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Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod

Saturday, the First Week of Advent: Listening to God

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How are we actively listening to God?

Are you listening to God? What does it mean to actively listen? It means pay attention. Give your undivided attention. It doesn’t mean sit in church and think about what you’re going to cook for dinner. It doesn’t mean make a mental checklist of the Christmas gifts you’re going to buy after church.

Lutheran Advent Season, Are you Listening to God? Hopefully, this series will inspire, teach and prepare you for Christmas in a way you never considered. Learn why the promise is important from God in your life. Are you listening to GodIf you want to hear God’s voice you do need to listen.

Listen to the promises He makes. There really is no “ifs, and, or buts” to his salvation.

If you are listening to God then you won’t hear him say “Your salvation might be coming if you start to fix your life”. He doesn’t say that. But were you listening?

You don’t have to give anything to get salvation. What?

The Lord says “You salvation is coming.” Period. 

The birth of the baby Jesus is coming to save us. He comes in a lowly manger to save you. He isn’t appearing with a ticker tape parade, nor will Mary have nurses and a comfortable bed.

Baby Jesus is born in a stable, a hole in a hillside, a cave where Jesus is born. A small quiet voice.

He will live His life as He wants us to live ours. Jesus Christs shows us through example that he endured hatred, mocking, and punishment from those that hated Him to save us. Like a newborn baby, He is clean, sinless. He took the punishment for us.

Are you listening to God now?

What do you do to deserve someone who loves you this much? You don’t have to do anything. But listen, have faith. With the birth of the baby Jesus, miraculous things are about to happen. Glory be to God!

Advent Devotional Readings: Saturday, First Week Advent

Reading for the 1st Saturday in Advent: Isaiah 9:1-7

Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 26: 1-19; 1  John 3: 1-24 

My Review of the Weekly Advent Readings for the 1st Week of Advent

I have finished studying the first week of Lutheran Advent reflections. Didn’t know if I was going to get through them. I haven’t written like this in a long time. But I thought it was important and was compelled to do it.

Next week will be the Second week of Advent, and I will go provide a list of Advent songs and hymns. If you’re wondering about the Lutheran Advent wreath don’t worry, I haven’t forgotten the Advent candles.


Friday, the First Week of Advent: Why the Promise is Important

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Why are Promises Important?

The promise is important because it builds trust with the person who is the issues the promise. When their promises are fulfilled over and over you can have faith that future promises will be delivered.

All throughout the Bible is the word “Promise”. God promises Adam and Eve, He promised Noah, Abraham, Issac, Moses, the Children of Israel, Martha, Mary, the followers of Jesus. In almost every chapter there is a promise to an individual or a group of people.

Much of the time God’s promises after suffering or a tragedy. God promised Noah the earth would never be destroyed by flood again. He promised the Israelites suffering in Egypt that he would send them a deliverer. Moses came.

He promised Abraham He would make him the father of a great nation. Abrahams 12 sons became the 12 tribes of Israel that would eventually scatter throughout the world.  We are Abraham’s offspring.

Jesus Christ is the promise born in a manger, given to us for the salvation of the world.

Lutheran Advent Season, What is is All About? Hopefully, this series will inspire, teach and prepare you for Christmas in a way you never considered. Learn why the promise is important from God in your life.Promises Come in Time

What is missing is “when” the promise will be fulfilled. Rarely are God’s promises quick in coming.

But God doesn’t forget about them.  The promise is important in building faith. God gave the promise of His son to Adam, Abraham, Old Testament prophets, Joseph and many others. They must have talked to others. In fact, they did. They wrote down the promise. It’s written in the book of Isaiah.

People rely on promises. They hang onto promises. Your kids hang onto the promises you make. They remind you of them. “Remember, you promised.” Promises give us faith in the future and in God. The promise is important because it gives trust and reassurance.

When we as parents honor a promise to our kids, we give them trust and reassurance. In return, our kids knowing we will honor our promises then are more inclined to honor their promise of honoring their father and mother.

Promised Birth of Baby Jesus

The birth of baby Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s promises. 

He is our promise that brings His people out of the bondage of slavery to their sins. A promise to heal the sick, forgive our sins and give us salvation. Jesus is our salvation and our eternal life. 

So we can trust in Jesus, true man and true God, to deliver on the promises He makes us. Our trust in Jesus is what causes us to ask for forgiveness because we know they will be forgiven.

Links for Advent Season Reflections: Friday, First Week Advent

Reading for the 1st Friday in Advent: Isaiah 9:1-7

Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 24: 14-25; 1  John 2: 15-29 


Thursday, the First Week of Advent: Titles of Jesus in the Bible

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Lutheran Advent Season, What is is All About? Hopefully, this series will inspire, teach and prepare you for Christmas in a way you never considered. ONe of the titles of Jesus in the Bible is Wonderful Counselor. Learn how He can counsel and release you of your sins.Titles of Jesus in the Bible

There are many titles of Jesus in the Bible including incredible and lofty titles for the Baby Jesus: Wonderful Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, and the Prince of Peace.

This was the basis for the sermon for the first Wednesday night service in Advent at Trinity Lutheran Church in Murdock. Let’s just take the first name, wonderful counselor.

Jesus Christ was meant to walk beside us, guide us, help us and give us strength and answers when we cannot.

When the world turns against us and threatens our mind and soul who do we turn to? A counselor or therapist. Jesus.

Jesus is the best counselor. He is always there, and he doesn’t charge an hourly fee. You don’t have to place an emergency call to Him.

“You are mine. I put my name on you. You have the Holy Spirit. All my Good Friday benefits are yours: forgiveness, life, and salvation.”

Wonder of a Counselor

When your sins threaten to swallow you up and take over. You know that feeling, your heart races over all the lies you have told, the fibs, the cover stories to explain away deceit.  

Or maybe you are so consumed by wanting to get ahead at work, chasing money, playing office politics, to earn advancement by cheating a coworker or customers. THAT is how sin destroys and harms your soul.

Maybe you have an antagonistic relationship with a parent? You have fought in the past. Silence and animosity linger in the air. Holding onto anger, or hate is harmful. Don’t believe me. Try this exercise.

Think of the person and how they have harmed you. Does your breathing change, does your chest feel tight? You carry the weight. Don’t do it any longer. Let it go. Give it to Jesus, let Him console you.

Reflections of Advent Season, the title of Jesus being Wonderful Counselor

” Baby Counselor Jesus is there to console you with His saving death and resurrection. His words are divine. His words count. His words matter. His words TO YOU and FOR YOU are: “even though your sins be red as scarlet, they are made white as snow by my Good Friday blood.”

Forgiveness is powerful. It releases you from bearing the responsibility of the other person.  You can almost feel a weight taken off your shoulders. It sets you free.

Advent Season Reflections: Thursday, First Week Advent

Reading for the 1st Thursday in Advent: Isaiah 9:1-7

Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 24: 1-13;  John 1:10:14

Links to follow the First Week of Advent


First Week of Advent: Why We Need to Stop the Want, Want, Want

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Monday of the First Week of Advent

The first week of Advent is a perfect opportunity to remember why we celebrate the season of Christmas and helps us prepare.

Jesus makes you ready today for His coming to you by giving you His name!

Thank God! Jesus is our justice before God. He is our holiness before God. He’s our salvation! He’s our heaven. He is our righteousness!

He is the Savior of the Nations Come!

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldb56S3ZQ7M[/embedyt]

It is Jesus that saves us. Why is this Gospel so comforting? Think about it. That means we are NOT called by our own righteousness, we are not judged on what we do or NOT do. It is NOT how Holy we are, we do NOT EARN righteousness or the gift of heaven.

For goodness sake we each one of us had to daily earn the right to go to heaven we never would. We sin daily. Yes. In what we say, do and don’t do. Think about it. Just think about the 10 Commandments.

First week of Advent. How do we stop the buy, buy, buy mentality?Thou Shall Not Covet

During December we are guilty of coveting and sin on a daily basis. With every Christmas toy commercial kids learn what they “should” have and they often beg and beg for the hottest toys of the year.

It may be a Hatchimals, a Barbie Dream Horse or a Fingerlings (what in the world is a Fingerling??) Our kids want, want, want. “But Mommy…please…”

What is our reply “You will have to ask Santa…” Does it sound familiar?

As adults, we want the new big screen high definition television, a new car, and the list can go on. We are jealous of the magnificent Christmas decorations on our neighbors’ house.

We try and outdo the Joneses on everything. Want, want, want and want some more. More under the tree, the bigger the better.

During the rest of the year, we want the better job, we want better pay, we want a nicer house, car, tv, etc, etc. Even if we don’t say it out loud, we sometimes say it in our heads. WOW!!

Where does sin lead us?

The unsatisfactory nature of coveting makes us not appreciate what we have? It can make us bitter, jealous, spiteful, and angry.

Sin leads to other sins. Coveting leads to talking about others (gossip – though shall not bear false testimony), leads to being angry, and defying your parents (honor your Father and your Mother). Sin spirals into more sin.

But Jesus saves us all sin. Simple.

Our sins died with Jesus on Good Friday. They were buried with Him. He is righteous before God for us.

His coming this Christmas reminds us that we are washed in His righteousness, NOT our own.

Remembering this may not eliminate ALL the want, want, want mentality. But during this first week of Advent, it may just make us pause and think about what we NEED.

Reflections the First Monday of Advent

Today’s Reading: Jeremiah 23: 5-8

Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 10: 8-12:27,3-34;  2 Peter 1: 1-21

Links to follow the First Week of Advent

Tomorrow I will share another of my favorite hymns for Advent Season: Prepare the Royal Highway

 

Lutheran Advent Season: Daily Reflections

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The Lutheran Advent Season prepares us for the birth of the baby Jesus. Why Am I Starting a Lutheran Advent Season Series?

As Christmas approaches it is easy to lose focus on the birth of Jesus Christ get wrapped up in the commercialism of the season. The insert Lutheran Advent Season reflections in my church mailbox gave me an idea. It was copied and printed on black and white copy paper, nothing fancy and yet it is so simple.

Each day is outlined with a specific reading and lesson to reflect on the meaning of the Advent season. As I started reading so many things came to mind.

You see I teach Sunday School and have for over 25 years. I always look for inspiration, ideas, and ways to teach my fourth and fifth graders in a way they can relate and understand the Bible and the Gospel message.

Right now we are practicing for our Christmas Eve program and I am the piano accompanist. So I’m craving some eye-opening teaching time.

Hopefully, this series will inspire, teach and prepare you for Christmas in a way you never considered. I will include the Daily reading, hymns, music, and a summary of the Reflection of the Day. A link to Trinity Lutheran Church online sermons will also be provided.

I encourage you to comment below, for a couple of reasons. God wants you to ask questions. By asking questions you learn and understand.

The First Sunday of Advent

Today’s Reading: Matthew 21:1-9

Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 9:8-10:11; 1 Peter 5:1-14

Jesus is coming!! He is “the coming ONE”

This, in a nutshell, is the Christian meaning of Advent. Advent is all about Jesus coming to you. He’s not coming to condemn you, He’s coming to save you. He will take upon Himself all your sins and give you everlasting life.

So what are you going to do to make yourself ready?

Nothing. There is nothing that you can do that will make Jesus love you any more than he already does. He alone makes you ready. He delivers His coming to you in His gifts.

Hymns: First Sunday Advent

Hymns during Advent are anticipatory and lead up to Christmas and the anticipation of the birth of Baby Jesus. Many songs people think of as Christmas music are actually Advent hymns. O Come, O Come Emmanuel is what I would call an anthem for Advent.

Oxford Hymn Settings for Organists: Advent and Christmas: 38 original pieces on hymns and carolsOxford Hymn Settings for Organists: Advent and Christmas: 38 original pieces on hymns and carolsSeven Preludes on Advent HymnsSeven Preludes on Advent HymnsO Come, O Come, EmmanuelO Come, O Come, EmmanuelWillis Music O Come, O Come, Emmanuel (Early Inter Level) Willis Series by Carolyn C. SetliffWillis Music O Come, O Come, Emmanuel (Early Inter Level) Willis Series by Carolyn C. Setliff

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iO7ySn-Swwc[/embedyt]

The Piano Guys O Come, O Come Emmanuel is one of my favorite renditions of this popular Advent song. I do scour YouTube for Advent hymns and will be sharing my favorites in the month to come.

A more traditional version of O Come, O Come Emanuel YouTube edition is the performed by a traditional choir.

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xtpJ4Q_Q-4[/embedyt]

I like both. Which is your favorite?

Links to follow the Lutheran Advent Season of Reflection

Tomorrow I will share another of my favorite hymns for Advent Season: Savior of the Nations Come.