celebration

Make Time for Joyous Occasions

“Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come.” – Matthew 22:1-3 Jesus’ sermons are full of life with teachings about the Kingdom of God, and in them, He used two types of parables to describe believers’ lives. The first concerns judgment, like the parables in the book of Matthew dividing the sheep and the goats, or the story of the separation of the wheat and the weeds. As believers, the good news is you don’t have to worry about judgment because Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection have brought us salvation. We are loved, called, and forgiven and can now experience God’s joy in our lives. Speaking of joy, Jesus talks about

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Receive the New Wine

“Neither do people pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.” – Matthew 9:17 The discussion of new wine began with Jesus being questioned by the disciples of John the Baptist who wanted to know why the disciples of Jesus did not fast. I picture Jesus saying, “You don’t fast at a wedding when you are with the bridegroom.” Why would you fast at a party? You don’t sew new cloth into an old garment and you definitely do not put new wine into an old wineskin or it will tear, as found in Matthew 9:14-17. Do you know what wine is a symbol of in the Bible? Wine is a symbol of joy, celebration, and abundance.  There are some practical things

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Born to Triumph

“Then one of the elders said to me, ‘Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.’” – Revelation 5:5 Merry Christmas! Though it’s been an unprecedented and bumpy road that’s brought us to this December 25, today can be a milestone we’ll never forget, because when we walk through seasons of turmoil and loss, God brings our hearts closer to that which is eternal. While our focus in times gone by has been on entertaining, presents, and holiday “perfection,” this year has made it clear what’s most important. In 2020, none of us will take for granted good health, food on our table, a job that pays the bills, or the loved ones who surround us (even virtually). More importantly, we won’t forget the Guest of Honor at our Christmas

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