life. But even this chaos and death cannot thwart the purpose and plan of God. God promises a day when He will once more set all things right. When Light will pierce the darkness of our sin. Where life will flow from One who will die once for all.

Where has God brought life where you have brought death?

Where has God brought order to Your chaos?

As you enter into the chaos of the holiday season, how might you look for the illuminating work of God around you?

To download the full devotional, click here.

Advent + Christmastide 2021 [A Free Devotional]

Living in the midst of a pandemic for the last two years has narrowed our lives.  We plan in pencil, hold expectations loosely, and maybe for the first time have wrestled and rested in the reality that, ‘The heart of man plans his ways, but the LORD establishes his steps (Proverbs 16:9).’

Advent reminds us that we live inside a larger story.  A story that cannot be thwarted by a pandemic.  A story of redemption set in motion before the breath of God awakened the dust-made man, and a story that will continue long after our bodies return to dust.   

If the last two years have left you in a fog of darkness, I hope the images of Light in this devotional will illumine Hope as you prepare your heart for the Advent of Christ.

‘…even the darkness is not dark to You; the night is bright as the dark. For darkness is as light with You.’ Psalm 139:12

Navigating Advent & Christmas

Christmas is fast approaching. With more than 18 months of leading worship in what feels like completely uncharted territory, maybe just the mention of planning and preparing for Advent and Christmas makes you tired. Special services, rhythms, and seasons require a level of margin and energy that every person is struggling to rally at the moment.

Wherever you and your church are in the process of planning for the 2021 Advent Season, here are a few considerations that will hopefully enable to season to be meaningful for you as well as those you serve:

Plan ahead. Determine the songs that you will incorporate into your weekly worship service. Communicate early with your team, clarifying who is available and if there are additional rehearsals, services, or times of preparation that need to be scheduled. Consider the practical details like sound and tech set up, decor, any extra hands, and help you may need in ‘turning a space’ from one service to the next. I have often found the more prepared I am, the more flexible I can be. If we have learned anything during COVID it may be that we have to be prepared for things to be different than planned.

Make space to be and enjoy. So much of what we do serving on staff (whether in a full-time paid position or as a volunteer) is creating the space for the seasons to be meaningful for others. But we must also work to create margin and space for ourselves and our families to enjoy the Advent season. Planning ahead for church, as well as for family time will hopefully create space to avoid resentment and dread about or toward the Church for you, and those you love.

Take off the pressure. Christmas is important. Advent is important. It can be easy to feel like we only have one shot to ‘convince’ people who only darken the doors of a Church during specific seasons, but discipleship is the long game. We can put prideful pressure on ourselves to believe that people’s ability to connect with God and His Church is determined by our ability to execute a flawless gathering - but we are not the Holy Spirit. And the Holy Spirit is not helped in His work by our excellence any more than He is hindered by our underwhelming ‘performance.’ So take the pressure off - this does not all hinge on you. None of us are that important, praise God!

Focus your team. Pace yourself with new Christmas songs, new versions, arrangements, and melodies. Remember, for your congregation as well as the team, these are songs we sing for four-six weeks out of the year, so for more than forty weeks, these songs are not in regular rotation. Rather than introducing all-new Christmas songs and melodies, introduce a few, and allow your worship team time to be familiar with new material long before it is added to the weekly schedule.

For a deeper look at the rhythms of Advent for your team, read my post Advent, Christmas & Corporate Worship here.

Songs As Prayers

Our songs are doing more than filling space before a sermon.

Our songs are forming us, shaping us, giving us language.

Our songs speak to us and speak for us.

Our songs instruct us as little pieces of portable theology.

But our songs are also prayers.

Prayers that say:

‘This is what I believe!’

‘This is what I desire to believe!’

‘Lord, I believe, help my unbelief!’

Our songs are confessions of sin, and professions of faith.

Our songs remind us of who we are, and who God has always been.

As worship leaders we must choose songs with wisdom and discernment.

As congregations we must sing out - not mumble - these prayer songs.

We must sing our prayers like we believe they are true.

We must sing our prayers like we are trying to believe they are true.

‘The one who sings, prays twice.’ - Augustine

Holy Week: Resurrection Sunday

MATTHEW 28

Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. 2 And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. 4 And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. 5 But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. 6 He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you.” 8 So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9 And behold, Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.”

11 While they were going, behold, some of the guard went into the city and told the chief priests all that had taken place. 12 And when they had assembled with the elders and taken counsel, they gave a sufficient sum of money to the soldiers 13 and said, “Tell people, ‘His disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ 14 And if this comes to the governor's ears, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” 15 So they took the money and did as they were directed. And this story has been spread among the Jews to this day.

16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17 And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

To download a complete PDF of the Lent Devotional, click here.