Galatians 4:4-5: But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.This is my favorite "advent" passage of scripture. It's awe-inspiring to me because in just these two verses, the apostle Paul describes how literally everythin...

It was about 10 years ago around Christmas time when my dad called me and asked if I wanted to come to a concert that was happening near his house. That year, the group Shane and Shane recorded a Christmas album and their tour happened to bring them to Bayside Chapel in Barnegat. My dad knew I was a big fan of Shane and Shane and thought it would be a good way to get me to...

Usually the shorter the email, the more likely people will read it. This email is not short. Only some of you will read it. I hope it makes a difference for the "some" - enough of a difference to make it worth it. This Sunday we are taking our special Christmas offering. It's the one time of year we pray about how much more we can give beyond what we normally donate to...

If you've been attending our church for any length of time you have probably heard our pastor mention that he doesn't "do the Santa thing" with his family around Christmas. I know I've heard him speak about this on several occasions and in the past I had thought that he was probably making too big of a deal about it. While I recognized that the Santa myth had nothing to do...

She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: "You are the God who sees me," for she said, "I have now seen the One who sees me." - Genesis 16:13 Have you ever wondered if anyone out there truly sees you? I don't mean just to look at you- I mean truly sees you? Not just simply that you exist, or that you're a mom or a dad, or a child or a great friend or coworker. No...

22 When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, "Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord", 24 and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: "a pair of doves or two young pigeons." 25 Now t...

The time of Advent leading up to Christmas is a time of great anticipation for many people. For those who don't celebrate the birth of Christ, there is still the Christmas celebration and countless children who are eagerly awaiting the arrival of their cache of presents. Even those of us who DO hold Advent (the coming of Christ) and Christmas holy, can be guilty of overloo...

Gift giving, especially to children, is a minefield of emotional explosions. They immediately tell you how they really feel. There's no middle ground between, "I like it" and "I don't like it!". We have eight grandsons (no girls), so Sharon and I have spent many years on that minefield between eight annual birthdays and eight Christmases. We've watched clothes thrown over...

"Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. I tell you, whoever publicly acknowledge me before others, the Son of Man will also acknowledge before the angels of God." - ‭‭Luke‬ ‭12:7‬ ‭NIV‬‬ I was just reading psalm 40 using a great app called "through the word," and the teaching pastor, Sa...

We have a king! He was born in the line of King David as the prophets foretold. However, his reign would be far greater than most Jews could ever have imagined. He would have no palace or throne but was destined for a crown of thorns. He would not choose political power but rather the power to transform hearts and lives. He would not rule over Israel alone but become "a...