This advent season we have compiled twenty-five daily devotionals for you to participate in. These devotionals weren't just written by our staff and pastors, but by members of the congregation as well. We are excited for you to experience these devotionals starting December 1st. Come back daily to read and participate in each days scripture passage and devotional. All scripture passages are from the ESV translation.

6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

Welcome to Advent 2024! Advent is a season observed in the church as a time of expectant waiting for the birth of Christ and for His return. It is observed for the time leading up to Christmas which includes the four preceeding Sundays. Thus today, Sunday, December 1 is the beginning of the Advent season. As a part of our Advent celebration, various members of the church have written a devotion for each day so that together we can await His coming. We hope that this Devotional will help you to draw closer to God this Christmas than you ever have before!

Isaiah was an Old Testament prophet who is known for prophesying the coming of the Messiah. A child would be born who would bring righteousness and justice and yet would be known in the most beautiful ways: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. He would be the great light that the world needed. That is what we celebrate this Advent. The coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ. May we begin this season full of hope and joy as we prepare to celebrate His birth and His coming again!

Have you ever heard someone comment "well I never hear from them" when talking about a relationship with a friend or family? I have, and I have even thought it myself at times.

Relationships don't normally work well if they are one-sided, even our relationship with God. After reading this scripture passage several times I began to see the instructions to me - sing of God's love, speak of his faithfulness and acknowledge his love is forever.

God, in turn, promises through his covenant that his people are blessed for generations- and that includes me. As we sang recently in service, Great is Thy Faithfulness! Thank you God. 

We were traveling in an unfamiliar area in Vermont. It was getting dark so we depended on our GPS to direct us. A short cut became available and we took it to save a distance of about two miles. To our surprise, at our next turn, the road was closed. Oh no! We pulled into the nearest store for help. A gentleman was sitting out front, and before we could ask for directions, he asked if we were lost. How did he know we were lost? With a smile on his face, he said Well, the only folks to come this way are the locals and the folks who missed the large “Road Closed Ahead” sign two miles back. Our misunderstanding of the GPS led us so astray that we missed the big sign.

God promised Ahaz a sign which was the foretelling of the birth of Jesus. The people needed a tangible sign that God was with them. He sent Jesus, who came and lived on earth. There was no misunderstanding or missing the greatest and biggest sign, Jesus. He is our Immanuel, Messiah, Son of God, Prince of Peace who guides us always.

In Isaiah 11:1-5, the longsuffering people of Israel are finally given hope for the future--a new Branch out of Jesse's roots. This new Branch would have wisdom and understanding and, in the words of The Living Bible, "will be clothed with fairness and truth."

How these people must have rejoiced at this promise and longed for Christ's appearance!

In different stages of our adult lives, circumstances determine how we spend our time and energy. Careers, children, grandchildren, aging parents . . . the list goes on. When I look at my life today, I know that I do not take nearly enough time to look past all that is going on around me to rejoice in the promise of Christ's return. I pray that I will do better. 

This is the prophesy of God through Micah:

The King of kings will come from the very humble small town of Bethlehem of a long lineage. He would come at a time when Israel/ Judah is occupied by its enemies and with His coming as a mighty King, Israel would be free. He would lead with the same care as a shepherd leading his sheep. He would rule with the strength and authority given by God and under Him, His people will be safe.

The Zechariah passage for today does not appear at first glance to have anything to do with Advent and the coming of Jesus, the promised Messiah. It instructs that a man called the Branch (he was a branch from the line of David) is to be crowned king of the newly returned Jewish exiles, and he will also “branch out” and build a temple to the Lord. A priest is also to have a throne and together they will establish a peaceable kingdom. This was more than 500 years before Jesus was born.

John Wesley preached on this passage and helps us understand how the passage foretells the coming of Jesus. Because Jesus acts as intercessory priest, our peace is made with God. Because He acts as protective king, we are delivered safely from our spiritual enemies. There is peace in Christ’s Kingdom! Wonderful, joyous, good news indeed!

These words from the beginning of the book of John describe, in the utmost detail, the mission of John the Baptist. He was indeed a man sent by God to foretell the coming of the true Light into the world: Jesus Christ, who became flesh and dwelt among us. Jesus fulfilled the prophecy of John by bringing Heaven to earth and revealing the truth to those who dwelt in darkness, for the darkness truly could not comprehend such a Light.

God loves us so much that He gave us His own - His only - begotten Son to bring us and be that true Light. He knew that we lived in the darkness of the world and that such a Light was much too complex for us to understand. He sent John to prophesy of this and to try and help us even begin to understand such a concept in our finite minds. For we are all His children, and He looked beyond our fault and saw our need. May we keep this Light foremost in our daily lives through this Advent season and beyond.

Let us pray: “Heavenly Father, we praise You and give You thanks for loving us enough to send Your Son into the world. Help us to embrace and understand that You made the sun, the moon, and the stars to guide us by day and by night, and to always look to the heavens and follow that one true Light that overcomes our darkest days. We thank You Lord, and in Your matchless name we pray. Amen.”

This passage hits home in such a profound way, reminding us that love is the core of our spiritual journey. It tells us that love is not just something we do, but something that defines us as children of God. When we genuinely love others, it shows that we are connected to God because God is the very essence of love. If we can't find it in our hearts to love, we miss out on truly knowing God.

The verse also points to the ultimate example of God's love: sending His only Son to the world. This wasn't just any act; it was the most significant sacrifice, meant to give us life through Him. It's a powerful message that love is about selflessness and sacrifice. God's love for us wasn't earned by our actions; it was a gift given freely. This kind of love challenges us to live differently, to see every relationship as a reflection of that divine love, and to strive to embody that love in all we do.